SPAM
SPAM is difficult to track and find who is actually doing
the activity. It is for your best interest to be informed on how to prevent
SPAM from reaching a place where it can be opened and cause damage to the
computer/software and network.
Spam- What is it:
1. Unwanted
Mail in your inbox
2. Internet
junk mail
Characteristics of SPAM
1. These
messages can be advertisements for anything, such as pornography, virus
warnings, contests, etc.
2. The SPAM messages are sent a lot as actual e-mail messages and they often seem familiar to the user.
3. SPAM
has the home address different from the one they really sent it from (Go
figure).
Why SPAM is Bad:
1. SPAM
clutters the internet service provider’s bandwidth. This leads to significantly slower internet
access for the user.
2. SPAM
invades the privacy of the internet user.
An email address should be a private account to an individual.
3. Sending
mass email is cheaper than sending one message and this saves the spammers
money.
4. SPAM
costs the users and the ISP’s money with each message sent.
5. How
so?
6. The
internet users end up paying in the long run from spammers. The ISP’s may have to raise their rates in
order to compensate for the cost of more bandwidth that is taken up by junk
mail messages.
How to Prevent SPAM
1. Use
resources available such as websites that inform you about SPAM
2. Filtering
Occasional Problems
1. Spammers
will eventually find a way around filtering programs
2. Filtering
will slow down the connection and access time for the user.
3. There
is an unbelievable amount of SPAM out there to filter through
Is the Government Involved
1. In
2. Third
parties that have been mistakenly used for spamming can sue for $500 per message.
3. Internet
users can sue for $500 per message
4. Internet
service providers can sue for $1000 per message