UW-Physics PureMessage Documentation

• What Is PureMessage?
• How Does PureMessage Identify Spam?
• PureMessage End User Web Interface
  • Accessing the End User Web Interface
  • Blocked Messages
  • Deleted Messages
  • Approved Senders
  • Blocked Senders
  • Options
• Quarantine Digests
  • Exempting Digests from Local Filters
• Mail Client Filters

What Is PureMessage?

PureMessage is a mail-filtering program that runs on the email server. All ingoing and outgoing email messages pass through PureMessage. The PureMessage filter looks for certain message characteristics and performs actions on the message when these characteristics are found.

This document describes PureMessage from the perspective of a user whose email is filtered by PureMessage. Except for the description of quarantine digests (which are not enabled by default), it describes the default PureMessage configuration.

How Does PureMessage Identify Spam?

PureMessage contains several hundred spam tests that analyze individual characteristics of each message. Each of these tests has a numerical weight. When a message is analyzed by PureMessage, the weights from all the spam tests that matched the message are added up and converted to a spam score that expresses the message's "spam probability".

By default, PureMessage only checks for spam in messages that originate from outside the network, not in messages that originate within the local domain. If a message is found to have a spam probability of 50% or more, it is copied to the PureMessage Quarantine. By default, PureMessage also delivers these messages, but alters the message's subject heading to show its spam probability. It also adds an "X-PerlMx-Spam" header to the message. Either of the modifications can be used to configure filters in your email program. See Mail Client Filters for instructions.

PureMessage End User Web Interface

The End User Web Interface (EUWI) gives PureMessage users access to email-filtering features. Users can view and manage messages that are quarantined (blocked) by PureMessage, manage user-specific sender lists, and configure various email-filtering options.

The EUWI is comprised of the following components:

• Navigation Menu: The menu located on the left side of the page.
• Main Page: The current page accessed through the navigation menu. Links to additional pages include: Blocked Messages, Deleted Messages, Approved Senders, Blocked Senders, and Options.
• Email Message Viewer: A viewer that opens when a message's "Subject" link is clicked.

Note: Depending on administrator settings, you may not have access to all EUWI pages and email-filtering functionality. Contact your PureMessage administrator for more information.

Accessing the End User Web Interface

Access the End User Web Interface (EUWI) via the web link sent by your system administrator. A PureMessage administrator can give you access to the EUWI by either emailing you the access information or having you request a password through the EUWI. Alternatively, the administrator may add a link in quarantine digests to the EUWI.

Notification from the Administrator

Usually, the PureMessage Administrator sends you an email message containing your EUWI login and password. This message also contains a web link to the EUWI (for example, http://computer.example.com:28080). To access the EUWI:

1. Click the web link in the email message. The EUWI login page is displayed.
2. Enter the login and password provided in the email message.
3. Click Login. You are logged in to the EUWI and the Blocked Messages page is displayed.

Requesting a Password

Before you request a password, the PureMessage administrator must send you an email message containing the web link to the EUWI (for example, http://computer.example.com:28080). After obtaining this link, proceed as follows:

1. Enter the link in a web browser (or click the link if it is in an email message). The EUWI login page is displayed.
2. Click "here". If you do not have a password, please go here. The Send Authorization page is displayed.
3. Enter your company email address.
4. Click Send Authorization. Your EUWI password is sent to the email address entered.

If you send multiple authorization requests, only the latest request grants you access to the EUWI.

When you receive an email message from the PureMessage administrator:

1. Open the email message.
2. Click the web link in the email message. The EUWI login page is displayed.
3. Enter the login and password provided in the email message.
4. Click Login. You are logged in to the EUWI and the Blocked Messages page is displayed.

Blocked Messages

The Blocked Messages page displays all email messages that are quarantined by PureMessage due to spam content. Using the Blocked Messages page, you can:

• view blocked messages
• release misclassified legitimate messages from the PureMessage Quarantine and deliver them to your mailbox
• delete and send messages to the Deleted Messages page
• deliver and approve a sender
• delete all messages in the list

You can sort quarantined messages based on the spam Score, the email address listed in the From header, the message's Subject, or the Date the message was delivered. Note that the date column displays the time in hours and minutes for messages blocked in the last 24 hours. Both the time and date are shown for messages blocked more than 24 hours ago.

