Spam filter

System for detecting and blocking spam

Spam filters are systems designed to remove unwanted mail while allowing genuine messages through to the user's mailbox. They come in a variety of forms including simple desktop software, gateway software installed on mail servers, dedicated appliances and 'managed service' systems which process all mail on their own systems before forwarding to customers.

Spam filters use a variety of techniques including analysing the origins of mail messages, parsing the content text and attachments and many other aspects of the email and its header information. Most filters allow the user to set up lists of known-good and known-bad senders (whitelists and blacklists) and also have systems for retrieving mails erroneously marked as spam.


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VB100 certification

VB100 VB's testing team put 24 anti-malware products to the test on the server version of Microsoft's latest iteration of the Windows platform: Windows Server 2008. John Hawes has all the details on which products managed to secure a VB100 award and which need have a little more work to do.
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