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Contents > Glossary

Here are a few terms that you may see in the SpamPal manual or in the Support Forums
Term
Description
UCE
Unsolicited Commercial Email, or spam
DNSBL (DNS Blacklist)

A type of filter based on the internet address of an incoming email connection. Basically, mail arrives with a hello from another email server. The DNSBL filter is built to lookup and compare the incoming IP address to an online listing of undesirable IP addresses. This listing resides as a zone or a special domain on a DNS server. If the incoming address is blacklisted, (i.e. if a match on the IP address is found) the connection is rejected. This process happens early in a SMTP (Simple Mail Transport Protocol) transaction.

The DNSBL (also known as an RBL or Real-time Blackhole List) is maintained in the form of IP zone data on a particular DNS server or hierarchy of servers. This data can be supplied through complaints, through automated testing, through statistics, through information derived from WHOIS information, etc. In some cases, the zone data is compiled from all of the above.

Open Relay
In essence, an open relay server allows anyone from anywhere to send mail through a mail server, which accounts for a large majority of UCE. (Unsolicited Commercial Email, or spam). Your email server is being hijacked. This is a frequent tactic of commercial spammers who are trying to use an third party mail server to conceal the source of their messages or bypass an existing block against them.
Nigerian 419 Scam

So-called because it violates section 419 of the Nigerian criminal code. This scam usually, not not always, originates in Nigeria. In the 419 scam, you receive a letter from an official in Nigeria or other African country, and are told that someone needs to move a great deal of money out of the country and that you've been selected to help them do it. In return for your help, you'll be given a cut of the action. All you need to do is pay some sort of Advance Fee or Transfer Tax or give them your bank account information so they can wire the money to you.

Headers
Headers are the block of information lines which appear at the top of a mail or news message. Headers identify the sender and recipient of a message, the route the message took from one site to another and so on. Headers are used to determine the source of a post
EDT
Eastern Daylight Savings Time. -0400 from GMT (Universal) time. This is useful to know, as some spam software gets this wrong in forged headers.
EST
Eastern Standard Time. -0500 from GMT (Universal) time. This is useful to know, as some spam software gets this wrong in forged headers.
Relaying
The act of passing an internet message (such as email or netnews) from machine to machine.
Opt-In
Opt-In refers to email advertising lists which users must deliberately sign on to. Examples include Powell's Books, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and so on, all of which allow users to sign up to receive notices of special offers.
Opt-in is considered the only legitimate way to market via email.
Opt-Out
Opt-out refers to email advertising lists in which recipients are signed up without their knowledge or permission, but may request to be removed from the list.
POP3
POP3 is the abbreviation for Post Office Protocol - a data format for delivery of emails across the Internet
AMP
Internet Message Access Protocol IMAP provides a means of managing email messages on a remote server, similar to the POP protocol
SMTP
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol is a core Internet protocol used to transfer e-mail messages between servers
PROXY SERVER a proxy server is a server that acts as an intermediary between a workstation user and the Internet
For more detailed information about spam, please visit the http://www.spamfaq.net/ site
Port
Common name(s)
Common service(s)
Description
25
smtp SMTP email server
Mail transfer from client to server (MUA to MTA) and server to server (MTA to MTA)
110
pop, pop3 POP email server allows clients (MTA's) to retrieve email from systems remotely
143
imap IMAP email server allows clients (MTA's) to retrieve email from systems remotely
465
smtps wsmtp protocol over TLS|SSL (was ssmtp) SMTP via SSL encrypted connection, used to remotely send email by clients
993
imaps, simap SSL encrypted IMAP IMAP via SSL encrypted connection, used to remotely retrieve email by clients
995
pop3s, pops, spop SSL encrypted POP POP via SSL encrypted connection, used to remotely retrieve email by clients

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