How to block email from a specific email address or email domain

Products

• Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange

Issue/Introduction

Unwanted email from a specific user or specific email domain is appearing in user's inboxes.  This article describes how to configure Symantec Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange (SMSMSE) to take action on those emails. 

Resolution

To configure SMSMSE to block a specific sender/email domain perform the following actions:

• Create a match list

The match list contains the set of email addresses or domains to take action on.

• Create a filtering rule

The rule defines which match list to use and what actions to perform on the email.

To create the match list

1. Open SMSMSE Administration Console.
2. Click the Policies tab. Then click Views|Content Enforcement|Match Lists.Then click Tasks|New match list.  This opens the New Match List dialog box.
3. In the Name text box type a name for the match list.
4. Enter a description in the Description text box.
5. Select Literal string for the Match Type dropdown.
6. In the Filter text box enter the email address or email domain to block. Press Enter after each one. Click OK to close the dialog box.
7. Click the Deploy changes.

To create a filtering rule

1. Open SMSMSE Administration Console.
2. Click the Policies tab. Click Views|Content Filtering Rules. Click Tasks|New rule.
3. Enter a rule name and description.
4. Under Apply rule to check only Inbound messages.
5. Select Sender in the Message part to scan dropdown list.
6. Select Literal String in the the Match Type dropdown list.
7. Select Contains in the Content dropdown list.
8. Click the Add match list... button.  This brings up the Select a match list dialog box.
9. Highlight the match list created above and press Select.
10. Click the Actions tab.
11. In the When a violation occurs drop-down list select the action desired when email matches the email address/domain.
12. Click OK.
13. Click Deploy changes/Deploy all.

Symantec recommends that you test every new rule or modified rule to make sure that it works as you expect. A test network allows more control over the test process, and email generally travels more quickly through the system.