View a Blocked Message

To view a blocked message:

1. On the left navigation menu, click Blocked Messages. The Blocked Messages page is displayed.
2. On the Blocked Messages page, click the subject of the message you want to view. The message opens in another browser window.
3. To close the message, click the "X" in the upper-right corner of the window.

Deliver Message

Use the Deliver Message feature to release legitimate messages from the PureMessage Quarantine and deliver them to your mailbox.

1. On the left navigation menu, click Blocked Messages. The Blocked Messages page is displayed.
2. On the Blocked Messages page, under the Score column, select the check box(es) beside the message(s) that you want delivered to your mailbox.
3. Click Deliver Message. The selected messages are released from the Quarantine and delivered to your mailbox.

Delete Message

Use the Delete Message feature to remove messages from the Blocked Messages page and send them to the Deleted Messages page.

1. On the left navigation menu, click Blocked Messages. The Blocked Messages page is displayed.
2. On the Blocked Messages page, under the Score column, select the check box(es) beside the message(s) you want to remove.
3. Click Delete Message. The selected messages are removed from the Blocked Messages page and sent to the Deleted Messages page.

Deliver and Approve Sender

Use the Deliver and Approve Sender feature to send the selected message(s) to your mailbox and add the sender(s) of those messages to your Approved Senders list.

1. On the left navigation menu, click Blocked Messages. The Blocked Messages page is displayed.
2. On the Blocked Messages page, under the Score column, select the check box(es) beside the message(s) that you want delivered to your inbox and whose senders you want added to your Approved Senders list.
3. Click the Deliver and Approve Sender button. The Approved Senders page is displayed.
4. On the Approved Senders page, select if you want to Approve just the sender or Approve all email from the sender's domain.
5. Click Approve. The selected messages are released and sent to your inbox. The selected sender(s) are added to your Approved Senders list.

Delete All

Use the Delete All feature to remove all messages from the Blocked Messages page and send them to the Deleted Messages page.

1. On the left navigation menu, click Blocked Messages. The Blocked Messages page is displayed.
2. On the Blocked Messages page, click Delete Message. All messages are removed from the Blocked Messages page and sent to the Deleted Messages page.

Deleted Messages

Displays messages deleted from the Blocked Messages page. Sort deleted messages based on spam Score, the email address listed in the From header, the message's Subject, or the Date the message was blocked. Note that the date column displays the time in hours and minutes for messages blocked in the last 24 hours. Both the time and date are shown for messages blocked more than 24 hours ago.

Use the Delete Messages feature to view and undelete messages. Undeleted messages are sent back to the Blocked Messages page.

Undelete Message

To undelete a message:

1. On the left navigation menu, click Deleted Messages. The Deleted Messages page is displayed.
2. On the Deleted Messages page, under the Score column, select the check box(es) beside the message(s) you want to undelete.
3. Click Undelete Message. The selected message(s) are sent to the Blocked Messages page.

Approved Senders

The Approved Senders page lists email addresses that are known to be legitimate sources of email. By default, PureMessage delivers email from approved senders and hosts without scanning it for spam. Use the Approved Senders feature to add or delete senders from the Approved Senders list.

Add an Approved Sender

1. On the left navigation menu, click Approved Senders. The Approved Senders page is displayed.
2. On the Approved Senders page, in the Add address text box, enter the valid email address of the sender you wish to approve.
   Note: Valid email addresses are of the form user@host.domain (for example, fooey@spammer.com).
3. Click Add Sender. The Approved Senders List page is displayed with the approved sender added.

Delete an Approved Sender

1. On the left navigation menu, click Approved Senders. The Approved Senders page is displayed.
2. On the list of Approved Senders, under the Sender column, select the check box(es) beside the sender(s) you want to remove.
3. Click Delete Sender. The Approved Senders page is displayed with the sender(s) removed from the list.

Blocked Senders

The Blocked Senders page lists email addresses that are known to distribute spam or viruses. The End User Web Interface can be configured to block messages originating from addresses in this list. Use the Blocked Senders feature to add or delete senders from the Blocked Senders list.

Add a Blocked Sender

1. On the left navigation menu, click Blocked Senders. The Blocked Senders page is displayed.
2. On the Block Senders page, in the Add address text box, enter the valid email address of the sender you wish to block.
   Note: Valid email addresses are of the form user@host.domain (for example, fooey@spammer.com).
3. Click Add Sender. The Blocked Senders List page is displayed with the blocked sender(s) added.

