Bulk Email - How Declude Hijack works

What is Declude Hijack?

Declude Hijack runs on Acme's mail server and prevents unauthorized bulk outgoing E-mail. It stops spammers from hijacking the mail server, and prevents users from sending unauthorized bulk mail, which jeopardizes mail server performance and negatively impacts other users of the system.  Other benefits include minimizing or eliminating virus outbreaks, and eliminating some types of mail loops.

Declude Hijack looks at two items:

1. The number of recipients per message (ie the number of email addresses in the TO: CC: and/or BCC: field of a message)
   The maximum # of recipients per message is 50
    
2. The total number of messages a user sends out within a 30 minute period.

There are two levels of E-mail that can be sent out:

The first is what is considered to be an unusually large amount of E-mail (for example, 100 E-mails within 10 minutes).
The second is what would be considered too much E-mail (ie. 1000 E-mails within 30 minutes). When the first level is reached,
Declude Hijack will place a temporary hold on the outgoing E-mail from that user.

If they don't reach the second level, Declude will send out the mail that was being held. And of course, if they reach the second level, Declude Hijack will not allow any more mail to be sent from them.

Acme Internet's relay threshold levels are as follows:

RELAYTHRESHOLD1 determines how many E-mails someone can send out before their mail is held temporarily.
RELAYTHRESHOLD2 determines how many E-mails someone can send out before their mail is held permanently (a spammer).

RELAYTHRESHOLD1 allows a user to send out 100 E-mails in 10 minutes before his mail is held temporarily.
RELAYTHRESHOLD2 If a user sends out 1000 or more E-mails in 30 minutes, his mail is quarantined and held permanently until the account is unlocked (a spammer).

[ Return to FAQ ]