What is SpamAssassin and how does it work?
SpamAssassin is an open source spam filtering platform maintained by the Apache Software Foundation. It has been a cornerstone of email security since its release in 2001.
SpamAssassin works by running each message through hundreds of tests. These tests check header validity, content patterns, DNS blocklists, Bayesian classification, and more. Each test adds or subtracts points from the total score.
A typical SpamAssassin configuration marks messages as spam when they exceed a score of 5.0. Administrators can adjust this threshold and customize which rules are active. The system also supports learning from user feedback to improve accuracy over time.
SpamAssassin integrates with mail servers like Postfix, Exim, and Sendmail. It remains popular in hosting environments and serves as the foundation for many commercial solutions.
SpamAssassin is the veteran harbor inspector. It has seen decades of spam tactics and knows exactly what to look for.
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