⚙ How It Works

The automated blacklist monitor is designed to be a proactive, not reactive, tool. Here is the high-level process:

1. Scheduled Checks: At regular intervals (e.g., every 30 minutes or every hour), a monitoring script or service sends a request to a list of predefined DNS blacklists (DNSBLs) and real-time blackhole lists (RBLs).
2. Lookup Queries: For each check, the system performs a lookup query for our specified domains and IP addresses against the various blacklists. It essentially asks, "Is our-ip-address.com on your list?"
3. Status Evaluation: The blacklist service responds with a status: either the asset is clean or it is listed.
4. Alerting Mechanism: If a new listing is detected, the system immediately triggers a notification. This alert contains key information like the asset that was blacklisted (domain or IP), the specific blacklist it was found on (e.g., Spamhaus), and the time of detection.
5. Status Logging: The status of each asset (clean or listed) is logged in a central dashboard. This allows us to track the history of an IP or domain, see when a listing occurred, and when it was resolved.

Setup Steps

Follow these steps to set up the automated blacklist monitor.

1. Select a Service: Choose a reliable blacklist monitoring service. Services like MXToolBox, HetrixTools, or Uptime Robot (with custom checks) are popular options.
2. Create an Account: Sign up and create an account for your organization on the chosen platform.
3. Add Monitored Assets: Navigate to the "Monitors" or "Assets" section within the service's dashboard. Add all of the following:
   • Your primary domain names (e.g., yourcompany.com).
   • All outbound mail server IP addresses.
   • Any other publicly facing IP addresses associated with your business.
4. Configure Notification Channels: Set up how and where you want to receive alerts. The best practice is to configure multiple channels for redundancy:
   • Email: Send alerts to a group alias like security@yourcompany.com or it-alerts@yourcompany.com.
   • Chat/IM: Integrate with a communication tool like Slack or Microsoft Teams and create a dedicated channel (e.g., #blacklist-alerts).
   • Ticketing System: Configure the service to automatically open a ticket in your help desk software (e.g., Jira, ServiceNow) when a new listing is found.
5. Set Up Check Frequency: Configure how often you want the system to perform checks. A frequency of every 15 to 30 minutes is a good starting point for a high-priority service like email.
6. Create a Runbook: A runbook is a document that outlines the steps to take when an alert is received. Create and share a runbook with your team that includes:
   • Confirmation: How to verify the listing.
   • Investigation: Initial steps to find the root cause (e.g., checking mail logs for spam).
   • Delisting: How to submit a delisting request to the specific blacklist provider.
7. Initial Testing: Once everything is configured, perform a manual check to ensure the system is working and that all notification channels are active. You can often do this with a "test check" button within the monitoring service's dashboard.