The Trouble With Spam Is....

Each day we all face the same challenge. Spam. It doesn't matter if you're a home computer user or the head of IT for a multinational limiting or totally preventing the distribution of junk email to your computer(s) is now a daily chore.

The sheer frustration that spam causes combined with the number of lost man hours adds up to junk email being a very real problem for all involved. You have to filter through all the junk to find your own personal or work email. This on its own is annoying enough. When you consider the security risks from spyware, trojans, diallers and attempted identity theft spam becomes much more than just an annoyance - it becomes a minefield for any computer user.

So what can you do to block spam? The first step each user should take is to simply limit the number of people who know your personal email address. If you have a work email address then just use it for work. For home users only distribute your email address to people you know and trust. This simple move can cut your spam problems by 50%.

But what about all those online forms I need to fill in? No problem. Use a free email service like Hotmail or Gmail for this purpose. Treat it as a throwaway account that you can use as a buffer between your true personal email address and the rest of the world. Let it fill up with junk email and then just login once a week and delete everything you see.

Your password. It's amazing how many people set the password for their email account to abc123 or something similar. These passwords are incredibly easy for spammers to guess and would give them easy access to your mail account. The password for your email account should follow corporate standards of being 6 - 8 characters long and be alphanumeric (a mixture of numbers and letters). Make it longer if you can. Using a weak password is just asking for trouble.

If you're already receiving a ton of spam then you'll need to invest in a spam blocker. There are free spam blockers you can download and also also their paid equivalents. A great spam blocker can cost you as little as $30 and you'll see an immediate reduction in the amount of spam you're receiving.

Over and above installing software on your computer (especially for Mac users as your choices are limited) you could sign up for one of the web based challenge response spam blockers like Mailblocks or SpamArrest. Both of these services are ideal for somebody who's on the move a lot. Also because they're web based there's no software to install so they're perfect for Mac or PocketPC/Palm users.

Taking a pro-active anti spam stance is the next step. If you get junk email from people then check the mail headers and report any offensive email to the hosting company or ISP involved. Never, ever reply to spam directly. This simply confirms to the spammer that your email address is active. Also never click on any hyperlinks in any junk email - this again confirms your existence and can lead to a virus being downloaded directly onto your PC. Filter the spam, report the abusers, delete the remaining junk email.

Spam can be stopped. Not by some corporate giant or genius programmer. It can be stopped by each of you individually. Spammers rely on the widespread availability of email addresses and for people to reply to these emails or click on the links within the emails. The sooner people stop reacting emotionally to spam and simply filter, report and delete the offensive mail itself the sooner the lucrative market of bulk email will dry up for the spammers.

This article was provided courtesy of Spam-site.com which reviews spam blocker software and other anti spam utilties.

---

Do Not Spam

The temptation among internet marketers to SPAM is greater than... Read More

What To Do When You Get Spam

When you go to your mailbox and find pieces of... Read More

Dont Give the Spammers Your Address From Your Page

Spammers get email addresses from web pages using programs called... Read More

Email Chain Letters - Harmless Fun or Not?

I'm sure I'm not the only person on the planet... Read More

Beware Of Spam Withdrawals

Q: I am so sick of all the spam that... Read More

Demand for Spam? It exists

Do you like spam? No, I'm not kidding. Everybody knows... Read More

What Exactly is Spam?

Spam, as defined in the context of computers, the Internet... Read More

Spam: The Tasteless Internet Meat of Criminals

Spam. You've all heard of the crazy pink meat in... Read More

Stop Intrusive Pop-up Ads and Regain Control of Your Online Experience!

Stop intrusive pop-up ads and regain control of your online... Read More

How Spammers Fool Spam Blacklists - And How to Stop Them

Effectively stopping spam over the long-term requires much more than... Read More

How To Identify Spam

Most of us have opened our email program and found,... Read More

All About Spam

Spam is annoying. Period. Why people would want to send... Read More

Spammer Stole My Email Address?

Do you get bounced, or rejected emails sent by someone... Read More

How To Stop Unwanted Email Spam

You can stop unwanted email spam, you can choose to... Read More

Fight Spam and Fortify Your Web Site with RSS

RSS is the answer to the Spam epidemic of the... Read More

Which Spam Filter Is Best For You?

With the number of spam filtering solutions increasing each week... Read More

Block Ads, Defeat Pop-Ups, and STOP Page Hijacking

You're not alone!Who hasn't surfed the web looking for information... Read More

Dont Look Spammy!

We all hate spam and get way too much of... Read More

Internet Tip of the Week: Cease and Desist

While we all admit that unsolicited commercial email is a... Read More

What Is Spam?

If you've been around the interenet any length of time... Read More

The Business Of Sending Spam

You all tear your hair out in frustration every time... Read More

Is Spam Affecting Your Business Email?

5 Ways Spam Is Affecting Your Business And what we... Read More

Spam - How to Report it

I'm sure you find spam just as frustrating and annoying... Read More

Internet Theft and Fraud

My friends in the web hosting business have recently informed... Read More

Kill The Messenger (Service)

You are familiar with the software applications that you run... Read More

I Love Spam!

What's the big deal? All you read on the internet... Read More

How to Fight Back BEFORE Youre Falsely Accused of Spam

A friend of mine received a chilling email message from... Read More

E-mail SPAM: Whats The Big Deal?

It absolutely amazes me how many people over-react to receiving... Read More

Beware of the Newest Activity Online: Phishing

No. I'm not talking here about the outdoor activity enjoyed... Read More

Protecting Your Business From Spam

Even being as careful as possible with my email address,... Read More

Learn Simple Strategies That Will Stop Spammers From Bombarding Your Inbox!

Spam filter is the solution that most people resort when... Read More

Email Spam and Phishing

It seems like the volume of email spam has doubled... Read More

Internet Tip of the Week: Information Overload

We receive so much information on the Internet, especially via... Read More