Using Mail Utilities to reduce the entries in the Badmail folder or the ESM queues in retry

SYMPTOMS

Spam that is categorized as BULK and is being addressed to a non-existent person will eventually end up in the badmail folder, and will clutter the Exchange queues with pointless sessions.

CAUSE

Many spam messages are classified as BULK by the Exclaimer detection center, and most default scenarios ensure that these messages are delivered, however a message to a non-existent person will generate an NDR.
NDRs to spam messages are pointless since the return-address is often forged, or directed to an unfortunate 3rd party who gets the fallout.

RESOLUTION

Use a custom rule to abort delivery of these messages.

MORE INFORMATION

It is reasonably safe to automatically delete a message classified as BULK if the recipient is not in the AD. To do this, follow the steps outlined below.

• Create a custom rule
• Set the Sender to be "Message Header Equal"
• Send the value field to the content inside the quotation marks: "X-Exclaimer-MayBeSpam:*" (This is the default header inserted into bulk email)
• Send the Recipient field to "Anyone in the Active Directory"
• Click the Recipient "is not" radio button
• Click on the Delivery Options tab
• Select "Use these delivery options"
• Click on the "Do not deliver the message to anyone" radio button
• Press OK
• Press Save

APPLIES TO

• Mail Utilities 4.05
• Mail Utilities 4.07
• Mail Utilities 4.11
• Mail Utilities 4.12

Article ID: 20051012
Last Reviewed: 12th October 2005
Revision: 1.0