In view of the number of messages blocked following the migration of our antispam software on December 14th, and to give the users concerned time to modify their configuration, a temporary reversal has been made concerning messages sent from Centrale Lille.

You are affected if :

  • you have configured a redirection from Webmail (e.g. any message received is immediately forwarded to another e-mail address, outside Centrale Lille)
  • you use an e-mail client (Smartphone, Thunderbird, Outlook, etc.) configured with the smtps.centralelille.fr server to send messages from addresses other than those provided by the institution (mainly @univ-lille.fr and @gmail.com).

If you have not already done so by this date, all redirections will be removed on 13/02/2024. No messages will be deleted; they will remain viewable from webmail. Redirection settings will become invisible and therefore unchangeable.

For e-mail clients & smartphones, a delay has been granted until 02/29/2024, to allow you to check the configurations of your various devices. It is your responsibility to configure the associated SMTP server (depending on your e-mail provider) for each e-mail address you use. No changes have been made for messages destined for Centrale Lille, as message filtering and the resulting VadeCloud reports are still in place.

 

Why is it no longer possible to continue?

The two previous cases have the same consequence: Centrale Lille’s equipment sends messages to e-mail domains outside the company (e.g. @univ-lille.fr, @gmail.com, …).

To limit SPAM, one of the tools used (SPF) allows each messaging solution provider to indicate which servers are authorized to send messages for its own messaging domains. Centrale Lille’s servers are not authorized to send messages from another domain. A message arriving on an external domain could then be marked as spam, or even rejected, and the reputation of Centrale Lille’s servers could be downgraded.

Up to now, the IT resources department had been responsible for anti-spam equipment, but switching to the VadeCloud solution means we have to use their mail relay servers and their best practices in this area. As all VadeCloud customers use these mail relays, the editor’s choice logically fell on the most secure solution, but also the strictest to guarantee everyone the correct delivery of messages (and the good reputation of the IP addresses of their solution). Finally, the equipment used up to now has reached the end of its useful life, and will no longer be supported after the start of the 2024 school year.