Why were there sudden Spamhaus IP listings this morning?
Summary
What email marketers say9Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Mailjet explains that sudden IP listings and blacklists are sometimes caused by a sudden spike of spam complaints, a increase in spam traps being hit or a sudden increase in volume.
Email marketer from Email Geeks confirms that there was definitely something going on at Spamhaus this morning with many clients listed but quickly removed.
Email marketer from SendPulse shares that you must identify the reason for the listing which is often caused by poor list hygiene, spam content, or a compromised account. Address the root cause and request delisting. Also, implement strategies to prevent future issues.
Email marketer from Reddit shares that sudden Spamhaus listings can occur due to a variety of reasons, including compromised accounts sending spam, a sudden spike in email volume, or issues with email authentication such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
Email marketer from ZeroBounce shares that the best way to get off of a blacklist such as Spamhaus is to improve your sender reputation. Use double opt-ins to ensure people want your emails, make your content useful, segment your lists and warm up your IPs to increase trust and validity of emails.
Email marketer from StackOverflow responds that being listed on Spamhaus can result from several issues, such as poor list hygiene leading to high bounce rates and spam complaints, sending unsolicited emails, or having a server with a compromised IP address.
Email marketer from EmailDudes Forum shares that you should investigate possible malware infections on your server or network, ensure your email sending practices comply with anti-spam laws, and that your sender reputation is actively monitored and maintained.
Email marketer from Kickbox emphasizes the role of data quality. Poor data quality that is caused by incorrect or old information causes bounces and spam traps. The Kickbox article recommends that to avoid blacklists, you should remove any invalid emails as soon as possible.
Email marketer from GlockApps explains that Spamhaus listings can be triggered by spam traps, high complaint rates, or sending from IPs with poor reputations. Ensuring proper authentication and monitoring your sending reputation is key.
What the experts say3Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks confirms that there may have been a listing glitch on Spamhaus today where a bunch of IPs were listed briefly and then removed.
Expert from SpamResource explains that a sudden blacklisting can be caused by a sudden increase in spam complaints, a compromised account sending spam, or a misconfiguration of email authentication settings.
Expert from Word to the Wise shares that proactive monitoring of your sender reputation and deliverability metrics can help identify and address potential issues before they lead to blacklisting.
What the documentation says6Technical articles
Documentation from Spamhaus explains that IPs and domains are listed due to involvement in sending or supporting spam. This includes direct spam sending, hosting spammed websites, or providing services to spammers.
Documentation from Spamhaus shares that the CSS (Composite Spam Score) lists IPs that have a poor reputation based on spam activity, botnet infections, or malware distribution. It is often due to compromised systems within the network.
Documentation from Spamhaus notes that resolution typically involves identifying and fixing the cause of the spam activity, requesting delisting through their website, and ensuring measures are in place to prevent future occurrences.
Documentation from URI DNSBL lists potential problems from sending email that is not RFC compliant. An example is incorrect dates and headers - this often signals to spam filters that the content may be spam and causes listing.
Documentation from RFC-Editor explains that Spamhaus and other blocklists are often used to block e-mail that originates from compromised hosts or open relays. These are hosts that intentionally or unintentionally allow abusive traffic which includes spam.
Documentation from DigitalOcean details the importance of an SPF record being correct on your DNS to ensure that email servers know that you have approved mail from your server. A lack of proper SPF and DKIM records often indicates a lack of server control which is an indicator of possible spam.