Testing Symantec Mail
Security for SMTP
This chapter includes the following topics:
■ Verifying normal delivery ■ Verifying spam filtering ■ Testing antivirus filtering
■ Verifying filtering to the Spam Quarantine
The following are sample tests by which you can verify that Symantec Mail Security for SMTP is filtering your email as intended. Use these tests as models for additional tests that you can perform periodically.
Verifying normal delivery
You can verify whether the Windows SMTP Service or your installed MDA is working properly with the Scanner to deliver legitimate mail by sending an email to a user.
To test delivery of legitimate mail
1 Send an email with the subject line Normal Delivery Test to a user.
2 Verify that the test message arrives correctly in the normal delivery location on your local host.
Verifying spam filtering
This test assumes you are using default installation settings for spam message handling.
152 Testing Symantec Mail Security for SMTP Testing antivirus filtering
To test spam filtering with subject line modification 1 Create a POP3 account on your MDA.
For the SMTP Server setting on this account, specify the IP address of an enabled Scanner.
2 Compose an email message addressed to an account on the machine running the Scanner.
3 Give the message a subject that is easy to find such as Test Spam Message. 4 To classify the message as spam, include the following URL on a line by
itself in the message body:
http://www.example.com/url-1.blocked/
5 Send the message.
6 Check the email account to which you sent the message.
You should find a message with the same subject prefixed by the word [Spam].
7 Send a message that is not spam to the same account used in step 5. 8 In the Control Center, click Status > Overview after several minutes have
passed.
The Spamcounter on the Overview page increases by one if filtering is working.
Testing antivirus filtering
You can verify that antivirus filtering is working correctly by sending a test message containing a pseudo-virus. This is not a real virus.
To test Antivirus filtering
1 Using your preferred email program, create an email message addressed to a test account to which a policy is assigned to allow for the cleaning of virus- infected messages. For information on virus policies, see “Creating virus policies” on page 83.
2 Attach a virus test file such as eicar.COM to the email.
Virus test files are located at http://www.eicar.org/. 3 Send the message.
4 Send a message that does not contain a virus to the same account referenced in step 1.
153 Testing Symantec Mail Security for SMTP Verifying filtering to the Spam Quarantine
Typically, this will be sufficient time for statistics to update on the Control Center.
The Viruses counter on the Overview page increases by one if filtering is working.
6 Check the mailbox for the test account to verify receipt of the cleaned message with the text indicating cleaning has occurred.
Verifying filtering to the Spam Quarantine
If you configure Symantec Mail Security for SMTP to forward spam messages to Spam Quarantine as described below, you should see spam messages when you enter the Spam Quarantine. There can be a slight delay until the first spam message arrives, depending on the amount of spam received at your organization.
If new spam messages arrive for a user while that user is viewing quarantined messages, the new spam messages will be displayed after a page change. For example, if you’re viewing an individual message and then return to the message list, any new messages that have just arrived will be added to the message list and displayed in accordance with the sorting order.
Symantec Mail Security for SMTP must be configured to forward spam messages to Spam Quarantine. If the default configuration is not changed, Symantec Mail Security inserts [Spam] in the subject line of spam messages and delivers them to users’ normal inbox rather than to Spam Quarantine. Any antispam message category can be configured via policy to forward messages to Spam Quarantine for groups assigned to that policy. You can choose to have all, some or none of the available message types forwarded to Spam Quarantine, depending on the policies set for each.
To set up delivery of messages to Spam Quarantine, see “To deliver messages to Spam Quarantine” on page 126.
To verify sending a spam message to Spam Quarantine
1 Using an email client such as Microsoft Outlook Express, open an email addressed to an account that belongs to a group configured to filter spam to Spam Quarantine. See “Delivering messages to Spam Quarantine” on page 117 for step-by-step instructions on creating such a configuration policy for a group.
2 Give the message a subject that is easy to find such as Test Spam Message. 3 To classify the message as spam, include the following URL on a line by
154 Testing Symantec Mail Security for SMTP Verifying filtering to the Spam Quarantine
http://www.example.com/url-1.blocked/
4 Send the message.
5 Send a message to the same account that is not spam and that does not contain any viruses.
6 In the Control Center, click the Spam Quarantine tab and click Search. 7 Search under Subject for a message with the subjectTest Spam Message.