Anti-spam Tactics

[ThatAdamGuy]

As noted in another topic, before moving to TCH, I had begun using [sitename]-foo@mysite.com addresses when filling out forms on the Web to combat the spam problem I've experienced (about 300-400 spams DAILY).

 

I set up a filter rule to forward all mail with "-foo" in the TO header to a-pop-account@mydomain, and set the default address to :blackhole: (setting it to :fail: resulted in cPanel ignoring the -foo rule).

 

All was good with the world.

 

Then earlier this week, one company I gave my e-mail address to sold my address to spammers, and I started receiving 10 spams a day at thosejerks-foo@mysite.com.

 

So I added a new filter rule to delete any mail being sent to that address. Problem is, that rule is, well, overruled by the rule that allows mail sent to anything-foo@mysite.com.

 

Sure, I could create a rule client-side to delete such mail, but then I still have to download it.

 

* * *

 

So... are there any solutions that allow me to use addresses on the fly (so I can trace when my address is given to spammers, and then shut down that address)? I could use disposable addressing via dodgeit.com or bloglines, but that really is inconvenient! I'm paying for personal domains / hosting, and I'd like to use those resources for all my mail

 

Thanks in advance for any insights you can offer!

[TCH-Don]

Can't you just forward the spammed addys to :fail: ?

[ThatAdamGuy]

Okay, now I feel stupid! I had used "discard" instead of ":fail:" The latter does the trick (assuming I pair this with the cron job to keep :blackhole: on this domain instead of :fail:).

 

Btw, TCH folks... just as a reassurance... except for this recent incidence, I have very little spam going to this particular domain. I'll be using :fail: for all my other domains soon.

[TCH-Don]

You should use :fail: instead of :blackhole:

It used to be recommended that you use blackhole,

but as per MikeJ our sys admin

in this post

The reason is because cPanel changed the configuration of how email is handled. When that post was done, :fail: would accept the message, process it, then bounce it. Now the mail software refuses to accept the message which means the mail never is transferred to the server. This saves you bandwidth, and saves our servers some processing time.

[ThatAdamGuy]

Yes, but as I've noted elsewhere, that's not an option. It renders my anti-spam strategy unworkable.

 

So the solution I've now decided upon is have somerandomaddress@dodgeit.com (see details) as my default address. No worries about :fail: or :blackhole: and my e-mail filters still work!