Date Last Reviewed:
04/05/2007
What anti-spam product is NIU using?
How does the anti-spam software work?
Why should I participate?
How can I change my spam scanning level?
How does CanIt interact with GroupWise junk filter?
Why can’t I just use GroupWise filters?
How can I still get mail from vendors and listservs?
What if I own a GroupWise resource?
What do the asterisks mean on a tagged message?
Why do I still see spam in my mailbox?
What is the meaning of "false positives"?
What e-mail system am I using?
What e-mail is being scanned for spam?
My alias points to a departmental e-mail server, is it still being scanned?
What about virus scanning?
What happens when I elect to opt-out of spam scanning?
What anti-spam product is NIU using? CanIt-Pro by Roaring Penguin.
How does it work? CanIt-Pro software detects spam by analyzing message content and structure to find common spam indicators.
Why should I participate? Eliminating junk mail before it hits the NIU network is a win - win situation. It saves storage space at both the local and enterprise levels. Diminished mail traffic volumes can increase our network speeds. Customers do not have deal with offensive and possibly fraudulent messages.
How can I change my spam scanning level? Go to www.canspam.niu.edu. Log in with your network AccountID and password. Click Simple Interface. Your current scanning level will be displayed. Click on the desired new option. Click Set spam-scanning level and log out.
How does CanIt interact with GroupWise junk filter? CanIt-Pro scans mail before it reaches the GroupWise system. The GroupWise filters acts as a secondary precaution.
Why can’t I just use GroupWise filters? GroupWise filters only remove messages based on the e-mail address and domain names of the senders. A more effective way to reduce spam from entering our network is to have the CanIt-Pro software scan the message content. If mail is prevented from reaching the GroupWise network, it will save system resources and overall storage space.
How can I still get mail from vendors and listservs? Add the sender to your Permit list.
What if I own a GroupWise resource? A separate spam scanning level can be set for a GroupWise resource. It can not be set by the customer. The owner of the resource should send the request to helpdesk@niu.edu. Include the name of the resource and what spam scanning level you need.
What do the asterisks mean on a tagged message? The more asterisks, the greater the number of spam indicators detected by CanIt-Pro.
Why do I still see spam in my mailbox? Spam filtering is not 100% effective. The software is based on heuristic rules to classify spam mail, and spammers are always looking at ways to circumvent those rules.
What is the meaning of "false positives"? When legitimate mail is mistaken as spam, the misidentification is called a "false positive". Using the permit list and block list options can help to minimize false positives.
What e-mail system am I using? All current NIU students are assigned a student mailbox; your e-mail address will end in "students.niu.edu". NIU faculty and staff have GroupWise e-mail; your address will end in "wpo.cso.niu.edu". Some departments manage their own e-mail servers; your e-mail address will depend on the system that your department uses. Departmental e-mail servers do not participate in enterprise spam scanning.
What e-mail is being scanned for spam? Only internet e-mail sent to a NIU GroupWise or NIU student mailbox is spam scanned. This includes e-mail sent to your e-mail alias (alias@niu.edu) when your alias points to your GroupWise or student account. GroupWise to GroupWise message and student to studentmessages are not scanned unless addressed to an alias.
My alias points to a departmental e-mail server, is it still being scanned? No.
What about virus scanning? All internet e-mail sent to an alias@niu.edu is scanned for viruses. E-mail sent directly to your GroupWise or student account is also scanned GroupWise to GroupWise messages and student to student messages are not virus scanned. E-mail sent directly to a local departmental mail server is also not scanned by ITS.
What happens when I elect to opt-out of spam scanning? If you opt-out of spam scanning, all spam scanning is disabled for your account. It will be your own responsibility to deal with any unsolicited mail. Virus scanning is still completed on all e-mail addressed to your alias, GroupWise, or student account.