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Spam Protection Guide - 01

SOLUTION

1. Email Security
Reviewing email on the server. Recognizing spam and unwelcome email. Deleting email on the server before downloading. Being proof against scripts, attachments, viruses, and pure junk. Alternate email programs. Avoiding the Windows pathways that viruses always look for. Avoiding the Address Book. Becoming invisible to spammers, reducing your daily junk email to almost nothing.

All recommended solutions are free. Links to software and services are given.

PROBLEM

As we have earlier reported, from a study by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, 57 percent of U.S. Internet users incorrectly believe that when a Web site has a privacy policy, it will not share their personal information with other sites or companies.

Eighty-five percent, when presented with explanations of how web sites are gathering data about them, call the practice unacceptable from even a valued site. Yet 64 percent have never searched for information about how to protect their privacy on the web, and 40 percent admit they know "almost nothing" about stopping sites from collecting the data. One quarter of the respondents believe they know "a little" about the issue, but only 9 percent of American adults who use the Internet at home say they know a lot.

That's a lot of pilgrims. And at the mercy of some very sharp marketers. The Internet, being composed of computers, is remarkable in its ability to track everything that moves, to the delight of marketers, who can never get too much information about their customers. And there are also thieves, and law enforcement agencies believe that identity theft is about to become epidemic.

For what it's worth, 95 percent of respondents believe they should have the legal right to know everything that websites know about them. And 86 percent believe that the Government will make that happen with legislation.

Progress is slow, and until that day, we have a problem. [MORE...]

This article on Email Security is the first of four installments on Computer Security. Further installments will comprise:
2. Computer Security
Understanding the problem. Closing open ports, becoming invisible to Internet probes. Creating a firewall to monitor incoming and outgoing data streams. Detecting and removing viruses.
3. Spyware Security
What is spyware? What is interceptionware (also called scumware)?Detection and removal of spyware. Prevention of spyware.
4. Privacy Security
Standard practices of commercial data collection. Web bugs etc. Anonymous operation. User history cancellation.

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