| Before we learn about anti-spam software, we | | | | and the type of attachments accompanying the |
| need to first know what is spam. To put it | | | | mail. You could arrange to filter out even |
| succinctly, spam is unsolicited and unwanted | | | | the sender's email address. Certain Internet |
| email. Other names for spam are Unsolicited | | | | Service Providers (ISPs) maintain a blacklist |
| Bulk Mail, Excessive Multi-Posting, and | | | | of habitual spam senders - known as spammers. |
| Unsolicited Commercial email, in addition to | | | | Anti-spam software detects these blacklisted |
| the more common - spam mail, bulk email or | | | | senders and rejects them per se. |
| just junk mail. The advent of email brought | | | | |
| in an era of instant communication, where | | | | Over time, anti-Spam software has become |
| information reaches our desktops, at | | | | sophisticated to match with the wiles of the |
| negligible cost, and in no time at all, from | | | | spammers. They use techniques that do not |
| across the globe. | | | | trash genuine emails by effectively analyzing |
| | | | the content of the email. Such software looks |
| Along with the benefits, came the negative | | | | for keywords and tries to interpret their |
| aspects of email. For the multitudes of | | | | meanings in the sentences. Certain spam |
| marketing hawks out there, this was an | | | | filters do not accept emails that come to you |
| opportunity to send unsolicited promotions of | | | | in the form of "Undisclosed Recipients." They |
| their products, instantly, and at a very low | | | | accept emails where your email address is in |
| cost. Today, spam has reached such monumental | | | | the "to" or "cc" fields. |
| proportions that 10 out of every 13 emails | | | | |
| (76.9%) we receive are spam, one way or the | | | | Anti-spam software has become an essential |
| other. This is why anti-Spam filter has | | | | part of your computer's security, to ensure |
| become a must have software for almost all PC | | | | that you only receive the emails you want, |
| users. | | | | and not others. To help eliminate spam, look |
| | | | for anti-spam software that has the following |
| Stopping Spam | | | | features, among many others: |
| | | | |
| Simply put, anti-spam software helps detect | | | | • Blocking emails using both lists and |
| spam. It is a software program that detects | | | | preset filters - blocks specific addresses, |
| unsolicited and unwanted e-mail, and prevents | | | | watches subject lines, and messages within |
| them from reaching your inbox. | | | | |
| | | | • Updating filters automatically |
| Anti-Spam software is also known by many | | | | |
| different names, such as: Spam Filters, Email | | | | • Isolates spam outside of your inbox |
| Spam Filtering, Spam Blocking Software, | | | | |
| Anti-Spam Filter, Spam Filtering Software, | | | | • Puts acceptable emails automatically |
| Spam Blockers, Bayesian Filters, and | | | | into your safe list |
| Anti-Spam, among many others. | | | | |
| | | | • Monitors and filters multiple email |
| Anti-spam software is installed in your | | | | accounts |
| machine to divert the spam coming in. If | | | | |
| installed in the mail server, you will never | | | | Now that you know the basics about the need |
| receive the spam, to begin with. The | | | | and importance of anti-Spam filter, select |
| filtering is configured based on a number of | | | | the right one for your computer and get rid |
| criteria. These could be specific words in | | | | of the menace of Spam. |
| the subject line, in the body of the message, | | | | |