Knowledgebase
What is an Open Relay?
An open relay is an email server that allows third-party relay of email messages. By processing mail that is neither for nor from a local user, an open relay makes it possible for an unscrupulous sender to route large volumes of spam.
The owner of the open relay mail server donates network and computer resources to the sender's purpose. When a spammer hijacks a server, an organization may suffer system crashes, equipment damage, and loss of business. Typically, the owner of an open relay is usually unaware that it can be abused by spammers.
Spammers who send email through open relays are able to falsify details such as the return address for the email. This makes it less obvious where the email came from, and harder for the general internet user to block or take action against the spammer. Identifying where the spam email came from requires an understanding of email headers. Once the origin of a spam email has been identified, it is possible to contact the apporpriate authorities either the spammer's ISP or an open relay blocking list, to prevent them from spamming again.
Was this answer helpful?
Also Read
Powered by WHMCompleteSolution