Going on Annual Leave? Brightmail Delivers Ways to Better Manage Your Messaging
Announcement posted by Brightmail 19 Dec 2003
With spam email now accounting for 56 per cent of the world's Internet email, protecting your inbox and your sanity from spam is more important than ever. As businesses close up for the holidays and workers spend more free time on the Internet, email users can follow these tips to prevent their inboxes from being overrun with spam.
Brightmail, the anti-spam market leader, shows how to minimise the number of junk emails and to recognise and deal with virus attacks with the following tips:
Spam: You can't run, but you can hide
1. Websites Registering your email address on a website can often be all a spammer needs, and this is often unavoidable. It might be wise to set up a second email account for signing up for information over the Web to protect your home or work account.
2. Be creative When setting up a second account for Internet use, think up a name that is not the standard JoeBloggs2000@domainname.com.au. Do you have a pet name or a pseudonym that would not be readily generated by spammer software? What about bigbadwolf@domainname.com.au or threelittlepigs@domainname.com.au (apologies if these addresses are already populated!)?
3. Don't unsubscribe If you receive spam, don't reply asking to have your name removed from their list, even if they have an unsubscribe section in the email that encourages you to do so. Any emails you get from unknown sources should just be deleted. Replying is an indication to the spammer that the email address is valid, resulting in an even greater amount of spam.
4. You and your ISP Make sure your ISP blocks unsecured servers that spammers use to direct mass emails, thereby hiding their own identity. More than 50 per cent of all junk email is sent via unsecured servers worldwide.
Virus : Trojan horse, worm or love bug - how to exterminate the pesky infiltrators
1. Always carry protection In the office, make sure that your IT manager regularly updates your virus protection software to keep the latest viruses out. If you receive an anti-virus update program from them to download to your desktop, do it immediately. If you use a PC at home, check that your ISP is filtering your email for viruses.
2. Never open the door to strangers If you receive an email from someone you don't know, don't open it. If you think it might be important, get your IT manager to check it before you open it. Remember to make it clear when you forward the email to your manager that you think it might be a virus - if he opens it, all your vigilance will have been for nothing.
3. And certainly never accept sweets from a stranger If you get an email with an attachment that you weren't expecting, even if it's from a friend, don't open it. The new type of 'worm' virus will mail itself out to your entire contacts folder, meaning that all your friends and work contacts will automatically get the virus from you. Typically these emails say they are sending you photos or a funny screen saver. If you do open it, send an email as soon as possible to all your contacts warning them that you inadvertently sent them the virus and they should not open the attachment or the email.
4. Are you the weakest link? Follow the simple rules for avoiding viruses and you won't be the weakest link, but if you fall foul of the latest virus - clicking onto a URL link supposedly to holiday or party photos on a website - you will be! Remember that anything that you are not expecting, is unknown, or even slightly suspicious should be sent to the IT manager for scanning.
5. Keep your doors locked Just to be on the safe side, always shut down your computer in the evening to allow the server to back up any data and to update your virus protection. If you don't have a firewall in place, always shut down your broadband connection if you're not using it. Spammers could use your unsecured connection to send out millions of spam messages - all at your cost.
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About Brightmail
Brightmail, the anti-spam market leader, delivers anti-spam technology that makes messaging environments secure and manageable. PC Magazine's EDITORS CHOICE for best enterprise anti-spam software, Brightmail Anti-Spam protects the email networks of businesses, government agencies, and service providers, blocking unsolicited bulk email, or "spam", while assuring that legitimate mail is reliably delivered. Brightmail protects over 1,500 of the world's leading enterprises, including Avaya, eBay, Bechtel, Booz Allen Hamilton, Cisco, Cypress Semiconductors, Deutsche Bank, Eastman, John Hancock, Lucent Technologies, Microsoft, Motorola, SAS and Terra Lycos. Brightmail also provides spam protection for the leading Internet service providers, including AT&T WorldNet, EarthLink, iPrimus, MSN, TelstraClear, Verizon Online and Xtra. Brightmail now protects more than 300 million service provider customers, and 5 million enterprise email users worldwide. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Brightmail is a private, profitable company backed by world-class investors and partners. For more information, visit www.brightmail.com <http://www.brightmail.com>.
