SpamCop FAQ

SpamCop Parsing and Reporting Service

Member and account management questions

SpamCop uses traditional HTTP basic authentication. Most browsers will allow you to bypass the password prompt by constructing a URL which includes your username and password like this:

https://yourname%40yourdomain.com:password@members.spamcop.net/

Once you log in using this method, just bookmark the home page. The bookmark will preserve your login information. You can have one of these bookmarks for each family member or other user of your computer.

Warning: This method is inherently insecure. If you do not trust everyone who sits in front of your computer, you should not save your passwords on your computer. This principle is equally true for sites which use cookie based authentication.

Passwords are used to keep your account information and email secure. By saving passwords on your computer, you are defeating the security provided by the password. Also consider the possibility that your computer may be broken into over the internet. If you save your passwords on your computer, you will lose those passwords to anyone who breaks into your computer.

It is also a good idea to use the log-in URL only once to log in. After the first log-in, you should re-load the main page using a normal URL:

https://members.spamcop.net/

Doing so will further ensure your security/privacy. It will avoid the possibility of a copy/paste mishap or having your browser reveal (as the referrer) your SpamCop userid and password when browsing to another site from the SpamCop members site.

Note: (added January 31, 2004)

We have received information that Microsoft will be changing the behaviour of Internet Explorer with an upcoming patch so these browsers will no longer work with this method of authenticated login. If you use Internet Explorer with this patch, you will have to use the pop-up username/password box, or, use the optional cookie login method.
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