What Is Spam and Spam Filters and Why Should I Care?

The best email service provider put measures in place to reduce spam. A server found that 52% of participants polled in a survey stated spam is a major problem. Spammers are constantly changing tactics to avoid detection from spam filters. Spam poses a major security risk due to the fact malware is often spread in emails. Reduce the risk of spam by selecting an email service provider that uses Spam Filters and Black lists.

What Is Spam?

Spam refers to the process of sending bulk messages via an email service using distribution lists. Spamming is a cost-effective promotional method due to the fact an email can be sent to over a million inboxes. Therefore many legitimate businesses choose spam in order to promote products or services.

Unfortunately, not all spam is created for a legitimate purpose. The majority of spam emails attempt to spread malware or trick users into a scam. It is vital to select an email hosting provider that has anti-spam filters in place to prevent the majority of spam emails appearing within the inbox.

What Are Spam Filters?

A spam filter is extremely useful when combating spam emails. Spam filters scan emails for words or phrases commonly associated with spam. As a result spam detected is redirect to a spam inbox. It is important to regularly check the spam inbox as non-spam emails can be flagged by mistake referred to as a false positive.

The majority of email service providers have spam filters in place however the best email service providers will use multiple spam filters.

What Is A Black List?

The best email service providers take advantage of black lists to prevent spam. Servers that send emails have unique IP addresses. IP Addresses flagged for sending out large amounts of spam are added to a black list. Good email service providers use multiple black lists from third party organisations to combat spam. Emails sent from servers with flagged IP addresses are highly likely to be spam.

Therefore, the server rejects incoming traffic as a result the spam is made undeliverable. Many servers are dedicated to sending spam, by blocking these servers you block spam.

Who Sends Spam?

Anyone can send bulk emails using distribution list however the majority of spam emails are sent with a specific purpose in mind. Legitimate businesses may choose to send bulk emails in an attempt to promote a product or service while cyber-criminals send bulk emails in an attempt to spread malware or phishing links.

1. Companies

A company may use an online email service provider to send bulk emails out to their clients or to random email address. Spamming is a cost-effective method of promotion due to the fact an email can be sent to thousands of inboxes at the same time with no increase in costs. Running an advert that reaches thousands of people will cost a lot of money. Receiving spam from legitimate companies is annoying however poses little risk to security.

2. Cyber-Criminals

Bulk emailing services can be abused by cyber-criminals given that the provider is unreliable. Spamming is the fastest way to spread malware, phishing links or scams increasing the chance a cyber-criminal will be successful. A reliable email service provider prevents cyber-criminals from abusing their service however unreliable email service providers do not.

What Spam Do Cyber-Criminals Send?

1. Phishing Emails

Phishing emails claim to be from legitimate businesses often requesting users to change their password or update banking information via a link provided in the email. Once the link is opened the victim will be asked to enter personal information unknown to the victim information is sent directly to the cyber-criminal. Phishing emails can be difficult to detect as many cyber-criminals spoof their email address.

2. Scam Emails

Scammers often use emails. A victim may receive an email claiming they are owed or have won a large sum of money. The catch is you must provide banking information in order to receive your prize. Those that fall victim often hand over banking information with the expectation or receiving money. Within seconds a cyber-criminal can empty your bank account. Anything that sounds to good to be true most likely is.

3. Malware

Malware poses a major security risk to the integrity of an email service. Spreading malware can present many challenges to cyber-criminals therefore many decide to send their malware within a bulk email. Bulk emailing makes spreading malware easier for cyber-criminals due to the fact that one email can be sent to over a thousand inboxes. Sending malware to a thousand inboxes increases the chance an infection will occur. Reduce the risk of malware by selecting an email service provider that has multiple malware detection procedures in place.

Why Should I Attempt To Reduce Spam?

Preventing spam entirely is almost impossible however there are multiple steps that can be taken to drastically reduce the chance of spam reaching your email inbox. Reliable email service providers use sophisticated spam detection filters that detect spam emails. There are multiple steps users can take as well. Reducing the amount of spam an inbox receives has multiple benefits.

1. Saves Inbox Space

Email hosting provides clients with limited inbox space. A reliable email service provider will provide clients with a large amount of storage that will be difficult to fill up. Therefore, storage should be used for important emails however spam emails can fill up an inbox in no time. Reducing spam saves inbox space.

2. Increases Security

Spam emails can pose a major security risk to an email service. Cyber-criminals attempt to spread malware via emails using bulk emailing lists. Malware has the potential to infect your Desktop, Mobile Phone or other devices if opened. Malware can read an entire inbox within seconds! It’s just enough time to steal personal or valuable data needed to commit fraud.

Conclusion

Remember, good email service providers have anti-malware systems in place to detect malicious code within applications or files. This attempts to reduce the amount of spam an inbox receives additionally increasing overall security.