Spamhaus creates new IP and Domain Reputation Checker

Spamhaus is transforming its Blocklist Removal Center (BRC), an online tool used to check if an IP or domain is listed on any DNS Blocklists (DNSBLs).

BRC was first released over a decade ago and now Spamhaus wanted to build a tool fit for today’s audience that can be developed to deliver further insights.

The first iteration on this journey is new The IP and Domain Reputation Checker.

What’s changed?

Here’s an outline of the main changes to the IP and Domain Reputation Checker:

1. It’s mobile-friendly. You can easily search our data from a smartphone, tablet or desktop without any usability issues.
2. One search field. IPv4 addresses, IPv6 addresses, domain names, email-addresses, and hash strings can all be searched from the same search field.
3. Auto IP recognition. As mentioned, many users of the Checker are technical novices, so for ease of use, the user’s client IP address is automatically detected. If this IP address is listed on our reputation blocklists, the Checker will immediately advise them. For frequent users of the Checker, one can easily disable this feature.
4. Helpful tooltips. Another aid for our technical novices is the inclusion of tooltips, providing additional information without affecting the user experience for those who know what they’re doing.
5. Listings in order of relevance. Some IP addresses may appear in several different blocklists. We now list these in the required removal order, as detailed below:
   1. Spamhaus Blocklist (SBL)
      • As always, if your IP address is on the SBL, you need to contact your Internet Service Provider’s (ISP)abuse team to request them to contact Spamhaus for removal.
      • You will not be able to remove your IP from any additional blocklists until your ISP has removed your IP from the SBL.
   2. Exploits Blocklist (XBL) and/or CSS Blocklist – in the new tool, if you are listed on both of these blocklists, one removal request simultaneously covers the XBL and CSS.
   3. Policy Blocklist – the Checker explains that inclusion on the PBL is normal, and delisting from this blocklist should only be requested if you run a mail server from the entered IP address.
6. Clear listing and removal information. We are providing increased information as to why users are listed and what actions they need to take before they request removal from a blocklist, to prevent them from being re-listed. Regular users of the current tool may have noticed that we started to supply this information last year for CSS listings, and more recently, for XBL listings.
7. Ticketing Center – Where we can’t process a removal immediately, we will automatically raise a ticket with our delisting team. Our new Ticketing Center now manages all communications relating to tickets to make following a case more manageable.
8. Re-design – We’ve updated the look and feel to meet the user experience expected in 2021.