[Mailman-Users] FW: Problems with spam

[Mark Sapiro]

Lenore Pearson wrote:
>
>I am in charge of the 'stud_affrs_roundtable at email.rutgers.edu' list
>serv on the Rutgers Newark campus.  I am receiving spam on the list
>serve and it is not being approved by me.  Please contact me and let me
>know what actions can be taken to stop the spam and whether or not I
>need to change the email server address to alleviate the situation.
>
>I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible, as this matter
>is very urgent.  The
>'stud_affrs_roundtable at email.rutgers.edu' listserv contacts high level
>administrators within Rutgers University and they will not trust the
>server if they are constantly bombarded with spam.


While this is in some ways a security issue, it will be better if any
follow-ups are addressed to mailman-users at python.org and not to
mailman-security at python.org.

First of all, what kind of list is this? Is it a discussion list where
all members are allowed to post or an announcement list where only one
or a few people post?

If the latter, see
<http://www.python.org/cgi-bin/faqw-mm.py?req=show&file=faq03.011.htp>
for suggestions on configuring such a list and
<http://www.python.org/cgi-bin/faqw-mm.py?req=show&file=faq03.034.htp>
for a further discussion on 'spoof proofing'.

If it is a discussion list, make sure only list members are allowed to
post. On the web admin interface, Privacy options...->Sender
filters->generic_nonmember_action should be discard or possibly reject
or hold, but not accept.

In any case, it is best if your own email server administrators at
Rutgers install some spam filtering ahead of Mailman so the spam
doesn't reach Mailman in the first place.

-- 
Mark Sapiro <msapiro at value.net>       The highway is for gamblers,
San Francisco Bay Area, California    better use your sense - B. Dylan