SPAM. The Cold Hard Truth

Wes Henry

A rundown on the how and why Spam overflows our inboxes

Four commonly asked Spam questions (and answers) plus a handful of resources.

What is spam?

Spam, sometimes called unsolicited commercial email (UCE) or junk email, is the name given to email messages sent out in mass quantities usually with the intent to get recipients to buy something or click on a link within the email.

Spam messages may sometimes contain viruses, but spam and email viruses are not the same thing.

Where does spam come from?

Spam emails are sent by people known as spammers who are typically trying to make money off the spam. The spam emails themselves are often sent through large collections of virus-infected computers which are under the spammer's control. These remotely controlled computers are called zomies and the large collections of them are called botnets. These botnets are distributed all around the globe.

Why do I get so much of it?

Spammers only make money if they get their spam into our mailboxes, so they're always working to get around every barrier put in their path. It's like an arms race. Spammers send out spam. Software companies and IT-people stop the spam. Spammers find ways around the spam blocks. Software companies and IT-people counter again. Then it's back to the spammers for another round in a seemingly never-ending tug of war for control over our inboxes.

What can I do to stop it?

There are four basic things that can be done to reduce the amount of spam you receive.

1. Protect your email address. Never give your email address to anyone or any website you don�t trust.
2. Update your software. The email-related programs you're using such as: Microsoft Outlook and Exchange, Symantec Mail Security, and many others are fighting spam for you and will continue to do a better and better job of it with each update and new release.
3. Businesses can add a dedicated spam-filtering device. There are devices available now that are even better at filtering spam. These machines actually filter the spam before it even gets to your email server.
4. Premium spam-filtering service. Businesses with less than about 100 users are typically better off subscribing to a spam-filtering service. Then your email is delivered to the spam-filtering service, spam is removed, and then the spam-free email is delivered to you through your company email server.

If spam is getting you down and you'd like help solving the problem, contact our spam-solutions experts at 701-280-9040 extension 4187.

Web Resources for Spam

• spam.abuse.net Includes information regarding laws, filtering, spam prevention, and information and advice about how to complain about spam abuse.
• www.ftc.gov/spam The Federal Trade Commission's website on spam email.
• www.spam.org Information about fighting and reducing spam. Links to major related sites and news.

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