SPAM is defined as unwanted emails sent in massive quantities. It is unwanted and unrequested emails which can be received in huge quantities.
This can create massive problems for a business and have extensive consequences if it is of a malicious nature.
SPAM emails often seem genuine and may appear to be from known contacts or companies with recognisable logos or brands.
They may refer to products or services which we all use (i.e. banks, HMRC, supermarkets etc.) encouraging us to open them, or click on a link and then inadvertently download something nasty to our systems.
While avoiding the hassle and potential dangers of SPAM you also need to ensure that you continue to receive genuine emails so any spam protection needs to be carefully managed.
SPAM emails can take many forms:
- Advertising emails – irritating but usually harmless.
- Scam emails – emails attempting to deceive people in to sending money
(typical examples are email professing to be from a friend or relative who has lost their money while abroad, and needs money to get home; or claiming that by paying a small fee, the recipient will receive a much larger sum as lottery winnings). - Phishing emails – emails pretending to come from a legitimate source in an attempt to get hold of sensitive information
(i.e. emails pretending to come from your bank or Amazon). - Malware emails – these usually contain an attachment disguised as a legitimate document or zip file, but actually contain malicious code such as ransomware. Ransomware does as the name suggests and holds you to ransom demanding money to regain access to your data.
Protecting against these threats improves security and productivity within a business as well as reducing potential downtime and personal stress. The exact form of protection you need depends on how your email is configured and whether or not you use your own server for email. It usually consists of a multi-layered approach, so it is best to talk through your needs.
If you would like to discuss the options for SPAM protection or you would like to benefit from our free IT audit which includes advice on how to reduce spam, just give us a call. We’ll be happy to help.