The right reflexes for dealing with spam

Spammers rival each other in their ingenuity to bypass the protection software put in place by Internet users. That’s why spam remains a scourge to this day. In addition to the anti-spam filters in place, users’ behavior and reflexes can influence the spam rate.

Understanding how spam works

It’s impossible for users to fight spam effectively if they don’t know how it works. In general, the message it contains extols the merits of a product or suggests a visit to a dummy website.

To populate their e-mail address databases, spammers use both autonomous and non-autonomous vacuum robots. Any unprotected contact details posted on the web are immediately snapped up and added to the pirate list. They can also create e-mail addresses using dictionaries. Using the most common names and well-known domains, they’re likely to come across an active account.

Discussion forums and social networks are also a veritable manna for spammers. After an aspiration, they’ll be able to fill their e-mail address book in no time. Hackers will use them to run a spam campaign or resell their list to interested spammers.

Protecting your e-mail address against spam

Here are some good habits to adopt to limit the invasion of spam despite the existence of a powerful filter. When making an online purchase, subscribing to a newsletter, participating in a forum, etc., it’s best to create a free e-mail account on the Internet. The objective is simple. If the account becomes too spammy, the user can easily change it.

When instant chatting or sending an e-mail to several people at the same time, preserve your recipients’ addresses by using the hidden copy or Bcc function. In this way, all contact details remain hidden from view. In the business world, some administrators don’t hesitate to replace the “@” or “arobase” with “at” so that the company’s e-mail address cannot be detected by vacuum cleaners.

How to avoid spam

Experts recommend that users never reply to spam. By responding to spam, users confirm their existence to spammers. The latter are then likely to redouble their efforts, since they can be sure that their e-mails will be consulted. A valid e-mail list will also cost more on the market.

When spam wants to direct Internet users to a website of some kind, supposedly to discover an exceptional product, it is formally advisable not to act on it. When users click on the link, spyware such as cookies will capture their e-mail address and personal data.

All files attached to a spam message usually contain malicious code: viruses, Trojans, worms, etc. that can jeopardize the security of users’ IT infrastructure. Instead of opening them, they should be deleted immediately. When selecting an anti-spam filter, opt for the solution offering several combined technologies and complementary anti-virus features.