BL-Monitor™ Analyzes DNS Blacklist Servers

SOUTHFIELD, MI —— Computer Mail Services, Inc. (CMS), an expert in antispam and email security, has just released BL-Monitor, a free tool to analyze the effectiveness and efficiency of DNS Blacklist (DNSBL) servers. Commonly used by antispam filtering products and services, DNSBL servers are the first line of defense and typically filter 60-70% of spam email.

BL-Monitor is based on a timing engine simultaneously querying and measuring the response times of multiple DNSBL servers. Using IP addresses from local email traffic, it tracks how many are blacklisted, unlisted or timed out with no response. It then creates a rank for each server. Since a site running BL-Monitor is at a unique location on the Internet, relative to the DNSBL servers tested, the BL-Monitor rank determines a site’s most effective servers.

“There is a need to question DNSBL server performance since antispam filters rely on them heavily. This reliance is based on the belief that they will perform their function well. Even with paid subscriptions, there is little assurance given to the services’ completeness and effectiveness”, said Lih-Tah Wong, President.

Selecting the most effective DNSBL servers fine-tunes the antispam filter and improves its ability to efficiently receive inbound email. Servers that do not blacklist a site’s inbound spam email IP addresses are of little use. BL-Monitor identifies the best DNSBL server for the site’s email traffic, improving filter performance, saving resources and speeding email delivery.

“BL-Monitor is awesome. In 5 minutes we used it to discover that our paid subscription blacklist service is worse than several free ones available. We did this using our own real-world, actual emails and addresses. Having a tool to spot-check the health and reliability of blacklist services is long overdue”, said Greg Bishop, network administrator at Home & Garden Party.

BL-Monitor is available as a free download from the CMS website —http://www.cmsconnect.com.

ABOUT COMPUTER MAIL SERVICES, INC.
Founded in 1982, Southfield, Michigan-based Computer Mail Services, Inc. (CMS) is a privately held company with expertise in the development of messaging related products. The company’s Praetor® product protects mail servers of thousands of organizations worldwide.

Praetor is a registered trademark and BL-Monitor is a trademark of Computer Mail Services, Inc.

Computer Mail Services, Inc.
Lih-Tah Wong
Tel: 248-352-6700 x.210
www.cmsconnect.com

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