University steps up attack on e-mail spam

Tired of those e-mail messages about inadequate body parts and get-rich-quick schemes? Blocking "spam" just got easier thanks to recent upgrades to UVic's e-mail filtering system.

Instead of having to set up spam filters in your e-mail program the university server now does the work for you. "It's a one-stop deal," says John Foxgord of computing and system services (CASS). He anticipates the changes will reduce the huge number of unwanted e-mail messages the university receives daily.

"The university receives up to 450,000 off-campus e-mail messages a day, and almost half of that is spam blocked by our server," says Foxgord.

"However, more than 150,000 spam e-mails are still being received by users at UVic." He adds that if it takes two seconds to delete each spam message, then it collectively takes campus users more than 80 hours a day to delete all 150,000. That adds up to a lot of distraction and frustration.

Three years ago CASS initiated its first spam filtering system. It currently includes, among other methods, a global service that blocks viruses and e-mail messages with specific attachment types, as well as two opt-in services: DNS Blacklist that rejects all e-mail from computers known to generate spam; and Spam Assassin, a product running on UVic's server that assesses and scores the likelihood of e-mail being spam. By opting-in to these two methods of spam filtering, users can avoid the headache of deleting unsolicited e-mail.

"There's not one silver bullet for fighting spam," says Foxgord, "but we'll continue to add more mechanisms to improve this service."

To find out more go to: www.uvic.ca/spam/ or call the help desk at 721-7687 for assistance. Faculty and staff members can attend drop-in sessions in HSD B241 Thursdays from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Departments can also contact the education services group to arrange for help.