Spam: what is it? Basic anti-spam measures

Perhaps, one of the most pressing problems on the Internet is spam. What it is? Summarizing, we can say that spam is unsolicited advertising. That is, the electronic distribution of ads that are sent to users without their consent.

What are the different types of spam?

To learn how to recognize spam almost immediately, you first need to understand how it might look. Here are the main examples of ads that can be sent to your inbox:

1. Paid calls. In a letter, as a rule, a certain product or service is eloquently advertised. At the end, the phone number is indicated, calling on which you, allegedly, will be able to order it. It would seem, what is the catch? But not everything is so simple. By dialing the specified number, you will hear only a faceless answering machine, and then you will get an impressive account for the call.
2. Offers to enter the financial pyramid. Such mailings take the lion's share from everything that we include in the concept of "spam". What is it, of course, does not say directly in the letter itself. In the beginning, you will be described brilliant prospects (for example, "Earn $ 100,000 in just a month!") Or something like that. And under the plausible pretext (pledge, first installment, etc.) you are urged to send a certain amount of money to the specified address. Of course, you will not get any fabulous money, not even a return of your funds.
3. Suggestions to visit a certain site. Of course, this too is very veiled. As a rule, spammers create letters very similar to personal correspondence. For example, it could be something like: "Hello, friend, remember me?" We studied with you in school from the seventh grade together, barely found you :) How's life? Look, I've been working on my site with pictures here. .. ". Here is the link. Its presence is a prerequisite, because for a spammer it is important that you cross over it. Note that in these letters you will be called not by your name, but by changing it to "friend", "cat", "cute", etc. In addition, instead of the name, you may have the first part of your e-mail (that, That is before @). For example, if your e-mail is called "krasnoe_yabloko@****.***", then you may receive a letter beginning with "Hello, krasnoe_yabloko! ...".
4. Data collection. Under the pretext of a survey or questionnaire, you are asked to enter your data and send it to a specific address.
5. Sending Trojans. This is the most dangerous spam. What it is? By opening such a message, you let the computer virus-trojan into your system, which collects information (passwords, phone numbers, data from personal correspondence, information about the provider), and then sends it to spammers who can use what they have received for their own purposes.

Why should I fight spam?

Now that you have a general idea of what spam messages are, you probably do not doubt that you need to fight them. In addition, it should be noted that users, whose computers were included in the spammer network, face the strongest inhibition of the Internet. This is due, as a rule, to the fact that mass mailings take care of all traffic.

How to protect yourself from spam?

Protection from spam is a matter that must be approached with all responsibility from the very beginning.

Firstly, if you often have to register on different resources, get activation codes, etc., it is better for this purpose to have a separate mailbox. And the main thing is that it fulfills its original purpose and serves for correspondence with colleagues, clients and friends, as well as for news and advertising, but only that which is interesting and necessary for you personally.

Do not leave your email address in various forums and other popular resources. If there is a need, separate the characters with spaces, replace the "@" icon with the inscription "gav", "dog" or something like that. So there will be a possibility that the bot will not bring you to the spammer database. However, modern bots are becoming more and more perfect in this regard. Therefore, a more logical way out is to insert a picture with an e-mail written instead of the text. Users, of course, manually enter your address will be a little uncomfortable, but you are 100% protected from spam.

In no case do not respond to spam. What is it that it can bring you, you already know. And now imagine that after you answer (even if you say that their offer does not interest you), the number of spam attacks on your mailbox will increase several times!

Spam filters - a modern and practical solution to the problem

Spam filters are specialized programs that automatically filter out and delete all messages of suspicious content. The function "anti-spam" is present in most modern anti-virus programs (Dr.Web, Kaspersky Lab, Avast, Avira, AVG, etc.). However, periodically in the folder "Spam" will have to look - sometimes there get the necessary and important letters.