Spam__Counteractive_Measures

Spam: Counteractive Measures Summary The following paper has been compiled in response to users’ reports of a recent increase in spam and phishing attacks when using their email. Users have described issues resulting in lost productivity due to the resulting levels of additional maintenance and digital housekeeping that is required to be carried out in order to eliminate the effects of these pernicious junk emails and in some cases, more malicious attacks. This report will outline what the user can do in order to effectively counter the consequent negative aspects of having experienced the various associated digital attacks and privacy violations. Precautionary measures will also be discussed along with other ways in which users can take preventative care in order to ensure that the maximum level of safety and security can be achieved for all users during their email interactions. Analysis The term ‘Spam’ can be used to describe a variety of digital security email attacks which may or may not make their way into the inbox of the intended recipient. Such attacks take the form of emails and whilst some are relatively harmless in their essence the vast majority of these emails carry with them the potential to infect the users’ system with a wide variety of malicious software. This resulting malware can include anything from spyware to viruses or Trojans and not only has the capability to collect a user’s personal or sensitive information without their knowledge or permission, they also have the potential to compromise the security of other users on the network or even around the world (e.g. DDOS attacks). Phishing emails are included under the term spam but these are characterized by their intention to aquire information of some kind. These emails can achieve this by providing links to malware infested websites or direct appeals to the user which eventually lead to the sender asking for personal information, usually in the form of bank details. Unfortunately, the reason spam and malware continue to exist with such ubiquity is because they remain effective methods for their creators and proliferators to achieve their desired aims. However, this continued success is only due to a lack of education throughout the general public regarding the threat at hand and how to deal with it effectively (O’Reilly, 2004). Identification of the Solution Whilst preventative measures are numerous and should be adhered to there are several things that the user should not do in order to minimize the threat posed by spam and malicious emails. Firstly and perhaps most importantly, in the event of a user coming into contact with a spam email it is essential that the user does not click any links on the email, including the ‘unsubscribe’ link at the bottom of the page. Clicking this link will only indicate that the user’s address is valid and in use, thus making that address worth more in terms of resale on contact lists, etc. The email should only be marked as junk and this will ensure that similar emails will be delivered to the junk mail box instead. Secondly do not use your primary email when signing up for free trials, new websites of unknown reputation or online forms. It is good practice to use a secondary email address for these entities where use of an email address is usually only used to associate a login account. Defense Whilst it is essential that the previously outlined security practices are carried out there are other precautionary measures which can be taken in terms of software defence which can assist greatly in combatting the persistent threat of spam. A robust system should always include a reputable firewall, anti-virus software and malware/spyware scanner. These should be maintained in terms of automatic updates and regular scans to ensure that the computer has not become infected. The use of filters can also facilitate against spam delivery by automatically sorting email that looks suspicious, or may contain the hallmarks of a spam email, into a junk email folder. It is also important to check this periodically as sometimes a genuine email can be marked as junk by mistake. Whilst most email clients automatically apply email filtering another way the user can ensure that specific addresses do not reach their inbox is by blocking the addresses themselves and this procedure can also be applied to domains. Image blocking should be applied to all email clients as this prevents any notification to the sender that the email has been opened. As mentioned previously allowing a spammer to know that an email address is active makes that address a much more attractive target for future spamming (Schryen (2007. Conclusion There are countless further precautionary measures that can be taken which are outside the scope of this document. The guidance which has been outlined here provides the information necessary for the user to carry out a few simples steps in order to develop a secure email practice. This can go a great way towards eliminating the majority of problems that spam can create, along with preventing many more potentially difficult issues. Whilst, by its very nature, spam can never be fully eradicated; with informed and effectively applied practice spam need not be a burden to users of email. Bibliography Schryen, G. (2007) Anti-spam Measures: Analysis and Design. Springer Printers. O’Reilly, T. (2004) Hackers and painters: Big Ideas from the computer age. Gary Robinson Articles . “A statistical Approach to the Spam Problem.