1. What is Spam?

2. Why is spam a problem?

3. How common is spam?

4. What can businesses do to help cut down on spam?

5. Help!  I've got spam.  What do I do?

6. There is a wide choice of anti-spam software.  Can I try before I buy?

1. What is Spam?

Spam is the common term for electronic 'junk mail' - unsolicited commercial e-mail and is a powerful advertising channel for many companies.

2. Why is spam a problem?

Spam now makes up more than 60 per cent of all email traffic, and is having a significantly negative effect on both businesses and individuals.

Once considered only a minor nuisance, spam has emerged as one of the greatest Information Technology issues for organisations today.  From the minute users log onto their e-mail system, they encounter a deluge of unwanted e-mail that flows into their mailboxes all hours of the day and night. 

The billions of unwanted email messages circulating across the Internet disrupt email delivery, clog up computer systems, reduce productivity, waste time, raise the cost of Internet access fees, irritate users and erode their confidence in using email. Many spam messages also contain material that is offensive or fraudulent, and spam is sometimes used to spread computer viruses.

3. How common is spam?

4. What can businesses do to help cut down on spam?

Implementing these basic policies and strategies can help cut down on spam:

• Get a spam-filter. Your ISP may offer a filter service. If not, you may wish to buy filtering software. Please contact Axiom Networking Solutions to discuss your requirements, as obviously the best product for a desktop user or small business would not be appropriate or adequate for meeting the needs of a large enterprise.

• establish written guidelines for how corporate e-mail addresses and Web browser are to be used by employees.

• Educate users to never respond to an e-mail when the sender is unknown, even to remove themselves from a mailing.

• Be careful about disclosing your e-mail address (Read the tips in the right-hand column of this page for tips.)

• Encode corporate e-mail addresses posted on company Web sites in Javascript or HTML to hinder a spider’s ability to recognize them.  (The e-mail address looks normal and acts normal [to Web site visitors], but from the back end you just see code.)

• Even if you’re using anti-spam software, urge users to report spam that sneaks through to a corporate e-mail address for further analysis.

• Decide how much control your company wants over e-mail that’s been deemed spam, and whether end users or the network administrator should manage it.

• Educate your end users to identify and report any spam that does get through, and alert them to e-mail fraud. One clue to detect spam is if the sender’s e-mail address differs from the company’s name in the message.

• Limit Web surfing on company PCs; an easy way for spammers to find live e-mail addresses is by lifting them from sites where visitors have input their address.

• Adjust your Internet Explorer 6 security settings to help prevent unwanted intrusions when you go on the Web.  See Working With Internet Explorer 6 Security Settings for detailed directions.

• Review the privacy policies of Web sites.  When you sign up for Web-based services such as online banking, shopping, or newsletters, review the privacy policy closely before you reveal your e-mail address.  If a Web site does not have a privacy statement posted, be cautious and consider contacting the site owners before sharing sensitive information.

• Don’t open emails that appear to be from a dubious source. It is not wise to open any email message that appears to be from a dubious source. However, if you have already opened the message, don’t click on any links, including the unsubscribe facility – often spammers just include fake unsubscribe facilities in order to confirm that your email address is a real address. If you click ‘unsubscribe’, you may open yourself to a deluge of spam, both from that spammer and from others to whom they sell your email address. Note that for legitimate commercial electronic messages (those that have been sent with your consent), the unsubscribe facility must work, and it should be safe to use the facility.

   

5. Help!  I've got spam.  What do I do?

Step 1: Ignore unwanted e-mail. 

• Don't reply to e-mail asking for personal information. Most legitimate companies will not ask for personal information via e-mail. If a company you trust (e.g., your credit card company) writes to ask for personal information, call—do not write—and report it. Be sure to use a number you found yourself, either through the yellow pages, a bank statement, a bill, or other source. (Don't use a phone number provided on the e-mail.) If it's a legitimate request, the phone operator should be able to help you.

• Watch out for spoofed mail. "Spoofing" refers to duplicating a legitimate e-mail, such as a company's newsletter. These spoofed mails may be used to trick you into downloading a virus or sending personal information, such as a credit card number. When in doubt, contact the company you think sent the e-mail.

• Don't buy anything from a spam mail. Some spammers make their living on people's purchases of their offerings. So resist the temptation to buy their products if you don't want to take the chance of getting on more junk e-mail address lists.

• Never, ever contribute to a charity from spam mail. Unfortunately, some spammers prey on your good will. If you receive an appeal from a charity, treat it as spam. If it is a charity you would like to support, call them and find out how you can make a contribution. Never send your information via e-mail, however.

• Think twice before opening attachments, even if you know the sender. If you cannot confirm with the sender that a message is valid and that an attachment is safe, delete the message immediately, and run up-to-date antivirus software to check your computer for viruses.

• Don't forward chain e-mail messages. Chain mails may be hoaxes, or even a virus delivery system. Plus you lose control over who sees your e-mail address. Additionally, there are reports that spammers use chain letters to gather e-mail addresses. To check on the legitimacy of a chain letter or potential hoax, go to Hoaxbusters.

Step 2: Report junk e-mail and its senders

Get active. Put junk e-mail senders on the defensive and report spam:

• If you're using MSN Hotmail, report junk e-mail before you even open it. To find out how, click the Help button on the far right of the screen, and click Filters and Junk E-Mail. Then click Report junk e-mail.

• Forward spam to the spammer's Internet Service Provider (ISP). If you get unwanted mail, the sender's address will show the ISP name after the "at" (@) sign. If it came from MSN.com, forward the entire e-mail with headers, to mailto:mailto:abuse@hotmail.com. If the spam originated from another ISP, forward the headers (following the directions above) to the abuse alias at that ISP—for example, try abuse@<ISPname>.com.

• If you have already opened the email and/or it seems to be from a legitimate Australian business, you can take the following action:

  • Contact that business directly: If you feel comfortable doing so.  You can simply 'unsubscribe', or make contact by telephone or letter and ask them not to send you any more messages.

  • Send a spam report/complaint to the ACA:  If contacting the business does not solve the problem - if their spam message lacks accurate sender identification, you can't unsubscribe or they send you more spam - you can use the ACA's online form to make a spam report/complaint.

    Please include the header information of email spam messages.  Header information (data hidden within every email) greatly assists the ACA to track where spam comes from.  Header information is quick and easy to extract, and the form has step-by-step instructions.

6. There is a wide choice of anti-spam software.  Can I try before I buy?

Yes, there is a wide choice of anti-spam programs that offer a free trial period. Remember that one size does not fit all and  obviously the best product for a desktop user or small business would not be appropriate or adequate for meeting the needs a large enterprise. Contact Axiom Networking Solutions for more information.