First of all, understand that spam is a part of our digital
life, and nobody can control all of it. You will need to filter spam
on two levels: at your local ISP mail server, and in your email software
such as Outlook Express. We also filter known spam addresses on our
servers - however they change aliases daily so it is an ongoing and ever
increasing problem. Here is what to do:
Sign up with an ISP that offers SpamAssassin filtering
and allows you to block all messages sent using BCC (blind carbon copy
emails). The most basic way people send junk mail is with BCC,
so this will eliminate much of the spam. You should also have
controls to allow specific emails into your inbox, and also to block
specific emails. We log on to ISP servers regularly to adjust
our spam filters. If your ISP does not offer this service, sign
up with one that does!
Be aggressive about filtering mail in your email software. Most
email programs such as Outlook Express allow you to set "rules" that
will automatically send certain emails into your Delete box. The
most robust software is the full version of Microsoft Outlook, which
allows you to set stern controls over words in the subject and body
of the emails, as well as filter out specific addresses. Every
morning, we spend 3 or 4 minutes adjusting and tuning our rules and
filters. It is well worth the time.
The cost of spam is high and it will continue until we have
to pay for email. Spammers will not stop sending millions of messages
a day until it hurts their pocketbook.
How
do I configure Outlook express to set up a POP account that allows me to
use a password to protect my email?
Open Outlook Express
Select Tools
Select Accounts
Select Add
Select Mail
You
will be taken to an internet connection wizard and asked to enter the name
you want to show on your email. Type in your name. (As you
want it to appear in your email).
The next screen asks for your email address. It will be . For
example, ,
or
The next screen asks for your incoming and outgoing mail servers. Use
your domain name with the .com or .net extension – do not
use www. For example: conceptdesigngroup.net.
The next screen asks for your internet user name and password. Use
the ones we provide at the time your site is published. If you
have lost the username and password, please contact our
office.
Make sure you check the box that asks you to save your password
(unless you prefer to enter it each time you open your mail) and
check the box that says “include this account when sending
and receiving mail or synchronizing”.
Click
on finish.
When you are done – you can always access this account
and change this information by following steps 1 through 3 above, highlight
your POP new account (it will be your domain name), then click on properties
and you can access the first 2 screens. Make sure you check the box
that asks you to include this account when receiving or sending mail.
In order to prevent our servers from generating spam, we require users
to receive mail before accepting outbound mail for delivery. This is
called "pop before smtp". Please verify that your email software is
configured to log in and download mail before attempting to send mail out.
If you're using a "free" email account (like Hotmail or Yahoo!® Mail)
it's time to reconsider.
Here are six important reasons why:
1. It's more and more likely that online merchants will refuse your
order. The reason? Too much fraud is associated with these free
accounts; the vast majority, in fact. So some merchants simply refuse to
accept orders that originate from them.
2. Your emails may never reach their recipients. Why? Because so much
spam originates from free account providers, some Internet Service
Providers (ISPs) simply "blacklist" whole blocks of their emails – along
with yours, potentially – and refuse to pass them along.
3. You'll lose your account if you don't use it within a certain time.
Sure, that's not a big deal if you use it only for casual, occasional
contacts. But it's crucial if you've used it to register at Web sites,
for example. If there are problems with your account and your address is
expired, you're out of luck.
4. It's next to impossible to get an email address that's easily
useable, let alone memorable. There are just too many variations in
circulation.
5. You could lose your address if you decide to access your email
differently. Want to use POP3 via Outlook, for example? You're out of
luck with free Yahoo Mail – you'll have to change providers and get a
new address.
6. The adage that "there's no such thing as a free lunch" is true of
these email accounts, too. Every free email you send could include
advertising insertions, for instance. Do you really want to be
advertising an email provider's promotions when you're applying for a
job, or registering a complaint, or communicating with friends?
Leave suspicious sites. If you suspect that a website is not what it
purports to be, leave the site immediately. Do not follow any of the
instructions it presents.
Be alert for scam e-mails. These may appear to come from a trusted
business or friend, but actually are designed to trick you into downloading
a virus or jumping to a fraudulent website and disclosing sensitive
information.
Don't reply to any e-mail that requests your personal
information. Be very suspicious of any e-mail from a business or person
that asks for your password, social security number, or other highly
sensitive information.
Do business only with companies you know and trust
Be aware!
Phony "look alike" websites are designed to trick consumers
and collect their personal information. Make sure that websites on which you
transact business post privacy and security statements, and review them carefully.
Open e-mails only when you know the sender. Be especially careful
about opening an e-mail with an attachment. Even a friend may accidentally
send an e-mail with a virus.
Be careful before clicking on a link contained in an e-mail or
other message. The link may not be trustworthy.
Do not send sensitive personal or financial information unless
it is encrypted on a secure website. Regular e-mails are not encrypted
and are more like sending a post card. Look for the padlock symbol
on the bottom bar of the browser to ensure that the site is running
in secure mode BEFORE you enter sensitive information.
Use strong passwords or personal identification numbers (PINS)
for your Internet accounts. Choose passwords that are difficult
for others to guess, and use a different password for each of your
accounts. Use both letters and numbers and a combination of lower
case and capital letters if the passwords or PINS are case sensitive.
Make sure your home computer has the most current anti-virus
software. Anti-virus software needs frequent updates to guard
against new viruses. Make sure you download the anti-virus updates
as soon as you are notified that a download is available.
Install a personal firewall to help prevent unauthorized access
to your home computer. This is especially important if you connect
to the internet via a cable modem or a digital subscriber line
(DSL) modem.
