Junk E-mail Quick Reference 

• Why do I get so much junk e-mail in my Northwestern mailbox?
• What should I do if I receive unsolicited junk e-mail?
• What is Northwestern doing to protect me from receiving junk and virus-infected e-mail messages?
• What if I don't want my e-mail filtered by the new E-mail Defense System, do I have to participate?
• How do I set up a junk e-mail filter in my local e-mail client?
• Why are some legitimate e-mail messages sent to me being blocked as junk?
• Why are some junk e-mail messages getting through my filters and into my inbox?
• What is Northwestern doing to protect my e-mail address so e-mail solicitors can't get it?

Why do I get so much junk e-mail in my Northwestern mailbox?

Targeted e-mail lists are often created by scanning, stealing Internet mailing lists, or searching the Web for addresses. Chances are if you've been on a list, filled out a form, or ordered something on the Web, you are going to receive junk e-mail.

What should I do if I receive unsolicited junk e-mail?

Do NOT reply to unsolicited junk e-mail, even if the message contains a "remove me from your list" link. Replying only serves to alert the sender that your e-mail address is "live". Also, if you receive a message with instructions to forward it to everyone you know, do NOT send it. Instead, verify that the message is a hoax and then notify the sender.

What is Northwestern doing to protect me from receiving junk and virus-infected e-mail messages?

NUIT provides the E-mail Defense System (EDS), an enterprise system that filters and blocks virus-infected e-mail.

What if I don't want my e-mail filtered by the E-mail Defense System?

EDS allows opt-out options, and users can remove themselves by following the instructions available on the EDS User Features pages of this site.

How do I set up a junk e-mail filter in my local e-mail client?

Each local e-mail client has a slightly different way to set up a junk e-mail filter. Listed below are the most popular clients. Click on your preferred client for specific information on how to set up a junk e-mail filter.

• Reduce junk e-mail in Outlook 2003
• Reduce junk e-mail in Apple Mail
• Reduce junk e-mail in Eudora

Why are some legitimate e-mail messages sent to me being blocked as junk?

The e-mail filters used in the EDS and your local e-mail client are sophisticated but are not 100% accurate. It is possible that some legitimate e-mail messages will be flagged as junk and blocked, based on either the content or structure of the message. These are called "false positives."

To ensure that messages from a particular sender are never blocked, add that sender to your list of Approved (or Trusted) Senders in the EDS and in your local e-mail client.

Why are some junk e-mail messages getting through my filters and into my inbox?

The e-mail filters used in the EDS and your local e-mail client (e.g. Outlook, Outlook Express, Entourage, Apple Mail) are sophisticated but not 100% accurate. It is possible that some junk e-mail will not be detected, based on either the content or structure of the message. These are called "false negatives."

To ensure that messages from a particular sender are always blocked, add that sender to your Blocked Senders list in both EDS and your local e-mail client.

What is Northwestern doing to protect my e-mail address so e-mail solicitors can't get it?

Northwestern is continually reviewing options to both decrease junk e-mail and to secure the network, such as:

• Educating the Northwestern community on how to utilize the junk e-mail filters that are built in to various e-mail clients including Outlook, Outlook Express, Entourage, Apple Mail, and Eudora.
  
• To reduce contact information exposure, the University does not make the Northwestern (printed) directory publicly available.
  
• Users can set their online directory information to only display for users connected to the Northwestern network. This limits individual exposure to possible solicitors. Caution: this is not recommended for individuals whose job requires them to be available to the outside world.
  
• Northwestern limits the amount of replies that are returned on the online directory search. For example, if someone types the letter 'h', the directory will not return all entries that begin with 'h'.