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> Spam Protection Guide - 04
Spam Protection Guide - 04
EMAIL - Keep It On The Server
You can use a text-only email program that reads the header
of each new email sent to you, while the email is still sitting on the server,
before you download it to your computer.
You can review the sender and subject of each email sitting
waiting for you to download from the server, just as you now do with email that
you've already downloaded into your computer. As you recognize obvious spam on
the server, you can delete this email while it is still on the server, and never
download it to your computer.
We often wonder how people can open an email that has a
subject line beginning with "re:" when the rest of the line doesn't
match any subject line they've ever sent out. When you send a message with the
subject line "how about lunch?", the reply mail will probably have a
subject line "re: how about lunch?"
But when did you last initiate an email conversation sending
a subject line that read "Your credit application", for the email to
arrive that read "Re: Your credit application"?
Most people - we would think - are aware of what email
subject lines they've sent out, to the extent that they can tell when email is
not a legitimate reply because they never sent out email with that subject line
in the first place.
Occasionally one gets through. Some spammers do create
believable headers, such as this one: It had a credible person's name for the
sender, and the recipient's real name in the TO: field, and a subject line all
in lower case saying "is it you?". You HAVE to open it because it's
so plausible.
Most spammers do not bother to create very plausible headers,
because spam makes a profit regardless. Some people click on spam, and read it,
and buy something. This is why spam keeps coming. As users and software filters
get better at detecting spam, sender and subject will become more plausible.
The Klez.E virus inspired an email that purported to be
an anti-virus cure for Klez - simply run the attachment, it said in the message,
and ignore any "complaints" from your anti-virus software when running
the tool, it only "thinks" you are actually running the real klez worm.
And such is the state of confusion surrounding email and viruses that there can
be no doubt that some people actually ran this virus.
But even the very plausible spoof email, when opened in
a text-only program, has failed in its purpose, you will be glad to know. Why?
There are multiple advantages to checking email on the server using a text-only
email program.
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