Preventing Email Spam

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Preventing Email Spam

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Email Spam is something we all have to deal with on a daily basis. It can be very frustrating and the one question that gets asked over and over again is how do go about preventing email spam?
 
To answer that – we need to find out what exactly SPAM is. According to Hertzner, this is the definition for spam:
Spam is a generic term that refers to the act of indiscriminately sending unsolicited, unwanted, irrelevant or inappropriate messages via email. These are usually promotions or advertisements sent in ‘bulk’ to the email addresses of people who have not requested this information.

How does SPAM work?

There are 3 very common ways hackers gain access to the passwords of mailboxes:
  • Malware infections on computers or devices.
  • Weak mailbox passwords.
  • Phishing, whereby a phishing email is received requesting the reset of personal details. A link is included on the mail, that redirects to a false login screen, which then records access details later used by hackers.

See some informative articles below about emails:

How to prevent SPAM:

  • Use strong passwords.
  • Use updated anti-virus software, including anti-spyware.
  • Be cautious of any email you may receive which requests/suggests/demands update of personal details unless you are completely sure of the origin of the email.
  • Never use mailbox passwords that you’ve used in the past. Spammers keep a list of email addresses and will try from time to time to re-use them.

Why is this important?

Spam sent from a mailbox is highly damaging to a server’s sending reputation and will likely result in listings with blacklisting authorities. This then may affect sending for all users on the server.
Information on Hetzner’s Abuse Policies are available at: https://hetzner.co.za/legal/acceptable-use-policy/#spam
 
There are numerous ways to help prevent email SPAM and we trust that this has been informative.
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