Filtered Again!

Another company I work with has had their email trashed by a server-side junk email filter.

Initial research indicated the most likely problem was that they had gotten themselves included on a major DNS blacklist. It would appear that their ISP had hosted a major "adult" spam operation. Over time, business spam filtering solutions have come to rely on such blacklists.

This leaves them in a difficult situation. One of their clients is repeatedly bouncing their messages. Changing ISPs is not an easy task - but in reality its their main option.

The ISP is probably already aware that they've been listed. This can be a major liability for a service provider. Getting off some blacklists can be fairly easy - you just have to ask. Others are extremely tough to get removed from. The one involved in this case generally does not respond to demands or legal threats.

Many users are understandably upset when their mail is blocked by a filter using a blacklist. Sometimes their first response is to try to take action against the entity providing the blacklist. It's important to remember that the blacklist provider doesn't stop spam e-mail or any other messages. Usually, the only entity blocking email is the actual recipient's ISP.

The role of the blacklist provider is similar to a person who reviews movies. They aren't forcing anyone not to see "Breakin 2 - Electric Boogaloo." They're just saying that based on what they know, they wouldn't if they were you.

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