Barracuda -- Spam Firewall for Email

A. Summary:

The IT Department has deployed an email anti-spam system called Spam Firewall from Barracuda Networks. You will need to train this new system to detect spam more accurately.

B. Key Points:

· A new anti-spam system called Barracuda is used at AFSC to block spam emails

· If you are still training the old GFI system, via GFI AntiSpam Folders, stop doing this now

· Install a new tool that will enable you to easily classify spam/not-spam messages by clicking on http://172.17.200.10:8000/cgi-bin/plugins.cgi?locale=

· For corrections, updates, or clarifications on this Star Point, please email Paul Lor

C. Details:

Email users have to continually look for new tools to prevent spammers from penetrating their email system. Barracuda Networks’ Spam Firewall, AFSC’s new email anti-spam system, provides us with a convenient tool to classify email as Spam or non-Spam. This tool comes in the form of a Microsoft Outlook plug-in. Follow the steps below to install and use the tool to train the new spam firewall.

Stop using GFI AntiSpam Folders

Please stop putting emails in the GFI AntiSpam Folders on Outlook Public Folders to classify your emails. We are no longer using the GFI anti-spam system. These folders will be deleted shortly.

Installing the Barracuda Outlook Plug-in for your Spam Filter

1. Click on this link:  http://172.17.200.10:8000/cgi-bin/plugins.cgi?locale=

2. Click Download Now.

3. Click Run. Click Run again if there is a security warning screen popup.

4. Click Next. Choose “I accept the license agreement” and click Next.

5. Click Next to access the default destination folder.

6. Click Next to close Outlook and start the installation process.

7. Click Finish.

This will result in two icons being added to your Outlook:

Using the Outlook Plug-in

Once installed, the Plug-in provides two icons on the Outlook toolbar: a red envelope [] to classify messages as spam and a green envelope [] to classify messages as not spam. To use the plug-in, select one or more items from the message window and click on the spam/not-spam icon to submit the message(s) to the Barracuda Spam Firewall for classification. All feedback from the plug-in is stored in a per-user spam database. This means that your message classification will only affect the behavior of your mailbox. Thus, if ten mailboxes in AFSC received a message from joe@spammer.com, and only you classified Joe as a spammer but the rest didn’t, they will continue to get Joe’s e-mails while you will not.

The toolbar icons are also provided when an email message is opened in a new window for viewing. If desired, the message can be classified immediately from that window. 

The Outlook Plug-in is configured to automatically:

1. Whitelist email addresses associated with sent messages and new contacts.

2. Move spam-declared messages to the “Deleted Items” in Outlook.

3. Whitelist the “From:” email address within “Not-Spam”-declared messages.

You can change the default behavior of the Outlook Plug-in by going to the Tools menu in your Outlook and selecting Options--Spam Firewall tab.

Please contact the Help Desk, helpdesk@afsc.org or 800-500-AFSC, if you have any questions or concerns.