Have you ever been blacklisted? Well, not you personally, but your company’s email server? Blacklisting when referring to email occurs when an email account or server raises enough red flags to be effectively blocked from having its emails delivered. In other words, if your email server is on a blacklist, chances are your emails will not be delivered.
There are dozens of different providers that keep and maintain blacklists, including Google and Symantec. These providers look at several factors when determining whether or not a particular email server should be blacklisted. The most common reason a server would be blacklisted would be if it were sending spam or phishing emails.
Typically, you do not receive an official notice that your server has been blacklisted. One of the first thing people notice is that their emails are not being received by the people they are sending them to or that emails are rejected with a message saying they have been blacklisted.
Because there are several different blacklists, there are different places you can verify whether or not your server is on a blacklist. Here are a few places to check:
- MXToolBox Email Blacklist Check
- DNSBL Spam Database Lookup
- Spamhaus Project – Blocklist Removal Center
Sometimes, your email server can be blacklisted, even if it is following all the rules. This can occur if a hacker were to hijack an email account on your company servers due to poor password policies, an unsecured firewall or other gap in security. This is why it is important to have a knowledgeable IT team that can stay on top of your network’s security.
Minneapolis-based OAC Technology has been fighting spam for small- to medium-sized businesses for over a decade. We stay up-to-date on the latest spamming techniques so that we know how to keep your business protected. If you don’t know what your anti-spam strategy is, contact us today for a free consultation.
