Reduce inbox spam

Spam: pesky junk emails that clog your inbox. We’ve all seem them, emails promoting prescription drugs, mortgage calculators, and stock tips – but how do we stop the onslaught of spam?

It’s almost impossible to prevent spam but there are ways to reduce it. According to Symantec, a global leader in information security, the following hints can help:

Don’t make your email address public – Spammers often use newsgroup postings, chat rooms, websites, and online membership directories to harvest email addresses.

Check the privacy policy – When submitting your address or personal information online make sure the privacy policy doesn’t allow the company to sell your address. Always opt out of receiving email from “partners” if you are given the choice.

Use two email addresses – Having one email address for personal messages and one for newsgroups and chat rooms will reduce the amount of spam you have to weed through.

Use a unique email address – Your choice of email addresses may affect the amount of spam you receive. Spammers use “dictionary attacks” to sort through possible namcombinations, hoping to find a valid address. A common name may get more spam than a more unique name.

Use an email filter – Check your email account to see if it provides a tool to filter out potential spam or purchase an anti-spam software solution, like Symantec’s Norton AntiSpam 2005, which helps reduce unwanted email by identifying it right in your inbox.

– News Canada