Delete a Blocked Sender

1. On the left navigation menu, click Blocked Senders. The Blocked Senders page is displayed.
2. In the list of Blocked Senders, under the Sender column, select the check box(es) beside the sender you want to remove from the list.
3. Click Delete Sender. The Blocked Senders page is displayed with the sender removed from the list.

Options

Use the Options page to set or modify individual PureMessage email-filtering preferences.

Disable all spam and offensive content blocking for my messages

1. On the left navigation menu, click Options. The Options page is displayed.
2. On the Options page, under Mail-Filtering Preferences, select the Disable all spam and offensive content blocking for my messages check box.
3. Click Save.

Notify me periodically of messages that have been blocked

1. On the left navigation menu, click Options. The Options page is displayed.
2. On the Options page, under Mail Filtering Preferences, select the Notify me periodically of messages that have been blocked check box.
3. Click Save.

Hold Messages

Use the Hold Messages option to keep messages for longer than the set number of days (for example, during a vacation). With the Hold Messages option you specify a hold date using the day, month, and year drop-down lists.

1. On the left navigation menu, click Options. The Options page is displayed.
2. Under Hold Messages, use the drop-down lists to select the date after which the messages will be held for 99 days.
3. Click Save. The option is saved.

Language Preference

Note: This feature is only available if the system administrator has enabled it. If the administrator disables this setting, the Language Preference portion of the Options page is not displayed.

Use the Language Preference option to change the language in which the End User Web Interface (and this documentation) is displayed.

1. Under Language Preference, select a language from the drop-down list.
2. Click Save. The End User Web Interface and the accompanying documentation are displayed in the specified language.

Quarantine Digests

When the PureMessage filter detects that a message has a 50% or greater likelihood of containing spam, the message is stored in the PureMessage Quarantine instead of being delivered. Quarantine digests are email messages generated by PureMessage that list each user's quarantined messages.

Quarantine digests display the quarantine message ID number, the spam probability percentage, the message's "From" address, and the message's "Subject". To release a single message from the Quarantine, click on the ID number. This generates an email to PureMessage; the message is automatically released. To release all listed messages from the Quarantine, reply to the message.

Exempting Digests from Local Filters

Some email clients (such as Microsoft Outlook) have built-in message filtering that can be enabled by the end user. These filters can result in quarantine digests being filtered by the end user's email client. In most cases, you can configure a list for built-in message filtering.

For example, when you enable the "Junk E-Mail" filter or "Adult Content" filter in Microsoft Outlook, a list rule is automatically created that exempts specific addresses from these filters. To edit the list, select Tools|Rules Wizard, and add the "From" address in your quarantine digest to the list.

Mail Client Filters

In the default policy configuration, PureMessage delivers all mail regardless of the spam probability. However, it modifies the subject line of messages that have a spam probability of 50% or more. Email clients can be configured to filter messages based on this message characteristic.

In the following example, the email client filter automatically moves messages containing "PMX:" in the subject line to the "Filtered Spam" mailbox. By using a separate mailbox, users have the option of scanning messages containing spam before deleting them.

Configuring Filters ("Rules") in Microsoft Outlook 2000

1. To create a new folder, right-click in Outlook's Folder List pane, select New Folder, and specify the folder name ("Filtered Spam") and location.
   
   
   
   
2. Microsoft Outlook uses the term "Rules" to denote filters. To configure rules, select Tools|Rules Wizard, and click New.
3. From the "rule type" list box at the top of the dialog box, select Check messages when they arrive. Click Next.
   
   
   
   
4. In the "conditions" list box at the top of the dialog box, select with specific words in the subject. In the "rule description" field, click specific words. Enter PMX: in the Search Text dialog box. Click Next.
   
   
   
   
5. Select move it to the specified folder when prompted for the action. Click the word "specified" in the selected option, and select Filtered Spam as the destination folder. (If necessary, click New to create a new folder.) Click Next.
   
   
   
   
6. Click Next to bypass the exceptions dialog.
7. Provide a name for the new rule and check Turn on this rule. Click Finish.
8. If more than one rule is configured for the email client, ensure that the PureMessage anti-spam rule is applied first. Click Run Now to apply the new rule to messages in the Inbox.