Things look even worse for companies, because a lot of working time is spent just clearing the mailboxes of rubbish. The Internet as a whole doesn't exactly get any faster if the data paths are constantly clogged. And it’s all thanks to “spam”.
Spam – canned meat in an endless loop
“Spam” is actually canned meat - it was brought onto the market in 1937 by the American company Hormel Foods and was a real hit. But why did mass emails with unsolicited advertising get named after them? It is said that a sketch by the British comedy troupe "Monthy Python" (including "Life of Brian") is responsible for this, in which a waiter constantly reads out the menu with spam dishes, even though the guests want something without spam - unwanted content...
Spam has many faces: malware , false anti-war petitions, friendship chain letters , sensational inheritance offers from overseas, advertising of course or even virus warnings with references to a pest that is supposed to destroy not only your computer, but also your monitor, coffee machine and toaster (“ Hoax ”). In addition, such emails may contain links to fake websites (“ phishing ”) or attachments containing various types of viruses.
Where did they get my address?
On the one hand, through your own activities on the Internet - if you take part in any competitions or similar promotions, then it's possible that your email address will get around a lot in the world. In addition, the Internet is scanned for addresses using special programs - if you have your email address on a homepage, it can be recorded sooner or later.
But that's not all: In the so-called "dictionary attack", perfectly normal telephone books (e.g. on CD-ROM) are automatically searched and possible or particularly likely addresses are generated from the names - for example [email protected] , [email protected] , [email protected] , mustermann123 etc. After sending, the bad guys just have to look to see which ones didn't come back as undeliverable - bingo, these addresses exist! Now we can really get started...
It must be said that emails may only be sent with the prior consent of the recipient - so spamming is illegal, at least in Germany and the EU. But that's of very little use in practice if the emails come from any country in the world and you can't legally get to the culprits from here. So you have to help yourself first.
What can I do if my mailbox is already overflowing?
The currently common method is filters that are already built into email programs - although it is possible that even emails that you actually want get stuck in the filter. If you still can't cope with spam at all, there's ultimately only one more thorough solution: changing your email address.
What should I put attention on?
- Choose an original address: Simply first and last name are an invitation for the “dictionary attack”
- Give your address as rarely as possible when you are on the Internet.
- The trend is towards a second address: one for orders, networks, messengers or forums, the other for personal correspondence.
- Never respond to spam emails - this only confirms that you have received them and also draws attention to yourself.
- Never click on links in spam emails! If something is said about a service you actually use, open its page in your browser and log in. If something is really wrong, it will be displayed there too.
- Never open attachments in spam emails!
- Never resend chain letters!
- Always keep virus protection programs, anti-spam filters and operating systems up to date.
There is even more detailed information on the topic at www.verbraucherzentrale.nrw !
Source:
Checked4You
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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )