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Concept
Email filtering
Summary
Email filtering is the processing of email to organize it according to specified criteria. The term can apply to the intervention of human intelligence, but most often refers to the automatic processing of messages at an SMTP server, possibly applying anti-spam techniques. Filtering can be applied to incoming emails as well as to outgoing ones.
Depending on the calling environment, email filtering software can reject an item at the initial SMTP connection stage or pass it through unchanged for delivery to the user's mailbox. It is also possible to redirect the message for delivery elsewhere, quarantine it for further checking, modify it or 'tag' it in any other way.
Common uses for mail filters include organizing incoming email and removal of spam and computer viruses. Mailbox providers filter outgoing email to promptly react to spam surges that may result from compromised accounts. A less common use is to inspect outgoing email at some companies to ensure that employees comply with appropriate policies and laws. Users might also employ a mail filter to prioritize messages, and to sort them into folders based on subject matter or other criteria.
Anti-spam techniques (users)Anti-spam techniques and Email authentication
Mailbox providers can also install mail filters in their mail transfer agents as a service to all of their customers. Anti-virus, anti-spam, URL filtering, and authentication-based rejections are common filter types.
Corporations often use filters to protect their employees and their information technology assets. A catch-all filter will "catch all" of the emails addressed to the domain that do not exist in the mail server - this can help avoid losing emails due to misspelling.
Users, may be able to install separate programs (see links below), or configure filtering as part of their email program (email client). In email programs, users can make personal, "manual" filters that then automatically filter mail according to the chosen criteria.
Mail filters can operate on inbound and outbound email traffic.
Official source
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