|
Tips from CharlesWorks:
- Never make a purchase from
an unsolicited email
If spamming weren't economically viable, it would be
obsolete. Not only can an email user fall prey to a potentially fraudulent sales
scheme, but his or her email address can also be added to the numerous email lists that are sold within the spamming community, further
compounding the number of junk emails received.
- If you do not know the
sender of an unsolicited email message, delete it
While most spam is usually just annoying text, a
spam email message could actually contain a virus and/or other exploit that
could damage the computers of all who open it.
- Never respond to any spam
messages or click on any links in the message
Replying to any spam message, even to
"unsubscribe" or be "removed" from the email list only
confirms to the spammer that you are a valid recipient and a perfect target for
future spamming.
- Avoid using the
"preview" functionality of your email client software
Many spammers use advertising techniques that can
track when a message is viewed, even if you don't click on the message or reply.
Using the preview functionality essentially opens an email and tells spammers you are a valid recipient, which can result in even more spam.
- When sending email messages
to a large number of recipients, use the blind copy (BCC) field to conceal their
email addresses
Sending email where all recipient addresses are
"exposed" in the "To" field makes it vulnerable to
harvesting by a spammer's traps.
- Never provide your email
address on websites, newsgroup lists or other online public forums
Many spammers utilize "web bots" that
automatically surf the internet to harvest email addresses from public
information and forums.
- Never give your primary
email address to anyone or any site you don't trust
Share it only with your close friends and business
colleagues.
- Have and use one or two
secondary email addresses
If you need to fill out web registration forms, or
surveys at sites from which you don't want to receive further information,
consider using secondary addresses to protect primary email accounts from spam abuse. Also, always look for a box that solicits future
information/offers, and be sure to select or deselect as appropriate (such
as a free one from Yahoo! that you wouldn't mind deleting if it got
"over-spammed").
Conscientious end users who follow these suggestions
will ultimately play a significant role in reducing the amount of spam that
enters their organization's communications system, especially when
automated spam-filtering supplements their efforts.
More info:
http://www.sophos.com/spaminfo
|
|