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Computer Help
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BOGUS E-CARDS
Spam they're the purveyors of pills, porn and online gambling sites whose offers
clog our e-mail inboxes, strain our computer networks and bilk the less cynical
among us out of hard-earned savings.
Even though some of the brightest minds in computer engineering have been
enlisted to help put an end to spammers' deceptive and intrusive ways, experts
warn that it's a battle that we don't stand a good chance of winning.
One recent example was this summer's flood of electronic greeting card spam that
saw inboxes overflowing with e-cards from vaguely identified individuals like
"your high school friend." Click on the link, and you'd get a standard online
greeting card -- standard, except for the dubious stock tip or porn site ad in
place of a happy birthday message.
"They try a new technique, it works, and suddenly your inbox is getting 30 or 40
of these a day," says Brian Bourne, president of Toronto-based,
Microsoft-endorsed computer security firm CMS Consulting.
Then, as quickly as it began, the bogus e-cards stopped, thanks to automatic
updates to anti-spam software on users' computers and Internet service
providers' mail servers. But it just means the spammers have moved on to some
new tactic to try to bypass the ever-more robust spam filters and shields. It's
an endless, exhausting cycle.
"There will always be some variation, it just gets more and more complicated,"
says Bourne.
A few so-called silver bullet solutions for the global spam problem have been
bandied about, ranging from charging a fraction of a cent for every e-mail sent
(costs that would be negligible for everyday users, but massive for spammers who
send millions of messages annually) to establishing a universal system in which
e-mails are securely "signed" in a manner similar to trusted websites.
Bourne says the idea that seems to have the best shot at succeeding is called
sender policy framework, or SPF. In essence it's a relatively simple form of
what could be described as caller ID for e-mail, and it would rob spammers of
what they desire almost as much as money: Anonymity.
"People doing the unsolicited e-mail and such, they want to be anonymous," says
Bourne. "Spammers don't want to say where they're from."
'GREAT IDEAS'
But SPF isn't yet widely enough used to be hugely effective, and Symantec's
Bowers says he's doubtful that any one solution will emerge that will put a
significant dent in spam, which his company estimates now accounts for 70% of
all global e-mail traffic.
"There's a lot of different great ideas that are out there," Bowers said. "But
to say that one of those is going to step up and solve this thing in the next
few years just doesn't look realistic."
Part of the Internet's strength is its freedom and lack of any one central point
of control, says Bowers. The downside is there's no single governing body that
can simply round up spammers and give them the boot.
Which means we may just be on our own in the wilderness of spam. But if we
stopped being suckered into offers of pills and stock tips, or learned not to
click on phishing scam links and undesirable e-mail attachments, the spammers
could ultimately be beaten at their own game.
"If everyone figured out hey, maybe this isn't the best way to buy a product or
to learn about a new stock or whatever it is, then there'd be no reason to send
(spam) out," says Bowers. "And the messages would just go away."
SPAM: WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT
While the tech-heads work on newer and better ways of stemming the flow of spam
on a global level, there are tactics you can adopt at home to protect your
computer, your time and your precious sanity. Here are three key nuggets of
wisdom:
PLAY SAFE -- In 2007 there's no excuse for not having frequently updated
anti-virus and spam-filtering software on your computer, whether it's built in
to your e-mail program or purchased as a separate package. Going without means a
best-case scenario of annoying amounts of junk e-mail, and a worst case of your
computer being crippled by malignant software or taken over as an automated
"zombie" that sends spam to others without your knowledge. Always use
protection.
DRESS IN LAYERS-- Spam-filtering software is a good start, but it's worth adding
even more defensive barriers against inbox-clogging crap. Consider using an
e-mail service that offers front-line spam shields which inspect e-mail before
it even reaches your computer. It's also a good idea to have an alternate e-mail
account that you can use when signing up for online offers and such, keeping
your primary account as far away from spammers' roving eyes as possible.
SMARTEN UP -- No, this is not the one time when the Nigerian prince/Swiss
diplomat/British lawyer is legit and really does want you to have 35% of his $28
million fortune. This is not the one time when eBay, PayPal or your bank really
is asking for your sensitive account information via e-mail. This is not the one
time when that file attached to a stranger's note really does contain an offer
you need to see. It will never, ever be that one time.
One of the best defenses against spam is simple, old-fashioned common sense.
Educate yourself on the tactics used by junk e-mailers and learn how to avoid
them. Ignorance and gullibility are the spammer's best friends.
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Computer Help
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