Filtering Spam Using Outlook s Rule No one enjoys receiving spam (unsolicited junk e-mail). However, at Cuesta College we do not delete suspected spam. Instead, to assure the delivery of legitimate e-mail, Information Technology scores all e-mail based on different spam indicators. Users can then set up an Outlook spam rule to move any e-mail with a high score to their Junk E-mail folder. Checking For a Spam Rule Before needlessly creating a spam rule, you should verify whether the rule exists or not: 1. Launch Microsoft Outlook via Citrix. a. Log into mycuesta. b. Click the My Job tab. c. Click the Click here to access your Applications link, in the Access Citrix Applications channel. The Citrix window will open. d. Click the Microsoft Outlook icon. MS-Office will launch. NOTE: If using a Cuesta College Windows computer on campus, you may launch Outlook from the Desktop instead. 2. Click on the Inbox and then select Tools > Rules and Alerts from the menu bar. The Rules and Alerts dialog will appear. 3. A rule titled, X-Cuesta-College-SpamScore: sssss should be listed among the rules in the upper pane of the dialog. If the rule does not appear, follow the steps below to create a rule (or contact Information Technology for assistance). Filtering Spam Using Outlook s Rule Page 1 of 5 Revised: November 19, 2015
Creating a Spam Rule 1. If necessary, launch Microsoft Outlook via Citrix. See step 1 in Checking For a Spam Rule above. NOTE: If using a Cuesta College Windows computer on campus, you may launch Outlook from the Desktop instead. 2. If necessary, select your Inbox, and then select Tools > Rules and Alerts from the menu bar. The Rules and Alerts dialog box will appear. NOTE: If using Citrix or logging into a new computer for first time, a dialog asking which rules you want to keep may appear. Regarding the spam rule, always select Server. 3. Select the New Rule button. The Rules Wizard dialog will appear. 4. Check the option Start from a blank rule. 5. Verify Check messages when they arrive is selected. 6. Click the Next button. The next Rules Wizard dialog will appear. 7. Select the check box for with specific words in the message header. 8. Click once on the blue text, specific words in the Rule description. The Search Text window will appear. Filtering Spam Using Outlook s Rule Page 2 of 5 Revised: November 19, 2015
9. Type: X-Cuesta-College-SpamScore: sssss Note: To avoid mistyping, consider copying and pasting the text from step 9 above. 10. Click the Add button. The text will appear in the Search List area. 11. Click the OK button. The Search Text window will close, revealing the Rules Wizard dialog. 12. Click the Next button. The next screen for the Rules Wizard dialog will appear. 13. Select the check box for move it to the specified folder. That text will be added to the pane at the bottom of the dialog. 14. Click once on the blue underlined text, specified, in the Rule description. A folder list window will appear. 15. Click once on the Junk E-mail folder, and then click the OK button. The folder list window will close, redisplaying the Rules Wizard dialog. The third line in the rule description will read: move it to the Junk E-mail folder. 16. Click the Finish button. The Rules Wizard dialog will close, revealing the Rules and Alerts dialog. 17. If you have more than one rule running, use the Move Up button to make sure that your new spam rule (X-Cuesta-College-SpamScore: sssss) is at the top of the list. 18. Once completed, click the OK button. Once the Spam Rule is properly setup, all e-mail identified as spam will get automatically moved to the Junk E-mail folder. It is the user s responsibility to inspect and empty the Junk E-mail folder. Filtering Spam Using Outlook s Rule Page 3 of 5 Revised: November 19, 2015
Checking and Emptying the Junk E-mail Folder 1. Click once to select the Junk E-mail folder in the Folder List. Attention Mac-users: If you are using Apple Mail, do not confuse the Junk folder with the Junk E-mail folder. 2. Verify the e-mail in the Contents pane are spam. If not, forward a copy to NotSpam (see Alert Information Technology of Legit Mail in Junk E-mail (NOTSPAM) below) and move the message out of the Junk E-mail folder. 3. Right-mouse click on the Junk E-mail folder. NOTE: Mac-users must have a two-button mouse. A shortcut menu will appear. 4. From the short-cut menu, select Empty Junk E-mail Folder, and respond Yes to the confirmation window. All of the e-mail in the Junk E-mail folder will be permanently deleted. Alert Information Technology of Legit Mail in Junk E-mail (NOTSPAM) Sometimes legitimate e-mail will get moved to the Junk E-mail folder instead of being delivered to your Inbox. In that case, you can alert Information Technology by forwarding the legitimate e-mail as an attachment. 1. Create a new blank e-mail. 2. Address the new e-mail to NOTSPAM. 3. Arrange the Outlook window and the new e-mail window so you can see both windows. 4. Drag the legitimate e-mail from the Junk E-mail folder to the blank message area of the new e-mail. A copy of the legitimate e-mail will appear as an attachment in the new e-mail. 5. Send the new e-mail with the attached copy of the legitimate e-mail to NOTSPAM. 6. Move the legitimate e-mail from the Junk E-mail folder to your Inbox. If you have more than one legitimate e-mail in your Junk E-mail folder, you can drag copies of all of them to the one e-mail addressed to NOTSPAM. Filtering Spam Using Outlook s Rule Page 4 of 5 Revised: November 19, 2015
Alert Information Technology of Spam in the Inbox (SPAM) Sometimes spam will not get moved to the Junk E-mail folder but will, instead, be delivered to your Inbox. In that case, you can alert Information Technology by forwarding the spam as an attachment. 1. Create a new blank e-mail. 2. Address the new e-mail to SPAM. 3. Arrange the Outlook window and the new e-mail window so you can see both windows. 4. Drag the spam e-mail from the Inbox to the blank message area of the new e-mail. A copy of the spam e-mail will appear as an attachment in the new e-mail. 5. Send the new e-mail with the attached copy of the spam e-mail to SPAM. 6. Delete the spam from your Inbox. If you have more than one spam e-mail in your Inbox, you can drag copies of all of them to the one e-mail addressed to SPAM. Filtering Spam Using Outlook s Rule Page 5 of 5 Revised: November 19, 2015