Re: Email Server and DNS

[bmanning () vacation karoshi com]

On Fri, Nov 08, 2013 at 08:37:32AM -0500, William Herrin wrote:
> On Sun, Nov 3, 2013 at 11:39 AM,  <rwebb () ropeguru com> wrote:
> > I am looking for some info on current practice for an email server and SMTP
> > delivery. It has been a while since I have had to setup an email server and
> > I have been tasked with setting up a small one for a friend. My question
> > centers around the server sending outgoing email and the current practices
> > requirements for other servers to accept email Things like rDNS, SPF
> > records, etc...
>
> Hi Robert,
>
> Current best practices are: don't run your own email server unless
> you're willing to spend the ongoing time and effort it takes to keep
> up with the current solutions to the spam, hacking and abuse problems.
> Corollary: when you get bored of doing so for a tiny mail server, stop
> running it and buy a service.

        and yet, at the IETF this week, in the technical plenary, a call to
        diffuse the target space by running your own services.  much harder
        to have your mail scrapped from your servers than from your providers.

/bill


> Other than that, the _changes_ of note in the last decade are:
>
> 1. The blacklist aggregators and IP reputation services have changed
> so you have to find the new ones,
> 2. There are email whitelist services now, some free others for a
> nominal cost. Use them.
> 3. Phishing and spear phishing are relatively sophisticated now, so
> your spam solution has to deal reasonably with it.
> 4. Relay from and to an external address without changing the envelope
> sender no longer functions reliably due to things like SPF enforcement
> and no mail servers I've noticed have such a translator built in.
>
>
> Regards,
> Bill Herrin
>
>
> -- 
> William D. Herrin ................ herrin () dirtside com  bill () herrin us
> 3005 Crane Dr. ...................... Web: <http://bill.herrin.us/>
> Falls Church, VA 22042-3004