Frequently Asked E-Mail Questions

What are the configuration parameters for Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express?

What is Webmail?

Webmail is a Web server based e-mail client that allows you to do e-mail processing via a Web browser. Webmail is often used for e-mail access when out of the office and is the only e-mail client used by some. It's accessed at webmail.YourDomainName (e.g. webmail.e-p-c-s.com/). Login using your full e-mail address (e.g. bob@e-p-c-s.com, not just bob). Instructions for using Webmail are available on the Webmail Web pages.

How do I change my e-mail password and other e-mail preferences?

If your organization has a domain administrator, that person can change passwords and other e-mail preferences such as virus filtering, spam filtering, redirect and autoresponder preferences. Some organizations permit e-mail preferences to be set directly by the e-mail user. Most organizations simply Contact EPCS.

Do EPCS staff know my e-mail account password?

Not usually. When customers ask us for the their e-mail password, we usually don't know it and have to configure a new password for the e-mail account.

How does EPCS do Virus filtering?

E-mail messages that contain executable file attachments are assumed to contain viruses. Other attachments and the message itself are scanned for viruses. If the message is determined to contain a virus, the message is deleted and a notification is sent to the recipient.

Is the originator of the virus infected e-mail message notified that the message contained a virus?

No. With very few exceptions, the From: address on an infected e-mail message is spoofed and is not the e-mail address of the originating person.

Is outgoing e-mail scanned for viruses?

Yes, although virus filtering can be configured to only scan incoming messages.

Does the EPCS virus filtering process detect all viruses?

No. No virus detection process is perfect. See the EPCS Virus filtering page for more details.

Does the EPCS virus filtering process produce false positives, i.e. do we ever delete messages that are not infected with a virus?

Yes, but rarely. Even if the message is deleted you will still receive a notification showing the e-mail address of the sender and why the message was deleted.

How does EPCS do spam filtering?

SpamAssassin runs on the e-mail server and scans messages. It's on by default and deletes messages by default. Optionally messages can be flagged rather than deleted. A sending e-mail address can optionally be white listed, which exempts the address from spam filtering. A sending e-mail address can also be blacklisted, which means that all e-mail from this address is deleted at the server. Blacklisting is not an effective means to block spammers because a good spammer rarely uses the same e-mail address more than once.

Does the EPCS spam filtering process look at the content of e-mail messages to determine if it is a spam message?

Yes, but the originating IP for a message is much more likely to identify a spammer than the actual content of the message.

Do EPCS spam filtering methods produce false positives, i.e. do you ever discard messages that are not spam?

Yes, but our sample accounts and technical support complaints indicate this is a very rare event. Should this occur, the senders e-mail address can be white listed, which exempts the sender from spam filtering.

Does EPCS offer a "white list", i.e. the ability to exempt a known spammer from spam filtering?

Yes. Specific e-mail addresses can be exempted from Spam Assassin filtering.

How much spam is rejected by the e-mail servers?

The numbers are huge. On any given day, between 45% and 50% of all messages received by the e-mail server are spam messages.

How much spam is uncaught and delivered to e-mail boxes?

Sample accounts are analyzed daily for both caught and uncaught spam. On any given day in January 2008 our sample accounts (average daily sample size =487) show between 0% and 3.2% uncaught spam and the average number of uncaught messages was 0.36%. In recent months the sample account monthly average for uncaught spam has consistently been less than 1%. FAQ Last Updated 2/13/08

Are e-mail messages secure?

No! With the exception of encrypted messages, anyone with the ability to wiretap the Internet, hack your PC or secure a court order to review e-mail messages still stored at the server or on your PC, has the technical ability to read your e-mail messages. Logs and undelivered e-mail can be subpoenaed. The bottom line is that unencrypted e-mail messages should not be used for communication transactions that require privacy. For example, you're taking a risk when you place passwords or credit card numbers in unencrypted e-mail messages. Remember that e-mail you send can be forwarded to someone else. Our advice is not to put anything in an e-mail message you wouldn't want to show up on the front page of your local newspaper.