We run a Small Business Server box and it primarily provides our email via Exchange Server 2003.
Recently, our ISP indicated that our server was relaying or forwarding spam messages. I have tried a number of different things to correct this, and I would like to share a few of the steps of I have taken.
- Ensure that Exchange SMTP is not acting as an open relay. You can run a test at http://www.spamhelp.org/shopenrelay/
- Use SMTP Authentication (if you are forwarding mail through an SMTP smart host).
- Enable Recipient Filtering on the SMTP Virtual Server. Link here. KB Article here.
- Enable SMTP Tarpit Time. Link here.
- Enable Connection Filtering on the SMTP Virtual Server. You might use something like the Spamhaus ZEN list to start with.
- Enable Message Logging (so that you can get an idea of where spam is coming from).
- Disable Non Delivery Reports (NDRs). How to here.
- Don’t allow anonymous access to your Default SMTP Server.
- Run trojan/virus scans on your server and on your Client PCs (including remote Clients).
- Install and run the Exchange Best Practices Analyzer.
On a slightly unrelated note, some nefarious characters kept trying to login to our server via Remote Desktop. I have defended against these attacks by using a program called 2x SecureRDP. This ‘filters’ incoming RDP connections and stops repetitive RDP attacks before they occure.
I hope some of this information has been useful to you.