The Hindu Business Line : Spam busting during the festive season

IronPort Systems, an Internet gateway security provider, predicts that the number of spam messages a day will average 78 billion globally this year-end.

Worldwide, spam volumes increased from 31 billion messages a day in October 2005 to 61 billion in October 2006 — an increase of nearly 100 per cent.

The company attributes the increase during the holiday season to new techniques and growing online activities.

In India, the majority of spamming is health-related. Obscene emails are relatively less in number and any email fraud reported is usually taken care of easily, said Mr Sanjay Vir Singh, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Economic Offences, Corps of Detectives, Bangalore.

Internet users, however, are advised to take some precautions. Some dos and don'ts from IronPort:

Don't open spam messages.

Don't respond — delete the spam messages or allow your spam filter to quarantine them.

When you respond, even asking to be removed from their list, you will have confirmed to the sender that they have reached a valid email address and your inbox may become the target of more spam messages.

Don't click on any link, including an "unsubscribe" link. If you have questions about an e-mail from a familiar organisation, contact them by phone.

Don't buy. Spam exists because it's profitable. It costs almost nothing for a spammer to send a million messages.

If even one person buys the spammer makes money.

Don't use your primary e-mail address for online transactions.

Don't believe everything you read. Forwarded warning e-mails and chain letters are more prevalent during the holiday season.

Check security policies — apply caution when posting in newsgroups, filling out forms on the Web, or posting your email address on Web sites. Verify the security policy of the Web site to ensure that your email address will not be shared with other companies.

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