RBL

Short for real-time blackhole list, RBL is a mechanism used to block or filter e-mails from specific IP addresses that are known to be sources of spam. This concept was first created by MAPS (Mail Abuse Prevention Systems) and is employed by e-mail servers and anti-spam systems to enhance the filtering of unwanted and malicious e-mails.

While RBLs are valuable tools in the fight against spam, they can only filter out known sources and there are sometimes instances of false positives where legitimate e-mails are being blocked. Therefore, e-mail administrators often utilize additional techniques with RBLs for better filtering. Examples include Bayesian and heuristic filtering (along with machine learning), which recognize repeat characters and common spam-related words. They may also employ challenge-response systems that request a reply from the sender to verify they're a real entity or person.

Computer acronyms, E-mail, E-mail terms, Internet terms, Malware