Knowledge Base
E-mail - Spam and Viruses
Q: What is e-mail spam?
A: Typically junk e-mail or unsolicited commercial e-mail is called "spam".
Q: What are e-mail viruses and worms?
A: An e-mail virus is a piece of computer code attached to an e-mail message which attempts to infect, or embed its code into, other files. An e-mail worm is a piece of computer code attached to an e-mail message which makes copies of itself over and over, onto local computer drives, over the network, e-mail, or the Internet; in other words, e-mail worms simply exist to reproduce and infect others with a copy of itself.
Q: Why do I recieve so much e-mail spam?
A: E-mail spam is an ever-increasing problem for all companies and universities alike. Current industry estimates put e-mail spam as conservatively as 45%, and as high as 90%, of all e-mail recieved by individual and company e-mail accounts. Some believe the use of e-mail as a mass-marketing tool has become an epidemic of sorts. Worse yet, it seems spam is a lucrative business for those sending the spam (called spammers). Combined with enticing language and unbelievable deals, attempts are also made to trick people into giving sensitive information out to spammers that use the information illegally for their own personal gain.
Q: What can I do to combat e-mail spam?
A: Unfortunately, those in the business of sending spam are constantly developing ways of deceiving poeple and electronic spam filters. There are a few general things you can try to do to minimize the risk receiving excess amounts of spam:
- Don't be generous with giving out your e-mail address. Only submit your private e-mail address to reputable companies, and do not give out your private e-mail address out to surveys and random websites.
- Do not follow links in e-mail spam messages themselves. Often, following links and visiting a spammer's website is the spammer's way of validating your e-mail address.
- The US Federal Trade Commission has some enforcement responsibilty under the US CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. Visit the FTC SPAM website for more information.
Q: What can I do to combat e-mail viruses and worms?
A: The best practice is to never open a "suspicious" looking e-mail from anybody. If you are unsure if an e-mail message is legitimate, contact the sender through some other avenue, and verify they sent the message. Otherwise, its best to err on the side of safety and delete the suspicious e-mail message without opening the message.
Also, always have a current anti-virus application installed and keep the application's virus definition list updated daily. OSU faculty, staff, and students are entitled to a free, site-licensed copy of anti-virus software through the OSU Site Licensed Software website.
Q: What is ITS doing to combat e-mail spam?
A: ITS has recently integrated redundant Barracuda SPAM firewalls into our e-mail infrastructure.
Q: Where can I find more information about the features and functions of the FCOB SPAM Firewall?
A: Please review the resources section at the top of this page.
Q: How do I access my quarantine inbox?
A: Follow the link in your FCOB Spam Firewall account welcome e-mail message, in the SPAM Quarantine Summary Report, or visit http://fisher.osu.edu/spam to login using your domain credentials (name_# and password)
Q: How long is e-mail kept in my Quarantine Inbox?
A: E-Mail is held for a period of 30 days at which point it is permanently deleted.
Q: How often should I check my Quarantine Inbox?
A: We recommend that you check your Quarantine Inbox Daily.
Q: Can I Whitelist domains as well as individual email addresses?
A: Yes, enter the domain name after the @ symbol for the desired domain (for user@example.com, you would enter example.com as the domain name). Use caution in doing so as this can open your mailbox to increased SPAM. We suggest you utilize individual e-mail addresses whenever possible.
Q: Can I copy my Safe Senders list from Outlook into my Quarantine Inbox Whitelist?
A: This is possible, though not recommended, using the bulk edit feature of your Quarantine Inbox (Preferences, Whitelist/Blacklist tab). We recommend that you start with an empty list and add individual e-mail addresses as necessary.
Q: Will the FCOB SPAM Firewall catch email I do want to receive (false positive)?
A: Unfortunately, this is a possibility given the nature of SPAM filters. You can add individual e-mail addresses or domains to your Quarantine Inbox Whitelist as necessary if this happens or increase the quarantine spam scoring limit accordingly.
Q: Will I have to check both my Quarantine Inbox and my Outlook Junk E-Mail folder?
A: Initially, this will be necessary. Exchange Anti-SPAM and select Outlook Junk E-Mail functions will be phased out after implementation of the FCOB SPAM Firewall. Additional information will be forthcoming.
Q: I haven't received a quarantine inbox account creation e-mail, can I still access my account and modify my settings?
A: Yes, your account is automatically created when the first e-mail is quarantined and the notification is then sent. If this hasn't happened yet, simply log in to the interface at http://fisher.osu.edu/spam using your AD credentials (username_# and password) to manually create the account and modify your settings.
Q: How does the FCOB SPAM Firewall handle emails that contain viruses?
A: Email which contain viruses are blocked and not delivered.
Q: I've deleted something from my Quarantine Inbox by mistake. Can you recover it?
A: No. Once you delete the item, it's gone. You may need to contact the sender.
Q: I didn't receive a Spam Quarantine Summary Notification. Is something wrong with my email account?
A: No. If your email account didn't receive any spam suitable for quarantine, you won't receive a summary for the notification period (Daily or Weekly).
