Internet Attacks, Part 3
Email Spam
by Dave Clingman

(Published Sierra Star, April 7, 2004, page A11)

Many problems associated with the Internet are propagated through email.  Email is the number one use of the internet, and as such will likely increase in risk.  Spam (junk email) is probably the number one annoyance sent by email.

Many spammers use various means to verify email addresses.  Some are methods over which email recipients have no control.  There are other things, however, that you can do to avoid confirming your email address.  If spammers can be sure an email address is legitimate, they will increase the amount of junk mail that they send to that address.

Many junk emails have a link that allows you to unsubscribe from future emails.  This link, though, only confirms that the address to which the spam was sent is valid,  resulting in even more spam.  Another method that the authors of junk email use to get you to click on a link (which then confirms your email address) is a method that some virus authors also use.  The email will say that something is wrong with your email program or your server, or perhaps offer you money.  Avoid clicking on any link in any junk email.

Another method used by junk mail authors to confirm email addresses is automatically linking to a website.  When an email loads an image or other information from a website, it can also be sending information about who is opening the email.  There are a few methods you can employ to avoid this.  Any one of these will be sufficient.

One option is to turn off the automatic loading of images.  In Outlook Express this is done by clicking on Tools, then Options, and finally on the "Read" tab.  Then put a check mark on the option "Read all messages in plain text."  A second means to avoid sending data to the spammer is to read your email offline (not connected to the internet).  In Outlook Express, click on File and then on Work Offline.

A final option to avoid loading images from the internet and thus sending data to the spammer is to delete the email without viewing it.  However, most email programs will automatically show you the content of the email as soon as you click on it.  You can turn off this Preview Pane, so that you have to double click on an email in order to view it.  To do this in Outlook Express, click on View, then on Layout, and finally uncheck the "Show preview pane" option.

Many hoax websites exist to inform you of lies, myths, and urban legends that are propagated through email.  You can confirm the authenticity of information in an email you receive by searching one of these websites.  It can also be enjoyable and informative to simply go there and read some of the stories.  One such website run by the U. S. Government is hoaxbusters.ciac.org.

Many people are already receiving too much junk email.  There is a simple solution to this problem:  Change your email address.  Call your internet service provider, and request a new email address.  Then contact all your friends and family to let them know of the change.

Spam is a huge annoyance that is bound to increase over time.  There are things that you can do to reduce the problem, but sometimes it is simply better and easier to start fresh.  You need not fear the internet or email, but you do need to be safe.


For more information, please visit www.clingman.net, and click on Attacks.


Dave Clingman has been configuring, building and repairing computers for foothill residents for twelve years.  He also sets up and trouble shoots networks, as well as designs websites.  His own website can be viewed at www.clingman.com

© 2004