cPanel Tutorial: Setting up Spam Assassin
Next to malware infection and scams, spam is the biggest problem on the internet. This is mainly true because these unsolicited messages often come harboring viruses and malicious schemes. If you have an email account with AOL or Google, you probably spend a couple of minutes every day deleting junk mail from your inbox. It can be a very cumbersome task, especially when trying to decipher legitimate mail from garbage. Many technologies and protocols have been introduced to stop spam dead in its tracks. One of the most common is the spam filter and SpamAssassin is among the most effective.
What is SpamAssassin?
SpamAssassin is a spam filtering application that comes built into the cPanel control panel. The program is extremely easy to use, allowing you to identify spam, tag it or prevent it from reaching your email box altogether. SpamAssassin completely automates the process of filtering, identifying spam based on the contents of the message’s header and body. When spam is identified, it is automatically delivered to a separate folder aptly named “spam”.
This tutorial will provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to enable SpamAssassion from cPanel.
1. From the “Mail” section of cPanel, locate and click on “SpamAssassin”.
2. On the main SpamAssassin page, you will see a message letting you know that “SpamAssassin is currently Enabled or Disabled”. If it is disabled, click on the “Enable SpamAssassin” tab.
3. After enabling the application, you will see a confirmation message that reads “SpamAssassin is now Enabled”.
If you want all spam mail to be placed in a separate folder, you can configure the application to send all messages marked as spam to a Spam Box. To make these configurations, simply click the “Go Back” link and follow the steps outlined below:
1. In the “Spam Box” section, you will be greeted by the following message “Spam Box is currently Enabled or Disabled”. If it is disabled, click the “Enable Spam Box” tab.
2. After enabling the Spam Box, you will see a confirmation message that reads “Spam Box is now Enabled”.
3. If you ever want to clean out your Spam Box for whatever reason in the future, simply click the “Clear Spam Box” tab. By doing so, all messages marked as spam will entirely deleted from the folder. Because it is likely to fill up quickly, this folder should be emptied on a regular basis.
Advanced Configuration
The advanced configuration in SpamAssassin gives you the ability to rewrite subjects. However, it is designed for more advanced users, and therefore not recommended for those who are not familiar with how subjects work in regard to SpamAssassin. If are familiar with rewriting subjects, click the “Configure SpamAssassin” tab in the main SpamAssassin page. From here, change the subjects in accordance to your personal preferences.
To learn more about Advanced Configuration and SpamAssassin in general, visit the SpamAssassin website.
In the cPanel control panel, SpamAssassin typically comes bundled with another filtering application known as BoxTrapper. Keep in mind that you can only use one of these programs per email account.
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