"Pure Message" Spam and AntiVirus filter
The University has implemented an automatic spam filtering system called "Pure Message". Messages to your email address will pass through this new spam and antivirus filter.
This filter will quarantine spam messages, instead of tagging them and passing them on to your INBOX. You will then receive a digest once a day, around midday, with the list of spam messages.
If any of the messages that are quarantined are not spam messages you can release the email as described in the digest, or follow the instructions for your client below.
It will take approximately 15 minutes for released messages to be delivered to your INBOX.
Messages can be released for up to 2 weeks; after that they will be deleted.
**WARNING** If you are on a list and the spam message was sent to a list, the released message will be sent to everyone on the list.
If you release a message it may still have the old SPAM tagging in the header. If the released message doesn't appear in your INBOX and you have your email client set to filter based on the header information, check for the released message where you would normally find your spam messages, e.g. Junk, Deleted Items, Spam.
Please note: you may receive one email digest for each email alias that you use. For example, if you use both: "jsmith@usyd.edu.au" and "John.Smith@usyd.edu.au", you could receive two spam digests.
Instructions for Releasing SPAM messages
To release a quarantined message you just need to send an email to the Email Security Administrator with the message ID in the body.
You can click on the message ID and it should automatically open a new email with the correct information.
OR you can reply to the email and DELETE the message IDs, or full rows, for the messages you do NOT want to release.
See the guides below for examples in common email clients.
| Windows | Macintosh | Other |
|---|---|---|
| Outlook 2003 | Entourage | Webmail |
| Outlook Express | Macintosh Mail | Pine |
| Eudora | Eudora | |
| Thunderbird | Thunderbird |
Emails with suspicious attachments which are sent to addresses within the University will have their attachments replaced with messages explaining what the files were, and why the files were removed. An example of one of these messages is included below:
|
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-PMX-Wrap: 60 The file 'Virus.exe' had file content (windows executable) that suggests it is malicious. The attachment has been removed. If you are sure that this attachment is not malicious and would like to receive it, please contact qadmin@mail-manager.ucc.usyd.edu.au and supply the following identifier in your mail message: 48991A5E_5008_113_12 This can only be done if the request is made within ten days of the arrival of the message at the University. Please see http://itassist.usyd.edu.au/staff/support/setup/email/virus.shtml for further information. |
To release an attachment which has been quarantined it is necessary to email and provide the attachment reference number from the message. These emails are managed by an ICT technician, who then manually releases the requested attachments from quarantine.
To assist Pure Message in updating their spam definitions
If you have received spam you may wish to forward the offending Email message as an attachment to the following address to help Pure Message in identifying possible sources of spam:
* Please note that this will not blacklist that particular Email address but only serves to assist Pure Message in their efforts. You may not see any change in the amount of spam that you receive.
Alternatively, for Email addresses that do not send spam and you wish to have highlighted as safe, please forward their messages as attachments to:
* Please note that this will not whitelist that particular Email address but only serves to assist Pure Message in their efforts.