| In the world of email marketing it is important to | | | | the Trojan is sending back information to a hacker |
| understand that the nefarious spammer is also a | | | | after doing a port scan. This is quite a dangerous |
| distant relative of the bulk email marketer family. This is | | | | program that can send all your personal information to |
| important not only from the perspective of avoiding the | | | | a hacker. Worms are also in this category and are |
| same practices and getting blacklisted by ISPs and | | | | most used by spammers to retrieve user lists on a |
| getting mails blocked by spam filters but also from the | | | | single network and send the data back to the hacker |
| perspective of understanding how they operate to | | | | who created it. |
| disrupt regular networks or gather information. It is a | | | | Knowing these distinctions will help you as an email |
| known fact that most spammers, hackers, and | | | | marketing professional to protect your systems |
| malware authors are mostly bedfellows and help each | | | | accordingly. If regular users are prone to attacks for |
| other out. There is even an allegation that spammers | | | | individual mail addresses then one can image the |
| actually fund authors of malware. So what is malware | | | | effect of malware on bulk email marketers systems, |
| and what is the difference from this and a virus? | | | | you could expect your whole database to end up in |
| Viruses are self replicating programs that will jump | | | | the hands of a spammer. Though there is data theft |
| from one computer to the other through any kind of | | | | occurring here with the spammer eventually harassing |
| contact like a portable drive, a network connection, or | | | | your customers, the onus would have been on you to |
| an email. These operate much like biological viruses. | | | | have secured your systems appropriately. |
| The main aim of viruses is to try and destroy a | | | | For this reason, it is important for anyone in email |
| desktop system by deleting files or some other | | | | marketing to understand the need for data security in |
| mischief. Most virus authors are simply misguided, | | | | the form of antivirus software and encryption of |
| geniuses that do the trade so that big businesses can | | | | communications. Without these two aspects of web |
| hire them for their programming talent. Malware, on the | | | | and email security, it is absolutely senseless to get into |
| other hand, is more succinct. These consist of | | | | the business of bulk marketing through email. You |
| programs like Trojans and Worms. Trojans, like the | | | | especially have a lot to worry about from viruses |
| legendary Trojan horse, is a program that is disguised | | | | considering the fact that they are self-replicating and |
| as a useful package and the user is tricked into | | | | can end up in your clients' systems. Ensure that as far |
| installing the program. This program could be designed | | | | as antivirus software goes, you do not cut corners |
| to show that some kind of software activity to the | | | | and ensure that you buy a good and reputed brand of |
| benefit of the user is underway but, in the background, | | | | antivirus software. |