How to beat junk mail for good | Edward “Ed” Gibson
Ed Gibson is Chief (cyber) Security Advisor for Microsoft UK. Ed is the chief spokesperson to Microsoft’s customers, partners, government elites, and general public on how to best respond to the current computing environment. Whether covering intellectual property issues or best practices for online cyber security, Ed is a recognised leader when it comes to helping educate customers on how they can improve their security through Microsoft's solutions and services. Ed joined Microsoft UK after completing a career with the FBI - the final 5 years saw him assigned to the American Embassy in charge of the FBI’s cyber, hi-tech, internet investigations in the UK. Ed welcomes your feedback, so send him an email EdGibson@microsoft.com.
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Question: How can I rid my inbox of spam? - Izzy, London
Answer: Hi Izzy, let’s begin by saying that spam (unrequested / mass mailed) e-mails burden millions of computer users. Antivirus specialists report that up to 85% of email traffic is spam. We find this to be true. For example, of the 4.4 billion emails sent thru MSN/Hotmail every day 3.8 billion are filtered out as spam before they ever reach our subscribers. Yet, many continue to evade our filters. Why? Because the very same Internet that affords us the ability to access and enjoy the wonders of the World Wide Web is being used by a growing number of unscrupulous people (“spammers”) to flood inboxes with emails deliberately intended to take advantage of you and me.
Stop the email harvesters
Interestingly, businesses are more prone to spam than personal email addresses. Here’s why. Businesses naturally want customers to get in touch, so they usually have a contact email address on their website. As spammers need valid e-mail addresses to send spam to, they have perfected the technique of email harvesting; i.e. they use legitimate software to search the Internet for email addresses. One way, therefore, to avoid this, is to make your email address less visible to email harvesting software by presenting it as an image instead of text (users would click the image to send you an email, instead of clicking the email address).
 Microsoft’s OneCare, for example, takes the standard antivirus and anti-spam option and adds a firewall, an intuitive backup system, and PC tune-up too. 
You can also get clever tools which will either require the user to fill in a form to get in touch, or which will require the user to enter a word printed on the screen before the email address is shown. All these tools are cheap to buy, so have a chat with your web designer or do a quick online search to find some options.
Desktop protection
The above techniques will slowly reduce the amount of spam you receive, but it won’t completely stop it. You may also simply feel that disguising your email address will put off potential customers. It’s time, then, for the next level of protection- getting rid of spam when it hits your Inbox.
If you are running a fairly small office network, look for spam protection software. There are broadly three types at your disposal:
| • | Spam protection in your email software: much email software now comes with built-in spam protection. Microsoft’s Outlook 2007 is receiving much acclaim for being very simple to use, and very accurate. Accuracy matters because the software has to “think” about which emails are genuine, and which are spam.
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| • | Spam protection in your antivirus software: many antivirus tools include spam protection as part of the service. Look for an antivirus system which doesn’t slow down your PC to a snail’s pace (the little-known Nod32 from Eset is particularly good).
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The bonus with both of the above solutions is that spam protection is bundled with the original software- so you’re effectively getting spam protection free of any additional cost.
| • | Stand-alone Anti-spam software: Whatever your email or antivirus software, there is plenty of stand-alone spam filtering software on the market. Read online reviews from existing users to make sure you buy a quality product, and ensure that it’s compatible with your email program of choice. Note that, like antivirus software, many anti-spam tools have regular updates which may require the payment of a modest annual license fee.
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The latest crop of computer protection tools which might well be of interest offer an all-embracing selection of services to cover as many business eventualities as possible. Microsoft’s OneCare, for example, takes the standard antivirus and anti-spam option and adds a firewall, an intuitive backup system, and PC tune-up too. Short of a power cut, there are few reasons why IT problems should ever stop you working.
With all of these options, part of the decision you need to make is whether you would like an all-in bundle (like OneCare) or services from a mix of providers. The latter will usually be more expensive in the long run.
A quick spam software primer
Whichever solution you choose, it’s worth spending a moment learning how anti-spam software works. In essence, your spam filter will examine every incoming email. If it’s legitimate, the email will be put into your Inbox. If it is spam, it will be put in a special “junk mail” folder. You should examine your junk mailbox every week or so to make sure any legitimate emails haven’t ended up there by mistake. Nothing gets deleted without your authority, for precisely this purpose.
The secret, therefore, to a good spam filter is its efficiency and accuracy in identifying good and bad emails. The better ones use highly advanced pattern-matching techniques (called “Bayesian logic”, for those of you with a maths degree) to “learn” who your legitimate correspondents are. Quite simply, within a month of installing the software, a good spam filter will correctly identify over 99% of emails. Less effective tools can only get it right 90% of the time- which means genuine business leads might get lost in your junk mailbox; and that’s not good for business! So, when it comes to spam tools, buying the best really does pay dividends.
Web mail
If you run your own business, you probably have your own email addresses; but it’s also worth mentioning that webmail services (like MSN/Hotmail) have built-in spam filters which are extremely accurate- so you can have the spam-free experience in your webmail, too.
Top Tips:
In summary, then:
| • | Minimise the risk of having your email address harvested | | • | See if your existing email software includes a spam filter, and if not, buy the best you can! | | • | Click here to learn more about identifying spam and phishing emails.
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--Ed
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