 
E-mail Filtering Software
You are perhaps another victim of the evils of spam. You can't get even, but you can guard against these unsolicited annoyances.
by David Geer 2002-09-05
First, there was junk mail through the postal system. Then, with the advent of e-mail and the Internet came spamâelectronic junk mail. While there are few ways to stop receiving postal junk mail, there is plenty of software available for filtering out spam.xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> While some e-mail clients, such as Microsoft Outlook, come with spam filters, these features must be set up message by message. Content filtering programs have more options than most e-mail programs. Filtering programs are easier to use because they come with near-exhaustive lists of spammers (the companies that send spam) and markers for common spam elements. These programs make adding new spammers and other filtering criteria as easy as downloading an update, though they can be added manually, as well. Users who publish their e-mail address on the Internet need this software. Once your address is published, e-mail spammers easily collect it by scouring the Internet with search and retrieval tools called Web crawlers or spiders. Spammers send spiders through newsgroups to check message headers (the information at the top of the post that includes your e-mail address), Web sites, and e-mail white page listings. As spammers get craftier, content filtering software stands out more and more as the best defense. Anyone who needs to optimize their message-processing time, deter viruses, or properly route e-mail is an excellent candidate for this software. If you get more e-mail than you care for, or if you have a slow connection that stumbles over 10MB of sales propaganda, a content filter might be a good idea. How They Work
The vast majority of e-mail filters follow the same pattern. Once supplied with your server name, username, and password, the filter logs onto your mail server and checks, flags, routes, and handles your e-mail. Undesirables don't make it past the filtering process. Suspect e-mail is identified by any number of keywords, phrases, and character combinations found anywhere inside the incoming messages. Filters also check whether the sender's domain (the part after the @ symbol) is legitimate. Attachments can be scanned, neutralized, and accepted or rejected automatically. Acceptable mail is routed to specified folders or mailboxes inside the program. Most content filtering programs contain virus-detecting filters that scan the entire message, including HTML code and attachments, nullifying all suspect code. Many programs let you see the spam and viruses in plain text format. The spam or virus is harmless to you, and you can examine it thoroughly. Reviews Benchmarx MailSnoop $20
Well-constructed and organized to impress, there is much to like about MailSnoop. All e-mail messages are automatically checked; if a message triggers a filter, the program will tell you why and give you the option to read or delete the e-mail. MailSnoop filters attachments, e-mail with different sender and reply addresses, and e-mail with an invalid sender, and compares messages with an editable list of known spammers. Messages can be routed to multiple mailboxes within MailSnoop. You then can receive any of these messages in your e-mail program once you decide what you want to do with them. You can set up a notification that heralds the arrival of new messages either with a sound or by opening your e-mail client. A customization feature shows you what most of the program's commands do. MailSnoop works with Windows 98, Me, NT 4.0, 2000, and XP. It supports multiple accounts through an accounts manager, and gives you the option to save passwords. MailSnoop will let you customize the fields in incoming e-mail and dial your Internet connection. A blacklist filter, which filters entire domains by comparing incoming e-mail with domain names, will be available in an upcoming version. The 1.1MB download of MailSnoop is free for 30 days and must then be purchased for $20. Free tech support is available by e-mail for registered users. Bradford Group Software MailSensor Free
MailSensor is a simple, effective, and free e-mail filtering solution. The program compares a keyword list to the subject line. When offending words or characters are discovered, it can delete the message entirely or you can use the censoring option to change the offending words or characters into question marks. One of MailSensor's few limitations is its inability to distinguish between sources of incoming messages; it applies the same filters to all keywords and e-mail regardless of the sender. MailSensor automatically disables hidden scripts (including viruses) in your messages. There are no settings for this; its virus-handling duties are all automated, running behind the scenes. In the same way that offensive words are censored, virus code anywhere in the e-mail messages or attachments is substituted with question marks, which corrupts the virus and leaves it powerless. Since attachments may not work after being filtered, you need to disable MailSensor in order to receive them, which makes MailSensor a bit tedious as far as