Anti-Spam Programs

[Matilda]

I've been using the Cloudmark anti-spam program for over ten years, and it used to be absolutely wonderful. I'd give it a 99% success rate.

Then it went free, and the standards slipped. It was very efficient at blocking real spam, but developed a bad habit of blocking genuine emails as well, and no matter how many times I would instruct it to Unblock, it kept right on blocking. Complaints to Cloudmark (I wasn't the only person to complain) were unproductive.

Now they are consigning it to the scrapheap, on the basis that people don't use email programs much anymore. I wouldn't know about that – on my work computer, I certainly need something. I get an average of 100 – 150 emails every day, of which around 10% are spam. Not a huge number, but if I had to check them all manually and delete, it would take time and be very annoying.

I have a Dell computer, and I'm running Windows 7. I have Outlook 2016 for Mail. I have Malwarebytes installed, and also Webroot Anti-Virus, and I think both do an excellent job. But for spam – I'd like to find something that's easy to install (because I'm not very good with technical stuff), and not too expensive. The paid version of Cloudmark cost around $AU30 for two computers, and I thought that was reasonable for a good program.

Does anybody have any recommendations?

[canetoad]

1. This is more than a spam filter

Mailwasher.

http://www.mailwasher.net/

There is a free version as well as paid. Haven't checked the differences but look for the ability to bounce and blacklist.

I've been using a much older version for years. It needs a little configuration; ie your mail server settings & password but nothing too difficult. Basically, you run Mailwasher, it lists the mail on your server and you have an option to delete, download, bounce and/or blacklist, then it processes the mail. It deletes from the server the stuff you don't want and then it downloads the selected emails and opens your mail program. This modern version may do much more than that. I know it has IMAP support.

[Matilda]

2. I've heard of that one.

I don't think free versions are worth the money, if Cloudmark is anything to go by (similarly, Malwarebytes - I'm much happier with the paid version).

So I'll check the price as well, but thanks for the tip.

[ManiacJoe]

3. Another vote for MailWasher Pro.

Well worth the $30.

The key to good spam blocking is the source of the spam, not the contents of the spam.

[Matilda]

4. I think I'll probably try the free version first.

See how I manage it, and if it's easy enough, I'll change to the pro version.

Thanks for the info.