How to keep your Lotus Domino server off spam blacklists

By Brien M. Posey 08 Jun 2006 | SearchDomino.com

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There are a few preventative measures you can take to reduce the chances that your e-mail server will end up on a blacklist.

1. Run antispyware software

First, run a good antispyware application and desktop firewall on all computers in your network. If a workstation is infected, it may not directly affect your Lotus Domino server, but it can still result in your Lotus Domino server being blacklisted.

Most organizations only have one or two publicly accessible IP addresses. Often, the public IP address is assigned to a router that directs inbound messages to your Lotus Domino server. Since workstations connected to the Internet often use Network Address Translation (NAT), the router uses its own IP address to retrieve Web content on behalf of the client requesting it.

This is important because, depending on how your network is configured, Web requests from workstations could potentially be using the same IP address as your Lotus Domino server.

Therefore, if a Trojan is causing a workstation to spew spam, it could potentially cause your company's publicly accessible IP address to become blacklisted, which essentially has the same effect as blacklisting your Lotus Domino server.

2. Make sure your Lotus Domino server is not an open relay

A second preventative measure is to check your Lotus Domino server for the existence of an open relay, and close the relay if it is open.

3. Use Sender Policy Framework (SPF)

Sender Policy Framework is a relatively new technology that allows you to list the IP addresses of your mail servers in a special DNS record.

When recipients receive a message that claims to be from you, their antispam software can compare the IP address the message originated from against your e-mail server's IP address. If the addresses don't match, the message can be assumed fraudulent, and the recipient doesn't think that your mail server is sending out spam.

The Sender Policy Framework is still relatively new and a bit controversial because of some alleged weaknesses. However, it is a tool that could potentially help prevent you from being blacklisted.

HOW TO PROTECT LOTUS DOMINO SERVER FROM SPAM BLACKLISTS

 Home: Introduction
 Part 1: How your Lotus Domino server can get blacklisted
 Part 2: How to keep your Lotus Domino server off spam blacklists
 Part 3: How to remove your Lotus Domino server from spam blacklists
 Part 4: Related links on Lotus Domino server spam prevention

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Brien M. Posey, MCSE Brien M. Posey, MCSE, is a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional for his work with Windows Server and Internet Information Server (IIS). Brien has served as CIO for a nationwide chain of hospitals and was once responsible for the Department of Information Management at Fort Knox. As a freelance technical writer, Brien has written for Microsoft, TechTarget, CNET, ZDNet, MSD2D, Relevant Technologies and other technology companies. You can visit Brien's personal Web site at http://www.brienposey.com.

When recipients receive a message that claims to be from you, their antispam software can compare the IP address the message originated from against your e-mail server's IP address. If the addresses don't match, the message can be assumed fraudulent, and the recipient doesn't think that your mail server is sending out spam.

The Sender Policy Framework is still relatively new and a bit controversial because of some alleged weaknesses. However, it is a tool that could potentially help prevent you from being blacklisted.

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