Strange messages in mail queue

[Chuck Swiger]

User Gandalf wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I might be offtopic...
> I always get a long daily output from periodic.
>
>
> Mail in local queue:
> -Queue ID- --Size-- ----Arrival Time---- -Sender/Recipient-------
> 1D3C91DD4AA    45937 Tue May 23 10:54:42  MAILER-DAEMON
>            (connect to onmail02.ongov.net[12.33.98.207]: Operation 
> timed out)
>                                         robinrandall at ongov.net
> 571EC1DD443    28752 Thu May 25 00:40:30  MAILER-DAEMON
>                 (connect to paramed.biz[204.251.15.174]: Operation 
> timed out)
>                                         nicholas at paramed.biz
> C04121DD4A0    28736 Mon May 22 13:20:50  MAILER-DAEMON
>            (connect to pistonheads.biz[195.225.218.139]: Operation 
> timed out)
>                                         philip at pistonheads.biz
>
> and many others. Is this a breakin attempt? Or is this normal? I do 
> not know any of the e-mail addresses.
> Thanks,

It's undelivered SPAM which your mail server is trying to bounce back to 
the sending machine.  In low quantities, it's annoying but harmless.  In 
higher volumes, it can put a drag on or even DoS your SMTP box.  Some 
combination of SpamAssassin, virus-scanning, Amavisd, or even 
greylisting will help....

-- 
-Chuck