Filters for Webmail

To automatically set up a spam folder in your Inbox and create a server-side X-Spam-Flag filter that will place any spam-flagged mail into that folder, use the setup tool found on the following page:

https://sysnews.ncsu.edu/tools-php/spam-filter-setup.php

If you want to create an X-Spam-Flag filter manually or add an X-Spam-Level filter to make your spam filtering capability more sensitive, then follow the steps below.

X-Spam-Flag filter
An X-Spam-Flag filter will catch only messages whose hits percentage meets or exceeds the 50% threshhold currently used by NC State. It will function only when the X-Spam-Flag header has a value of YES. Before you construct a spam filter, be sure to set up a spam folder in the Inbox of your e-mail client so that you can retrieve any legitimate messages caught by the filter.
NOTE: If you have already set up this type of filter for the SpamAssassin software previously used at NC State, you do not need to add a new one for PureMessage.

To construct a spam filter based on the PureMessage X-Spam-Flag header:

  1. Go to https://webmail.ncsu.edu/src/login.php.
  2. Log in with your Unity ID and password.
  3. Select Options.
  4. On the Options page, choose Message Filters.
  5. Select New.
  6. In the Contains text box, type: X-Spam-Flag: YES
  7. From the pull-down list in the Match field, select Header.
  8. From the pull-down list in the Move to field, select your spam folder.
  9. Select Submit.

X-Spam-Level filter
An X-Spam-Level filter can be used to catch messages whose hits percentage is less than the 50% threshhold. You might want to create one if you feel that 50% is too high (doesn't catch enough spam). If you choose a threshhold that is not a multiple of 10 (e.g., 45%), you will need to create two of these filters instead of one. Before you construct a spam filter, be sure to set up a spam folder in the Inbox of your e-mail client so that you can retrieve any legitimate messages caught by the filter.
WARNING: Be very careful if you create an X-Spam-Level filter. The lower the hits percentage you choose for filtering, the more likely you will mistakenly catch legitimate mail and send it to your spam folder.

To construct a spam filter based on the PureMessage X-Spam-Level header:

  1. Go to https://webmail.ncsu.edu/src/login.php.
  2. Log in with your Unity ID and password.
  3. Select Options.
  4. On the Options page, select Message Filters.
  5. Select New.
  6. In the Contains text box, type X-Spam-Level: followed by your chosen hits percentage represented by the letters X and/or I:
    • If your percentage is a multiple of ten, type a number of X's equal to the tens digit of the percentage.
      For example, for 60%, you would type 6 X's (upper case):
      X-Spam-Level: XXXXXX
    • If your percentage is not a multiple of ten, type a number of X's equal to the tens digit and a number of I's equal to the ones digit.
      For example, for 65%, you would type 6 X's and 5 I's (upper case):
      X-Spam-Level: XXXXXXIIIII
      NOTE
      : In this case, you will need to create a secondary filter (see below).
  7. From the pull-down list in the Match field, select Header.
  8. From the pull-down menu in the Move to field, select your spam folder.
  9. Select Submit.

If your hits percentage is not a multiple of 10, you will need to create a secondary filter:

  1. Select Options.
  2. On the Options page, select Message Filters.
  3. Select New.
  4. Type X-Spam-Level: followed by a number of X's equal to one more than the tens digit of your chosen hits percentage.
    For example, for 65%, you would type 7 X's (upper case):
    X-Spam-Level: XXXXXXX
  5. From the pull-down list in the Match field, select Header.
  6. From the pull-down menu in the Move to field, select your spam folder.
  7. Select Submit.

X-Virus-Detected filter
By using an X-Virus-Detected filter and creating a virus folder in the Inbox of your e-mail client, you can retrieve legitimate messages that arrived with virus-laden attachments that were later removed by PureMessage. Be sure to set up your virus folder before you construct a virus filter.

To construct a virus filter based on the PureMessage X-Virus-Detected header:

  1. Go to https://webmail.ncsu.edu/src/login.php.
  2. Log in with your Unity ID and password.
  3. Select Options.
  4. On the Options page, select Message Filters.
  5. Select New.
  6. In the Contains text box, type: X-Virus-Detected: YES.
  7. From the pull-down menu in the Match field, select Header.
  8. From the pull-down menu in the Move to field, select your virus folder.
  9. Select Submit.

Go to the PureMessage main page.