Mail Server Fun - or not

So, today I started my own mailserver as IMAP connections were slow to my existing servers. Good plan I hear you cry. Well, yes. :)

My new mail servers on a quick connection and always on, the basic pre-requisits for a mail server; since we don't want to loose any mail.

The reason for this rambling is to warn you about open relays - i.e. mail servers without authentication. I'd always thought this was a bit over-hyped, designed to make people forget about running mail servers, buy super expensive solutions or put up with gibberish advertising in mails and webmail.

Well, while the above may be true, its definately worth making your server as secure as possible and then de-securing it to make bits work, rather than the other way round. Basic common sence, but just incase you were wondering, I'd racked up 20-30 relay attempts within 30 minutes. Not bad for a mail server than didn't exist till half an hour ago.

These were obviously from hardcore spammers, with the attempted relays coming from vertually the same set of IP address.

About half of these were to old email accounts no longer used on some of my domains, and the other half were just random addresses.

Hmm, interesting.

Still, don't setup and secure, secure and setup.