SpamSentinel: Unsolicited Email Management for Lotus Notes

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Introduction

• Who can use SpamSentinel?
• How is SpamSentinel used to manage unsolicited email?
• How do I sign up to use SpamSentinel?
• How do I use SpamSentinel?
• SpamSentinel Mail Summary Message
• How to use the SpamSentinel Summary Message
• What if I want a message that has been Intercepted?
• How do I access my entire quarantine?
• How do I edit my Allowed/Denied Senders Lists?

Introduction to SpamSentinel

Information Services has selected SpamSentinel as the software tool to control unsolicited email for Lotus Notes.



Who can use SpamSentinel?



In order to take advantage of SpamSentinel, you must use the Lotus Notes full client. The Notes web client can be used to view the daily message, which documents intercepted messages. However, the Notes web client is not able to manage the information that the daily message provides. The Lotus Notes full client is required for configuration and management of SpamSentinel. POP3 (Eudora, Microsoft Outlook, etc) users will not be able to use SpamSentinel. They are encouraged to use one of the numerous other solutions that are available.



How is SpamSentinel used to manage unsolicited email?



While SpamSentinel provides a number of features to manage unsolicited email, it does require some on-going management by each user who chooses to take advantage of this solution. Daily review of the daily message that contains intercepted documents will be needed to assure accuracy.



This is not a "one answer fits all" solution to managing unwanted email. However, SpamSentinel is a tool that each Lotus Notes user can adjust to meet their personal preferences.



How do I sign up to use SpamSentinel?



If you have an existing Lotus Notes account, and you are using the full client, a message would have been mailed to you. This is the initial offer to use SpamSentinel for Lotus Notes. Within that message is a request button. The button will only be visible via the Lotus Notes client. Prior to clicking the request button, read the instructions carefully, and follow all requested steps. Clicking on the button sends a notification to the administrators that you are requesting SpamSentinel. An email message will be sent to your Lotus Notes mail box, once SpamSentinel has been enabled for you. If you no longer have the email that was previously sent, you can still request SpamSentinel be added to your account by going to the SpamSentinel Request page.



For those individuals who do not have a Lotus Notes account, go to our Account Request page and request a new Lotus Notes email account. Once your account has been created and installed, you will be eligible to request SpamSentinel. If you have questions about having SpamSentinel enabled on your Lotus Notes email account, contact the IS Computer Help Center at 472-3970.



How Do I Use SpamSentinel?



After SpamSentinel has been enabled for your mailbox, the following steps document the options and tools that are available.



SpamSentinel Mail Summary Message



Once SpamSentinel is enabled on your Lotus Notes account, you will receive a daily message from SpamSentinel. The daily message is the primary tool SpamSentinel will provide you for managing your unsolicited email. The daily email message will appear in your Inbox with SpamSentinel as the Sender. The Subject will be: "SpamSentinel stopped "x" messages since "yesterday's date". This message contains a list of messages that SpamSentinel has intercepted. These messages will not be delivered to your mailbox unless you select them. Intercepted messages are held for 14 days before they are removed from the system. When the message is opened, the message body will be similar to:







How To Use the SpamSentinel Summary Message?



In the first few days, SpamSentinel may intercept messages that you REALLY want. This is because some legitimate messages have characteristics that resemble unsolicited mail. REVIEW the SpamSentinel Summary messages daily! Review the From: and Subject: for each intercepted message. By clicking and holding on the subject and/or message column of the email you can preview what the intercepted message says. If you don't want any of these messages, do nothing. The messages listed in the SpamSentinel Summary do not appear in your mailbox and will be removed from the system after 14 days.



What If I Want A Message That Has Been Intercepted?



Click on the small yellow page icon that appears on each message line. This is a document link to the intercepted messages listed in the summary. By clicking on it, you gain access to an information page on the intercepted message.



In the example, the yellow icon in front of the message from SearchStorage.com was selected. Notice the message options that are shown on the toolbar.







Forward this message - This option opens the intercepted message into a new message that you can then send on to the user of your choosing. This allows you to forward on the message without actually restoring the message to your inbox.



Release this mail message - Use this option if you would like to restore the intercepted message to your inbox.



Personal Allowed Sender - This button can be used to add the sender to your personal allow list, which will allow future messages from that sender to be delivered straight to your inbox. An example would be abc@xyz.com





How Do I Access My Entire Quarantine?



SpamSentinel only sends you a Summary Log once daily. To view the Quarantine at any time during the day, it is suggested that you bookmark the first link Click this button to access your Daily Quarantine. This link opens the following view in which you can see all messages that SpamSentinel has blocked.







How Do I Use the Allowed/Denied Senders Lists?



The Personal Allowed/Denied Sender Lists are used when you want SpamSentinel to always allow certain messages to be delivered to your inbox and to block certain messages that it would otherwise send to your inbox. To access your Allowed/Denied configurations, click the database link in your SpamSentinel log that says "Click this link to edit your personal Allowed/Denied Lists." Once there, you should see a listing of your Allowed and Denied items.







Create Personal Allowed Sender - This button can be used to add a sender to your personal allowed list, which will allow future messages from that sender to be delivered straight to your inbox. An example would be abc@xyz.com



Create Personal Allowed Domain - This button can be used to add the domain of a sender to your allowed list, which will allow future messages from that entire domain to be delivered straight to your inbox. An example would be xyz.com



Create Personal Denied Sender - This button can be used to add a sender to your denied list, which will allow future messages from that sender to be blocked by SpamSentinel. An example would be abc@xyz.com



Using any of the options will give you a screen like the following:







In the Sender Name field, enter the email address of the sender you would like to allow or deny, depending on which option you chose, and then click Save to save the entry. Please note, you can only enter one email address at a time.