Starting from scratch...recommendations please?

Hi all,

Ok, I want to start from scratch on my sendmail/spamfilter setup.

I'm on a SunBlade 100 machine running Solaris 9 (SunOS 5.9). I want to
install a new setup for SMTP and IMAP.

What do you recommend I go with to get rid of spam the most. Right now
I'm hounded with spam and I've been using mailscanner and spamassassin
and so I want to start fresh with the latest tools.

Advice is much appreciated.

Thanks.

Re: Starting from scratch...recommendations please?

On Mon, 8 Oct 2007, B wrote:

> Ok, I want to start from scratch on my sendmail/spamfilter setup.
>
> I'm on a SunBlade 100 machine running Solaris 9 (SunOS 5.9). I want to
> install a new setup for SMTP and IMAP.
>
> What do you recommend I go with to get rid of spam the most. Right now
> I'm hounded with spam and I've been using mailscanner and spamassassin
> and so I want to start fresh with the latest tools.

I'd stick with with you use now, but use the most current, and when using
spamasassin make sure you use the *.dostech.net extra rules and lastly I
would also disable RBL and SPF in S.A and use them at MTA level.


--

Cheers
Res

Re: Starting from scratch...recommendations please?

B wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> Ok, I want to start from scratch on my sendmail/spamfilter setup.
>
> I'm on a SunBlade 100 machine running Solaris 9 (SunOS 5.9). I want to
> install a new setup for SMTP and IMAP.
>
> What do you recommend I go with to get rid of spam the most. Right now
> I'm hounded with spam and I've been using mailscanner and spamassassin
> and so I want to start fresh with the latest tools.
>
> Advice is much appreciated.
>
> Thanks.

If it is a corporate mail gateway I'd look into getting some kind of messaging
appliance such as Barracuda. Otherwise, what you have is adequate - might want to
include clamav or other av tool. If you're not already doing so, include DNS
blacklists and url blacklists, and greylisting to what you have.

I've been using J-Chkmail for years with ClamAV and I'm very happy with both.

dp

Re: Starting from scratch...recommendations please?

B unleashed the infinite monkeys on 09/10/2007 00:13 producing:
> Hi all,
>
> Ok, I want to start from scratch on my sendmail/spamfilter setup.
>
> I'm on a SunBlade 100 machine running Solaris 9 (SunOS 5.9). I want to
> install a new setup for SMTP and IMAP.
>
> What do you recommend I go with to get rid of spam the most. Right now
> I'm hounded with spam and I've been using mailscanner and spamassassin
> and so I want to start fresh with the latest tools.

I'm having success with the following (in the order they take effect):

* Careful choice of RBLs (cbl.abuseat.org primarily, which so far has
had no false positives)
* SPF checks
* DKIM/DK verification
* Greylisting (with whitelisting of all the mail servers that normally
send mail to this server)
* ClamAV (with the phishing signatures)
* SpamAssassin

The end result is that, so far, almost no spam makes it through (one or
2 a month from the half-dozen attempts a day). Obviously YMMV :)

--
Rob MacGregor (BOFH)

Rule 37: "There is no 'overkill'. There is only 'open fire'
and 'I need to reload.'"

Re: Starting from scratch...recommendations please?

B writes:

> Ok, I want to start from scratch on my sendmail/spamfilter setup.
>
> I'm on a SunBlade 100 machine running Solaris 9 (SunOS 5.9). I want to
> install a new setup for SMTP and IMAP.
>
> What do you recommend I go with to get rid of spam the most. Right now
> I'm hounded with spam and I've been using mailscanner and spamassassin
> and so I want to start fresh with the latest tools.

I don't work for these guys, but we use their product and love it.
It is called "Canit" and it does a LOT all in one package. I'm an
experience Linux/unix admin, but I don't like messing around with
sendmail very much -- they have a very easy install and simply
excellent voice technical support available every day. It doesn't
even cost that much depending on how you license. Check it out
at http://www.canit.ca/

Again, I don't work for them, but they get my strongest
recommendation. I assume you are working for a Company, it will
be a money saver over the man hours and frustration you will have
trying to put the pieces together individually.

Hope this helps.

--
John
____________________________________________________________ _______
John Murtari Software Workshop Inc.
jmurtari@following domain 315.635-1968(x-211) "TheBook.Com" (TM)
http://thebook.com/