attachment handling is concerned. This is a great program for mail accounts for which you don't want attachments accepted. That can be a good security precaution. Setup also requires that you change your incoming POP mail server address entry in your e-mail client to 127.0.0.1, which is the local host address for your computer. With this setting changed, MailSensor is ready to act as your e-mail server; the filtering program must be running in order to get your mail. If you stop using MailSensor, you'll need to change the server address in your e-mail program back to your ISP's or you won't be able to get your messages. It sounds like more of a hassle than it is, and once setup is complete and you remember to keep both your mail program and MailSensor running at the same time, using the software is easy. MailSensor is a freebie worth considering. At 931KB, it's a quick download, and it's compatible with all Windows programs. Chimerasoft RSVPmail $49
Setting up the many options in Chimerasoft's RSVPmail was a time-consuming process, but those same options make the process worthwhile. When it comes to receiving e-mail, RSVPmail can filter combinations of the following fields: Date, Sender, Mailbox, Message, Reply To, and Recipient. These fields can be filtered for the inclusion or omission of a chosen word or phrase. Filters can be programmed to trigger actions like deleting the message, running a program, forwarding the message, or saving attachments. The filters are referred to as e-mail agents. RSVPmail has settings for outgoing mail, as well. You can predetermine who to send an automated e-mail complaint to in the form of a message, or, if a filter is triggered, a message with an attachment. Spam can be saved to a file for later viewing or disposal. You can easily start or stop RSVPmail with a button on the main screen; it stays loaded for easy access whether running or not. RSVPmail requires at least 16MB of RAM and a 300-MHz processor. The documentation says it works on Windows 95 and NT only, but we found that it works on Windows 98SE, too. A fairly complete user's guide is included in the form of an Adobe Acrobat document. At 783KB, it's the smallest download in this roundup. The program's design leaves a lot of functions optional. If you need that kind of freedom, this is the choice for you. Contact Plus Spam Buster Free
Spam Buster is an intuitive product with minimal buttons and tabs. Like other e-mail filtering products, Spam Buster compares incoming e-mail against known spam identifiers. An extensive blacklist of known spammers and examinations of the addresses for invalid domain names are also used. It checks for markers in the subject line and headers, as well as for suspect file sizes (this function is configurable and optional). Spam Buster offers an explanation of why it filters certain items. There are a number of ways to process messages. They can be deleted or saved with a question mark next to those that you may want later. You can add parameters for checking every part of a message's text, which enables you to filter any new form of spam. You can note specific senders as exceptions to any rule in order to receive their mail without interference. Spam Buster is compatible with POP e-mail accounts only, not programs like AOL or MSN Mail. Within the main setup window, under General Settings, you can input several e-mail accounts for spam filtering. You can check e-mail automatically or manually and delete unwanted messages. Spam Buster will open your e-mail program when you are ready to read your messages. Spam Buster works on Windows operating systems from Windows 95. A minimum of 32MB of RAM is needed, though we recommend more. You'll need 3MB of available hard drive space for installation. Spam Buster consumes only 1.4MB of hard drive space when installed (it's a 1.29MB download). The price is right, too: it's free with advertising and $19.99 without ads. It installs in the Start Menu and optionally loads in the system tray, and comes with useful help documents. Novasoft SpamKiller $29
One of our favorite e-mail filtering programs is SpamKiller from Novasoft. This application imports your address books from Microsoft Outlook, Exchange, Outlook Express, Netscape, Eudora, and Pegasus, as well as other POP mail address booksâeven those with Comma Separated Values (.CSV) and .TXT file extensions. You need to enter your POP mail server and your SMTP server addresses. Once the templates are filled in with all your account information, the program immediately verifies that it can access your mail. The included help documents are useful and well organized. SpamKiller handles an unlimited number of accounts of POP and MAPI types. You can check each e-mail account manually or automatically according to its own schedule. Checking can easily be suspended and reinstated at any time without changing a lot of settings. Each separate e-mail account has its own inbox. A configurable Friends List contains the addresses that will always get through. Initially, these addresses are taken from your imported address book. This list can also include an entire domain that you accept e-mail from. You can make a backup of the Friends List so you won't have to reenter them after