Barracuda New Features - University of Northern Colorado

The Barracuda MS Outlook plug-in is a plug-in for the Windows Versions of Outlook. It requires Windows 98/2000/NT/XP. The plug-in allows a user to classify messages as spam or not-spam right from their desktop. This classification performs Bayesian learning and results in higher accuracy for the Barracuda Spam Firewall.

The plug-in performs the same functionality as classification from the Message Log, except all feedback is stored in a per-user Bayesian database on the system. This mechanism prevents user's from compromising the global Bayesian database, and results more specific scoring due to learning about a user's personal mail preferences.

Where can I get the Barracuda MS Outlook Plug-in?

You can download and install the Plug-in from the Barracuda login page.

Using the Plug-in

Once installed, the plug-in makes itself available to the user through the toolbar inside MS Outlook. Two icons are provided that perform the necessary classification functionality. A red envelope to classify messages as spam, and a green envelope to classify messages as not-spam.

To use the plug-in, select one or more items from the message window and click on the spam/not spam icon to submit the messages to the Barracuda Spam Firewall for classification.

For convenience, the toolbar icons are also provided when a mail message is opened in a new window for viewing. If desired, the message can be classified immediately from that window.

Also note, Bayesian learning is only effective when the differences between spam and not-spam are known to the system. Therefore it is important to make sure that both types of messages are classified from the user desktops. This plug-in is designed to make that classification process as easy as possible. However, it is up to each user to make sue the items they classify from the plug-in are really considered spam or not-spam as it will affect the scoring or future messages coming onto the system for them.