ITS Continues Anti-Virus/Anti-Spam Initiative
Published 04.05.2005
Employees may have noticed over the past week that the subject lines of some messages in their mailboxes are preceded with a period enclosed in brackets (for example, Subject: Buy cheap software now).
This marker is a part of a new anti-virus/anti-spam system being developed by Information Technology Services. Referred to as "tagging," the system uses the marker to identify possible spam messages. Note that legitimate messages that include common characteristics of known spam may be tagged.
Tagging is being used by ITS to fine tune the criteria used by the system to identify spam. (ITS staff are monitoring their own accounts; they are not viewing the tagged messages in other employee mailboxes.) The objective is, to the extent possible, to consistently block real spam while allowing legitimate messages to pass through.
Correctly identifying spam is only the first step. A process to actually filter the spam and a tool that allows employees to monitor the messages being filtered are next. Keep watching PCToday for updates on the ITS anti-virus/anti-spam initiative.