Setting Up SpamAssassin Spam Filter

To switch on SpamAssassin spam filter:

  1. Click the Server shortcut in the navigation pane.
  2. Click the Spam Filter icon in the Services group.
  3. To let your users set their own spam filtering preferences on a per-mailbox basis, select the Apply individual settings to spam filtering check box.
  4. If you wish to adjust the amount of system resources the spam filter should use, type the desired value from 1 to 5 into the Maximum number of worker spamd processes to run (1-5) box (1 is the lowest load, and 5 is the highest). We recommend that you use the default value.
  5. If you wish to adjust the spam filter's sensitivity, type the desired value in the The score that a message must receive to qualify as spam box.

    SpamAssassin performs a number of different tests on contents and subject line of each message. As a result, each message scores a number of points. The higher the number, the more likely a message is spam. For example, a message containing the text string "BUY VIAGRA AT LOW PRICE!!!" in Subject line and message body scores 8.3 points. By default, the filter sensitivity is set so that all messages that score 7 or more points are classified as spam.

  6. Specify how to mark messages recognized as spam.

    At the server level, you cannot set the server-wide spam filter to automatically delete spam: you can do it only on a per-mailbox basis. So, for the server-wide policy, you can choose only marking messages as spam: "X-Spam-Flag: YES" and "X-Spam-Status: Yes" headers are added to the message source by default, and if you want, the spam filter will additionally include a specific text string to the beginning of Subject line. To include a desired combination of symbols or words to the message subject, type it into the Add the following text to the beginning of subject of each message recognized as spam box. If you do not want the spam filter to modify message subject, leave this box blank. If you want to include into the subject line the number of points that messages score, type _SCORE_ in this box.

  7. If you do not want your users to receive e-mail from specific domains or individual senders, click the Black List tab, and then add the respective entries to the spam filter's black list:
  8. If you want to be sure that you and your users will not miss e-mail from specific senders, click the White List tab, and then add e-mail addresses or entire domains to the spam filter's white list:
  9. Once finished with setting up the spam filter, click the Switch On icon, and then click OK.

    Now all the incoming mail will be filtered on the server side. By default, spam filter does not delete spam mail, it only adds the "X-Spam-Flag: YES" and "X-Spam-Status: Yes" headers to the message, and "*****SPAM*****" text string to the beginning of Subject line of each message recognized as spam.

    If you have enabled the Apply individual settings to spam filtering option, then your users will be able to set their spam filters so as to automatically delete junk mail. They will also be able to set up their personal black and white lists of correspondents that will override the server settings, and teach the spam filter on a per-mailbox basis.

If you wish to adjust spam filtering settings for a specific mailbox, proceed to the Protecting Mailboxes From Spam section.