Poor Anti-Spam Packages Hampers Standards Effort: Certifier

At least one leading certification vendor says the weak performances of many anti-spam packages is hampering their attempts to develop benchmark anti-spam certification standards, the London Register reported May 5.

ICSA Labs told the paper its results were "disappointing" when it ran preliminary tests of eight open-source and commercial anti-spam packages. Program manager Larry Bridwell told the paper those tests had "trouble getting up to 60 percent" spam recognition in the products ICSA had tested to date.

ICSA's certification seal goes on products they can verify as passing their tests, but most don't on the first try. Still, ICSA vice president George Japak told the Register, there's not likely to be a formal certification program for anti-spam products in the near term, if the products continue testing at such rates. "It's hard to say 60 to 70 per cent is good enough," he told the paper.