Email Privacy and Security

 

Spam

Spam is unsolicited, unwanted “junk” email sent to large numbers of people via mailing lists to promote products or services. If you receive a message from a sender you don’t recognize, with a subject line that reads like a product tagline (sometimes an offensive one), it’s probably spam. Spam, like “real-world” junk mail, only clutters your mailbox and wastes your time.

 

Ways to Avoid Spam

In order to send spam, online marketers first have to generate mailing lists. These lists are often compiled by spiders, computer programs that comb through billions of Web pages for email addresses that can be indexed in a database. (Search engines such as Google^® also use spiders to catalog data and Web pages.) If your email address is posted anywhere on the Web, it’s likely that you’ll receive spam. To avoid spam:

• Limit the number of mailing lists you subscribe to.

• When placing an order through an online vendor, uncheck boxes that give the vendor permission to send you updates on sales, credit card offers, or electronic newsletters. The fine print usually admits that the vendor makes their email address lists available to other companies or marketers.

• Don’t post your email address on any public website.

• If you have to post your email address online for professional purposes, spell it out: for example, rather than post jane.doe@sparknotes.com, post “jane dot doe at sparknotes dot com” along with a note reminding people that the address needs to be retyped. If you do so, spiders will be unable to recognize your email address, but real people will still have access to your contact information.

 

Viruses and Worms

Viruses and worms are malicious programs written intentionally to enter a computer without the user’s permission or knowledge. The code attaches itself to other programs and damages or destroys programs, data, and/or hardware. Many viruses and worms are spread through email, shared documents and programs, and other forms of online contact. Viruses are the most common method of computer vandalism.

 

Ways to Avoid Viruses

• Anti-virus software, which screens your computer for viruses and alerts you to virus intrusions, is widely available. Anti-virus programs are constantly updated to protect against new and modified viruses. Anti-virus software can prevent damage and may also be able to repair your system after a virus or worm attack.

• Never open or forward suspicious or anonymous email messages. Viruses or worms are often embedded in emails or attachments and can infect your computer if you open them. In general, if you don’t recognize the name in your inbox, and there are no clues to who the sender is and why you are receiving the email, delete it.