Brightmail, the anti-spam market leader, shows how to minimise the number of junk emails and to recognise and deal with virus attacks with the following tips:
Spam: You can't run, but you can hide
1. Websites Registering your email address on a website can often be all a spammer needs, and this is often unavoidable. It might be wise to set up a second email account for signing up for information over the Web to protect your home or work account.
2. Be creative When setting up a second account for Internet use, think up a name that is not the standard JoeBloggs2000@domainname.com.au. Do you have a pet name or a pseudonym that would not be readily generated by spammer software? What about bigbadwolf@domainname.com.au or threelittlepigs@domainname.com.au (apologies if these addresses are already populated!)?
3. Don't unsubscribe If you receive spam, don't reply asking to have your name removed from their list, even if they have an unsubscribe section in the email that encourages you to do so. Any emails you get from unknown sources should just be deleted. Replying is an indication to the spammer that the email address is valid, resulting in an even greater amount of spam.
4. You and your ISP Make sure your ISP blocks unsecured servers that spammers use to direct mass emails, thereby hiding their own identity. More than 50 per cent of all junk email is sent via unsecured servers worldwide.
Virus : Trojan horse, worm or love bug - how to exterminate the pesky infiltrators
1. Always carry protection In the office, make sure that your IT manager regularly updates your virus protection software to keep the latest viruses out. If you receive an anti-virus update program from them to download to your desktop, do it immediately. If you use a PC at home, check that your ISP is filtering your email for viruses.
2. Never open the door to strangers If you receive an email from someone you don't know, don't open it. If you think it might be important, get your IT manager to check it before you open it. Remember to make it clear when you forward the email to your manager that you think it might be a virus - if he opens it, all your vigilance will have been for nothing.
3. And certainly never accept sweets from a stranger If you get an email with an attachment that you weren't expecting, even if it's from a friend, don't open it. The new type of 'worm' virus will mail itself out to your entire contacts folder, meaning that all your friends and work contacts will automatically get the virus from you. Typically these emails say they are sending you photos or a funny screen saver. If you do open it, send an email as soon as possible to all your contacts warning them that you inadvertently sent them the virus and they should not open the attachment or the email.
4. Are you the weakest link? Follow the simple rules for avoiding viruses and you won't be the weakest link, but if you fall foul of the latest virus - clicking onto a URL link supposedly to holiday or party photos on a website - you will be! Remember that anything that you are not expecting, is unknown, or even slightly suspicious should be sent to the IT manager for scanning.
5. Keep your doors locked Just to be on the safe side, always shut down your computer in the evening to allow the server to back up any data and to update your virus protection. If you don't have a firewall in place, always shut down your broadband connection if you're not using it. Spammers could use your unsecured connection to send out millions of spam messages - all at your cost.
###
About Brightmail
Brightmail, the anti-spam market leader, delivers anti-spam technology that makes messaging environments secure and manageable. PC Magazine's EDITORS CHOICE for best enterprise anti-spam software, Brightmail Anti-Spam protects the email networks of businesses, government agencies, and service providers, blocking unsolicited bulk email, or "spam", while assuring that legitimate mail is reliably delivered. Brightmail protects over 1,500 of the world's leading enterprises, including Avaya, eBay, Bechtel, Booz Allen Hamilton, Cisco, Cypress Semiconductors, Deutsche Bank, Eastman, John Hancock, Lucent Technologies, Microsoft, Motorola, SAS and Terra Lycos. Brightmail also provides spam protection for the leading Internet service providers, including AT&T WorldNet, EarthLink, iPrimus, MSN, TelstraClear, Verizon Online and Xtra. Brightmail now protects more than 300 million service provider customers, and 5 million enterprise email users worldwide. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Brightmail is a private, profitable company backed by world-class investors and partners. For more information, visit www.brightmail.com <http://www.brightmail.com>.