Internet Security

Protect yourself... from spam

What is spam?

Spam is unsolicited, intrusive or unauthorized email.

Spam is generally not very threatening to your computer's operation. It mainly causes concern and loss of time trying to get rid of it. However you still have to remain vigilant, because some messages may adversely affect your privacy.

It can be easy to mistake spam as normal email. Spam creators cleverly use subject headings and body text so that they can occasionally contain a message very similar to your regular activities, making you feel safe opening and even replying to it.

Spam can take several forms. It can be:

• a message simultaneously sent to an indiscriminate set of recipients to suggest that they visit a website or purchase a product; this type of e-mailing is called "spamming";
• a message posted on a forum or blog with provocative content unrelated to the topic;
• a message sent in bulk using a mailing list to which you are unable to unsubscribe from;
• a seemingly authentic message that masquerades as a well-known financial institution or commercial website to collect banking or personal information (password, credit card number, date of birth, social insurance number etc.) in order to misappropriate funds. This is called phishing.
• an incredibly high number of messages sent to a single e-mail address with the intention of causing the recipient's computer to freeze or crash. This is called "mail bombing";
• a message posted on a forum or blog with provocative content unrelated to the topic;
• a message circulating a rumour or false information in the form of a negative or positive emotion that incites web surfers to pass it on to other people. This is called a "hoax".

How to protect yourself

The managing of spam is greatly facilitated by installing antispam software on your computer, such as the software included with NorthernTel's Internet Security Services. It monitors incoming e-mail and removes from your inbox any unsolicited messages.

The antispam software included with NorthernTel's Internet Security Services:

• filters incoming e-mail and places unsolicited messages in a separate folder for spam;
• allows you to check the spam or junk mail folder for any valid messages that might have been mistakenly placed in this folder and change the filtering method as needed.

The antivirus software included with NorthernTel's Internet Security Services:

• detects whether your computer is already contaminated with viruses and disinfects it;
• protects your computer from new incoming viruses in e-mail attachments or file downloads;
• automatically downloads and updates new virus definitions;
• lets you manually activate a scan on your computer to disinfect it

Spam Security Tips

• Of course, the first tip is to never open a message when you don't know the sender.
• Get into the habit of deleting all unsolicited messages without opening them. Opening a message can tell the sender that this is an active e-mail address (messages sometimes contain identification return codes hidden in the message programming) causing you to receive even more spam.
• If you accidentally open an unsolicited message, don't click on any links and delete it immediately or mark it as "junk mail".
• Never act upon a message from an unknown source.
• If you receive many copies of the same message that fill up your inbox, delete all the messages but one copy that you can use to complain to the server owner (this information can be found using the message's "properties" or "page source" option).
• Only give your primary e-mail address, namely the one provided with your Internet subscription, to trustworthy businesses and persons. Use a free Hotmail type address for your subscriptions to forums, newsletters, online games and other things. Some spammers collect e-mail addresses by using software that scans websites to compile all available e-mail addresses.
• When you make up your free e-mail address, try to outsmart spammers by adding numbers to your user name and combining the parts of your name to make your identity difficult to recognize, but easy enough for your friends to remember it.
• Out of respect for the people with whom you exchange e-mail, when you forward a message to people, delete the e-mail addresses of the other people that appear in the heading of the original message so that they cannot be picked up by other parties or robots. Furthermore, you can put your recipients' e-mail addresses in the "Bcc" field (blind carbon copy) so that the recipients cannot see each other's e-mail addresses.
• If you receive a message and you aren't sure whether it is genuine (a hoax), do not hesitate to check the F-Secure site which contains a list of hoaxes (www.f-secure.com/hoaxes/hoax_index.shtml (Opens in New Window)) before forwarding it to your family, friends or co-workers.
• In spite of all the precautions you may have taken, if your inbox becomes infested with spam, you'll probably have to change your e-mail address, notify all of your contacts and change your profile at the trustworthy sites with which you do business.
• Get efficient antispam software, such as that included NorthernTel's Internet Security Services.

Stop Spam Here
www.stopspamhere.ca (Opens in New Window)

The Stop Spam Here web site was designed by a Government of Canada task force to help you protect yourself from internet threats. The site contains an array of statistics, tips and resources on spam, spyware, and phishing, which can lead to identity theft.