Spam database of IP addresses: what is it and how do I remove the address from it?
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How often have you had to receive annoying marketing mailings? You do not give them any permission, it is impossible to unsubscribe from them. This is spam. It would be possible, of course, to put up with it, if not for one essential "BUT": along with information garbage, they can contain a variety of malicious software. If you open such a letter, you can start the process of destroying files on your computer, downloading personal information, including bank details, as well as a number of other illegal actions. And the most annoying thing is that the user is helpless in the fight against the problem of spam.
The modern IT technology market is well aware of such illegal actions and puts a lot of effort into combating them. So, in order to protect users from intrusive mailings, special databases were created where the IP addresses of the devices with which the most active distribution of malicious software and advertising is conducted are entered. Filters that identify such addresses and block the forwarding of messages from them are actively used by most mail services today.
Now we will tell you in detail on what principle these databases are formed, what they are and what awaits those who find themselves in them. We will tell you how to avoid getting into them with an e-mail newsletter and get out of it if your address is already there.
By what principle are spam databases of IP addresses formed?
Collecting spam IP addresses is the task of mail services. They are constantly monitoring suspicious activity. If it is established that there is a mass mailing of messages from one address, then such an address is highly likely to fall into such a database. Also, such actions of mail services can be the result of a reaction to numerous complaints from users who receive mailings without their permission for such actions.
In work, it looks like this: postal services monitor the addresses from which letters are being sent. If it is found that the IP of the mailing source is already in one of these databases, then such letters are marked "Spam". The algorithm of the mail service itself may be different. So, some will still send similar emails to users, but in the "Spam" folder, and not "Inbox". Another email will simply block such a transfer and delete the letter itself. But in the first case, the user will have to independently send such an email to the trash, if it still turns out to be spam. This should be done even without opening it first to prevent malware from getting on your PC.
Types of spam databases
Today there are quite a lot of databases with spam IP addresses. But they can be divided into four separate categories:
- Public. Such spam databases are formed by mail services based on the coverage of all registered users. If your IP address gets into such a database, then the letters sent from it will not reach the recipient at all and will be deleted by the system automatically, or they will fall into the Spam section of the mail, if so provided by the configuration of a particular service.
- Private. Such databases are formed either by companies or by individual users for their own use. This solution allows you to individually prevent the receipt of emails that will come from devices with the correct IP address. It turns out that the user or the system administrator of the company will independently form such a database. Spam emails will not be automatically deleted here, but the system will automatically identify and mark them.
- Open. Databases from this category are formed by one e-mail service, but are exposed to public access. And any other service can take this collection of addresses and connect it to its work, add properly identified spam addresses to it. So, the largest spam database with open access today is The Spamhaus Project. It has about 70% of all IP addresses subject to blocking. It is also possible to distinguish such spam databases with open access as Sender Score, SpamCop, SURBL, URIBL.
- Closed. Many postal services that have already formed a similar database of addresses do not want other services to use it. That is, it is intended for internal use. A striking example from this category is Gmail. Here the lists of blocked addresses are kept a big secret.
What happens if your IP address gets into the spam database?
The danger of being in the spam database of IP addresses is relevant for everyone who specializes in e-mailing. And as soon as you find yourself in a collection of such violators, your letters will not reach the addressee at all. But this is not the only problem that you will face in practice. There is a high probability that:
- You will not be able to pay for goods or services online. If the request for payment is received from a dubious IP address, then such a request is either sent for additional verification or immediately blocked. The probability of the latter is higher. And this is understandable: online stores are fighting fraudsters, protecting their finances and reputation.
- You will not be able to use Google and Yandex search engines comfortably and quickly. These browsers monitor questionable addresses. Yes, they don't block requests, but they will force you to constantly enter a captcha as confirmation that the actions are performed by a real person, not a bot.
- Your email becomes useless. Email services will block not only the mailing list, but also all other emails that will be sent from your device. Replacing the mail with another one will not solve the problem, because identification is carried out by IP address.
That is, getting into the spam database is an extremely unpleasant phenomenon that we should strive to avoid. Otherwise, you can forget about the stability of the work.
Is it possible to accidentally get into the spam database of IP addresses?
Alas, the accidental entry of your device's IP address into the spam database is a reality. And here it becomes very insulting, because you would never find yourself in the same category with people who really abused mailings, and quite aggressively. Why did this happen? There are several options here. The most common reason is the use of an address from which spam was previously sent. And it doesn't matter whether you use dynamic or static addresses, the outcome is one – in the database! It is also possible to get into the spam database of IP addresses as a result of the presence of recorded virus activity on the user's computer.
Is it possible to prevent getting into the spam database?
Do you specialize in e-mail mailing, but the prospect of being in the database of spam IP addresses does not attract you? Do not violate the rules, namely, send emails only to those users who have agreed to receive such notifications. Of course, there is a possibility of falling into a trap. Each provider has its own list of e-mail boxes that users have not used for a long time. And if multiple emails from the same IP address are sent to such addresses, the system identifies such actions as spam and the address of your device will immediately appear in the "black" list. This means that other recipients will not receive your notifications.
To avoid this, those who use the mailing list in their work need to regularly check the client database of addresses. The mail that is no longer in use, you just need to delete. Such work can be automated by connecting specialized applications, as an option – Bounceless, Mailvalidator. It is also recommended from time to time to send messages to people subscribed to your newsletter asking them to confirm their desire to continue receiving such letters. This will exclude customers who no longer use their mail, as well as those who forgot that they gave permission to subscribe.
How do I check if your IP is in the spam database and how do I remove it from there?
If you specialize in e-mail marketing, if you suspect that your site has been hacked and could be used to commit illegal actions, then the first thing you need to check is whether your address is in the spam IP database. The simplest solution is to use The Spamhaus Project service. To understand whether the address of your device has been sanctioned, just go to its website. Addresses that are in the database are highlighted in red. Users are also provided with an explanation of the reasons for what happened. You just need to click on the appropriate link, click on the option "Remove an IP...", and then tick the box that you agree to the terms of the service. After that, a form opens in front of you to remove the IP from the spam list. The following data must be specified in it:
It remains only to enter the captcha and click on the "Submit" button. The system will process your request for several hours. It is optimal to wait a day and go back to the service to check the address. Often such actions are enough to remove your IP from the database of spam addresses.
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- The IP address that you would like to unblock.
- Work email address.
- The country to which this IP belongs.
- Type of IP address: static or dynamic.
- Address affiliation: mail server or computer.