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I don't understand why my mail is being sent back to me with an error message directing me here. You need to deal with this, not me!
If you send us email about this, we're just going to point you back to this page. All the info you need to resolve this issue is contained here. Please read this page and then contact your ISP (internet service provider -- the people you pay for internet access) like this page recommends.
Help! What the heck is going on?
If you tried to send email, and that email was returned to you with an error message, and that error message pointed you to this web site, then here is what probably happened.
The IP address of the email server that you are using is probably on our OPSSM list.
IPs are added to the OPSSM because they are insecure proxy servers that have transmitted spam.
Some people may choose to use our list to refuse mail from IPs on this list until they are fixed and are no longer insecure proxies that can be used to send spam..
But I want my email to go through! How can this be fixed?
You should contact your ISP (the company you pay for internet access). Write them or call them and tell them that you're having trouble with your email, explain to them that you received this error message, and ask them to visit our web site.
If the server is owned by your school or employer, then contact the folks that run the server and explain the same thing to them.
We know that email is important to you, and we want to help the owners and admins of the listed IPs secure the open proxies and correct the problem. Correcting this problem is usually a very simple process, involving the admin. changing a few lines of one configuration file, or ticking a checkbox on a configuration form.
What do you mean "open proxy"?
An "open proxy" is where a machine will accept a connection on a specific port, and can then be used to connect to another machine to send mail. There are legitamate proxy servers out there, and you may be using one without even knowing it. The problem with open proxies that are insecure is that they allow for anybody in the world to use them to connect to the recipient's machine and deliver the spam. Unlike open relays, open proxies do not record the originating IP address in the headers of the mail being sent, and typically there are not logs being kept on the open proxy so it makes tracking down the actual spam source/origin difficult. Open proxies are also very common on dynamicaly assigned IPs as more people are installing "proxy" software packages to share their residential broadband and DSL connections with all the computers in their home. Frequently these machines were never intended to be servers of any sort, and as they are on dynamic IPs, it is difficult to track down the admin of the open proxy. People wanting to send spam will look for and abuse open proxies to try to cover their tracks.
Why do people refuse mail from these IPs?
They've transmitted spam, they're still able to transmit spam, and many people do not want to accept mail from an open proxy that has already demonstrated it can be used to send spam..
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[ MAPSSM LLC | RSSSM | RBLSM | DULSM | NMLSM | TSI ] Updated 4/15/2003.