automatic spam/virus email killer

[DarkAvenger]

Does anyone know (freeware would be best) a program which does the following:

It should have a POP3 server and POP3 client functionality:

My favourite email client connects to the program to get my emails. The program then connects to the real POP3 server on the internet and gets the emails, but instead of downloading everything it should filter out messages by rule (ie del all with attachment, HTML content, etc.). Then the "good" emails are passed to the email client. So basically it should be some sort of router with filter. Oh yes, it should be windows software, as I don't want to run a separate Linux machine all the time...

[Swede]

Do you want this to save bandwidth or what? The reason I ask is that you can't parse the mail until you've downloaded it and by then you 'favourite email client' should do this filtering, or maybe it's too old? :)

Of course, you could do *some* parsing by just downloading a fixed number of lines and try to figure out *some* things but...

[DarkAvenger]

Yes, I want to save some bandwith, as there are many idiots out there, who
a) don't know what a firewall is
b) don't know what anti-virus is.

So I am regularly getting virus mails, which I want to filter out, as I only have a v90.

[maven]

try "the bat"...

IIRC, it can do all you're asking (shareware).

http://www.ritlabs.com

[Charlieds]

ICQ can check Pop3 servers, preview n lines of the msg's body, delete messages on the server.
I use it to get rid of spam/BS/viruses without waste of time/bandwith.

[DarkAvenger]

@maven

The Bat is a client and not a "router", correct?

@Charlieds

To be honest, I think ICQ as such is a security risk.

[Charlieds]

A good personal firewall is a must. With or without ICQ.

[DarkAvenger]

Of course I am using a firewall, but I was thinking of other evil stuff of ICQ. I am not an expert, but I heard of scripts and alike.

[DarkAvenger]

*sigh*

It seems that there doesn't exist the soft that I want. Seems like I have to try coding it on my own...

[Uli]

Try outpost from agnitum
http://www.agnitum.com/

greetz, Uli

[DarkAvenger]

Hmm, it is a firewall, as well. Does it delete virus mail BEFORE downloading? I don't fear those mails, as I am not that dumb to open them. My target is saving my download time.

[Charlieds]

DA, there are *hundreds* of mail checkers/deleters around the net, take a look over tucows.
http://tucows.iol.it/checkers95.html

Maybe Quick Delete 3.1 (http://www.yeti-soft.de/eng/index.html) ?

[evilhomer]

just found it recently and its doing almost everything you want. it doesn't quite work the same way you describe, but its pretty good. i'm using it full time now and liking it. the author said a new version is coming in about 3 weeks last week, so look for a new version sometime soon also.

http://www.mailwasher.net/

[DarkAvenger]

Yes, I know there are hundreds of mail filters out ther, but the all work as stand-alone and not with my routing function. I am insisting on this, as this gives me maximum flexibility and ease of use.

I usually connect to the internet by hiting the send/receive button on my email app. So with a router, I can still connect via this way (if the router makes the dial-up window pop up...).
Furthermore certain free email providers don't like it if I check emails toooo often, and with an (automatic) stand-alone filter I need to at least tripple the amount of checking if I want my emails as often updated as now. Furthermore with a stand-alon app - if I am not mistaken - there is always the risk that in the short time window (between last filter check and next email client check) the email client downloads some spam.

So with the routing function, the filter is nearly transparent to the system. In fact I want it to work the same as Zonealarm does. Thinking again, I just need the option to del the whole email than putting it into quarantine.

As you see, I want a perfect solution. :)

@Charlieds

Well, I'll take a look at the link. Maybe one of the apps has the functionality I want.

Thx for all your response, guys. :)

[DarkAvenger]

I found a program called SpamWeasel (www.mailgate.com), which works the way I want it, but unfortunately it only filters out spam AFTER downloading the whole message, if I understood correctly. Bigger messages are ignored/passed without checking. *sigh*

[MxxCon]

check out http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/16728
another solution is to get account w/ http://spamcop.net

[Swede]

but unfortunately it only filters out spam AFTER downloading the whole message Well, thats because of how the mails are constructed. You can't examine a complete mail without downloading it. One example is that there's no information in the header about what files are attached.
The only thing you could implement is that youre 'in-between'-downloader fetches a fixed number of lines, lets say 25, then scans the Subjectline, Sender and perhaps a few lines from the body and from this you can catch *some* of the known viruses, but you can't determine which files will come through. (Of course you can find out the total size of the mail and discard big ones if you never want any attachments)

[DarkAvenger]

@MxxCom

First one is pearl based and I am not sure whether it does what I want.
Second one is an filtered account which ocsts money. :(

@Swede
Yes that is what I thought of. Usually the actual message of virus mails are very short, so it could dl till it gets the type of attachment and then delete (esp. .pif, .exe, .vbs). In fact for me it would be enough if *any* type of attachment was found. Then the whole message could be killed.

[Swede]

In fact for me it would be enough if *any* type of attachment was found. Then the whole message could be killed. So, what you need is a webmail-interface that parses the messages, deletes the ones with attachments and passes the rest to you.?.
I've been experimenting today with one called emuwebmail but unfortunately it's *very* CPU intensive and I've got the bandwidth but not the CPU-power... :( Check out www.emumail.com and perhaps PM me so we could try something...

[DarkAvenger]

Yuck, I don't want a web interface. I mean it would be great if my email provider allows me to filter out attachments, but that is not the case.

Or did I miss something?

[DSPguru]

my mailbox also looks like shit :devil: !
here's a recent snapshot (http://forum.doom9.org/attachment.php?s=&attachmentid=705) :

[Pojken Purken]

If you're lucky and have an ISP using Qmail you can download a spamfilter from here http://www.algonet.se/~staham/linux/programs.html

With some simple rules and a few config-files almost no spam reach my inbox. It even makes the messages bounce back to annoyance for the sender :D

/PP

[ChristianHJW]

Mailwasher is doing an excellent job for me, but of course it will load all the headers first before you can manually delete mails.

Now one thing is pretty interesting :

It will mark potential spam or chainletters ready for deletion ( or even bouncing ) based on certain criteria like sender etc., being nice.

But very often it marks emails being sent from ebay or other similar sites to me ( like questions about my stuff from other users if i am going to sell anything there ) as 'spam' ... so now my question is, can you setup your automatic spam filters such that these emails will not be deleted ?

[evilhomer]

it's a 2-man operation or something. i wrote them and they got back to me within 24 hours. they were very nice and answered my questions.