a system crash or upon migrating to another computer. All mail can be saved to be looked at later. Messages can be deleted manually or automatically after 30 days. You can add filters for any type of criteria, and you can check for downloadable filter updates at anytime. You can print any of the e-mail received, although images cannot be printed directly from SpamKiller. You can toggle between your own filters and those that come with the program to see which ones caught the spam. For those so inclined, Domain Name Services (DNS) lookup is available to help determine the provider of offending e-mail. SpamKiller can often give you the real and originating e-mail address of abusive e-mail. The program includes password protection, so no one can adjust your setup. You will have to turn off any automatic mail-checking features in your mail program for SpamKiller to work. After the trial period expires, it costs $29 to register. It has its own desktop theme, which is an optional download. It's a 2.06MB download and is 5MB installed. It runs fine on a 300-MHz system with 128MB of RAM. Poco Systems PocoMail $25
PocoMail is actually an e-mail client with highly competitive e-mail filtering built in. For those leery of running too many simultaneous applications, this is a great alternative. And, it has one of the most attractive 3D interfaces we've seen so far. A very intuitive program, PocoMail puts a link to view mail-header information inside the e-mail interface itself, so you don't have to dig around for it. The filters section of PocoMail is very unique. Preset scripts (small programs) can be set up to run with incoming or outgoing e-mail. You don't need to know how to write scriptsâPocoMail helps you select and apply appropriate preinstalled ones. Available scripts provide the option to send a message-body template, archive old mail, create a new mailbox for the selected e-mail, add a vacation message, and even send a Windows-style calculator with the message. Scripts are also available for tagging junk mail. Filters can be arranged based on the content of any imaginable message parameters, including every unique field of data in your e-mail headers. You can designate these settings for each e-mail account. (PocoMail provides four internal mailboxes by default.) You can perform over a dozen actions in response to a triggered filter, including copy, move, mark, delete, print, and download. PocoMail installs and sets up quickly. It runs on Windows 95, 98, NT 4.0, 2000, Me, and XP and requires 16MB of RAM, 9MB of free hard drive space, and a POP, Authenticated Post Office Protocol (APOP), or Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) server mail account, and SMTP mail for sending mail. Most of us have POP and SMTP. You'll probably know it if you have something else. Post-trial pricing is $25 for the download (3.12MB) or $35 for the CD. Triumvirate Technologies Mailbox Filter $69
Mailbox Filter, from Triumvirate Technologies, is styled differently from what we're used to, but that doesn't mean it's not a great program. Once we got the installation worked out and got used to what the program would and wouldn't do, we liked it a lot. Junk e-mail can be viewed as text. You can store or delete malicious messages without your system catching harmful viruses. You can print, reply, forward, store, set autoresponse mechanisms, or save spam and virus-carrying e-mailâall from the folders in Mailbox Filter's convenient Control Center screen. You can take your time reviewing a filtered message and then choose from a number of options for its disposal. In addition to an authorized list of the people you want to accept mail from, Mailbox Filter provides a banned list for unscrupulous senders. Mailbox Filter comes with a keyword list that compares itself with the contents of incoming messages. If there is a match, you have the option of forwarding the message with comments or to respond with a preset message. Some of the windows during the installation procedure had neither an Exit nor a Back button, so if you change your mind about a selected option or make a mistake, you have to close the setup and begin again. We suggest you choose your options carefully. If the name field in your address book (imported to serve as your authorized list) contains an e-mail address instead of a name, the program offers to change the @ symbol to "at" before you can continue. It's quite particular about having the right information in all the right places. Mailbox Filter scans all e-mail for potentially harmful file types and neutralizes them. If you have addresses in your authorized list that you know are safe from sending you harmful e-mail, you can select them as trusted sources; this prevents them from being scanned. Scanned e-mail is neutralized, so viruses in attachments and HTML mail will be rendered harmless. E-mail attachments later determined to be safe can be restored. After a 30-day trial you can buy the downloaded package for $69. A CD is available for $89. Benchmarx Limited +44 (208) 877 0395 Bradford Group Software (919) 841-0740 Chimerasoft Contact Plus (800) 366-9876 Novasoft (888) 447-1175 Poco Systems Triumvirate Technologies
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