[ken-at-nist.gov: Re: Virus filtering of mailling list]

[Will Shackleford <shackle-at-cme.nist.gov>]

------- Start of forwarded message -------
Sender: kst-at-email.nist.gov
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2002 08:13:01 -0400
From: Ken Tice <ken-at-nist.gov>
X-Accept-Language: en
To: Will Shackleford <shackle-at-cme.nist.gov>
CC: kst-at-nist.gov
Subject: Re: Virus filtering of mailling list

As I read Ken's reply, the only way for a virus to be sent out without having to get past a virus filter by the mailling
list server would be for the message to be sent by one of the 3 or 4  NIST employees that send mail this group from  <something>-at-<something>.nist.gov email addresses including myself.  I read and send all of my email  from a linux computer which I consider to be by far the best possible virus protection although not perfect.

I'd still prefer that they filter the NIST generated email as well, but that sounds like it might require a big change in the way they do things.

-- Will


Will Shackleford wrote:
> 
> On the emc-at-nist.gov mailling list several people seem to run some sort of
> virus detection that automatically replies with messages that say that they got  a virus from emc-at-nist.gov. Although I never see any of the virus messages myself the replies are certainly annoying.
> 
> Can we force all mail being forwarded by the mailling list server to be scanned by the same filter that are used from mail coming in through the fire wall?
> (ie scan for all known viruses in all messages plus eliminate attachments with
> dangerous file extensions. (.com,.exe,.dll,.vbs) even when a known virus isn't detected.) Is this being done already?

It is being done already.  Mail that originates from behind the
firewall is not scanned, though.

So if you sent a message to the list with a virus, it would be
propagated to everyone.  But if user-at-foobar.com sends a message
to the list, it will get to the list via the firewall where it will
be scanned (and cleaned) then sent back out.

If the replies you are getting are from messages that originated behind
our firewall, then there may indeed be a virus problem.

- -Ken
x2942

> 
> -- Will
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-- 
---------------------------------------------------------------
William Penn Shackleford III			shackle-at-nist.gov
National Institute of Standards & Technology	Tel:	(301) 975-4286
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