Spam, spam, spam, spam, spam

Another topical hot issue at the moment is Spam! Did you know that over 14 billion unsolicited mail messages clog up the global email system every day! This accounts for around 87 % of total mail received. The vast majority of spam is advertising but around 2.5% (9 billion) per day are fraudulent mail, i.e. identity theft, commonly known as phishing.

Spam is now regarded as a bigger problem than viruses. Spam blocking tools significantly reduce the amount of junk we receive every day, but spammers continue to find ways to circumvent filtering processes.

7Y tips to help you

• Never respond to spam, even to unsubscribe. This only confirms your email address is real
  
• Read agreements and accept forms carefully. There is usually a tick box you can check or uncheck to keep your email address private, so it is not passed on to other companies
  
• Don't give out your email address on public sites. These are likely to be harvested and sold to spammers
  
• Try to use more unusual mail addresses. Johnsmith@ is easy pickings. Add a character or substitute a number for a Letter e.g. j0hn_smith@
  
• Ask your ISP about what spam filtering tools they
  have available, and make sure they are active
  

Tue 15th Dec 2009