Concept of Support for the Spam Email Filtering Solution for the Marine Corps Enterprise Network (MCEN)

1. PURPOSE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS MESSAGE IS TO
ANNOUNCE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A SPAM FILTERING SOLUTION FOR THE
MCEN AND TO DESCRIBE THE CONCEPT OF SUPPORT FOR THIS SERVICE. 
2. BACKGROUND
A. MCEN USERS CONTINUE TO BE SUBJECTED TO AN INCREASING AMOUNT OF
SPAM EMAIL. SPAM IS DEFINED AS UNSOLICITED COMMERCIAL EMAIL, SENT
INDISCRIMINATELY TO MULTIPLE MAILING LISTS OR INDIVIDUALS. PRIMARY
TYPES OF SPAM INCLUDE THOSE ADVERTISING ILLEGAL PHARMACEUTICALS,
FINANCING SCAMS, FRADULENT GET-RICH SCHEMES AND PORNOGRAPHIC
MATERIAL. SPAM REDUCES PERSONNEL PRODUCTIVITY, CONSUMES NETWORK
RESOURCES AND CAN INTRODUCE WORMS, VIRUSES AND OTHER FORMS OF
MALICIOUS CODE THROUGHOUT THE NETWORK. 
B. THE MCNOSC HAS WORKED WITH THE NMCI VENDOR TO DEVELOP AND
IMPLEMENT AN ANTI-SPAM SOLUTION AND SUPPORTING PROCESSES FOR THE
NMCI PORTION OF THE MCEN. A PILOT SITE IMPLEMENTATION WAS
SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED AND THE NMCI VENDOR HAS PERMISSION TO
CONTINUE THE IMPLEMENATION ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE NMCI PORTION
OF THE MCEN. THE MCNOSC HAS ALSO DEVELOPED AND PROCURED AN ANTI-SPAM
SOLUTION FOR THE NON-NMCI PORTION OF THE MCEN. IMPLEMENTATION IS
PLANNED FOR FIRST QUARTER FY06. 
3. CONCEPT OF SUPPORT
A. INTENT. THE INTENT OF THIS SOLUTION IS TO BLOCK THE RECEIPT OF
SPAM TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT POSSIBLE, WHILE ALLOWING THE CONTINUED
FLOW OF OFFICIAL EMAIL. 
B. LIMITATIONS. ANTI-SPAM TECHNOLOGY IS NOT PERFECT IN ITS ABILITY
TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN SPAM AND OFFICIAL EMAIL. THE ANTI-SPAM
FILTERS BEING IMPLEMENTED ON THE MCEN ARE PRECONFIGURED TO IDENTIFY
AND BLOCK MOST EMAIL CONTAINING INAPPROPRIATE CONTENT OR ORIGINATING
FROM KNOWN SOURCES OF SPAM. HOWEVER, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT USERS MAY
RECEIVE SOME SPAM EMAIL THAT THE ANTI-SPAM FILTER FAILS TO BLOCK
(FALSE NEGATIVES). IN RARE CASES, IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT THE
ANTI-SPAM FILTER MAY ERRONEOUSLY IDENTIFY OFFICIAL EMAIL TRAFFIC AS
SPAM AND BLOCK DELIVERY TO THE INTENDED RECIPIENT (FALSE POSITIVES).
C. REQUESTING SPAM FILTER CONFIGURATION ADJUSTMENTS. AS SITUATIONS
INVOLVING FALSE NEGATIVES AND FALSE POSITIVES ARE IDENTIFIED, IT MAY
BE NECESSARY TO MODIFY THE CONFIGURATION OF THE ANTI-SPAM FILTER. 
USERS WILL IDENTIFY INSTANCES OF MISSED OR FALSELY IDENTIFIED SPAM
TO THE LOCAL INFORMATION ASSURANCE MANAGER (IAM) OR OTHER DESIGNATED
G6 REPRESENTATIVE. THE IAM/G6 WILL REVIEW USER SPAM ISSUES AND
LOCAL IMPACT AND DETERMINE WHETHER TO REQUEST MODIFICATION OF THE
MCEN ANTI-SPAM FILTER. THE IAM/G6 WILL SUBMIT ANTI-SPAM FILTER
MODIFICATION REQUESTS TO THE MCNOSC THROUGH THE MCNOSC OPERATIONS
CENTER. 
D. APPROVAL AND IMPLEMENTATION OF SPAM FILTER CONFIGURATION
CHANGES. THE MCNOSC WILL MAINTAIN OPERATIONAL CONTROL OVER THE
ENTERPRISE ANTI-SPAM SOLUTION AND HAS THE AUTHORITY AND
RESPONSIBILITY TO REVIEW AND APPROVE ALL CHANGES TO THE ANTI-SPAM
FILTER CONFIGURATION WITHIN BOTH THE NMCI AND NON-NMCI PORTIONS OF
THE MCEN. ALL CONFIGURATION CHANGES WILL BE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED
FOR THEIR ENTERPRISE-WIDE APPLICABILITY AND POTENTIAL IMPACT ON THE
MCEN. APPROVED CHANGES TO THE ANTI-SPAM FILTER CONFIGURATION WILL
BE IMPLEMENTED ACROSS THE ENTIRE MCEN. CHANGES WILL NOT BE MADE FOR
INDIVIDUAL USERS, COMMANDS, OR LOCATIONS. IN THE EVENT THAT THE
SPAM BLOCKING CONFIGURATION RESULTS IN AN ADVERSE OPERATIONAL
IMPACT, THE MCNOSC WILL WORK WITH THE AFFECTED COMMANDS TO RESOLVE
THE ISSUE.
4. ADDITIONAL DETAILS REGARDING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MCEN
ANTI-SPAM SOLUTIONS WILL BE PROVIDED BY THE MCNOSC VIA FOLLOW-ON
MESSAGE. USER GUIDES WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THE MCNOSC WEBSITE AT
WWW.MCNOSC.USMC.MIL 
5. QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS MESSAGE SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE
MCNOSC WATCH OFFICER AT MCNOSCWO@MCNOSC.USMC.MIL, COMM
(703)784-5300, OR DSN 278-5300 OR THE HQMC C4 OR MCNOSC POCS ABOVE.