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Spam, or UCE (Unsolicited Commercial E-mail), is junk e-mail sent to you at random by people who wish to sell you something. Most spam is some form of commercial advertising usually for dubious products offering improved sexual prowess, cheap prescription drugs and low-interest loans, among other things. Often it can be pornographic and offensive. A spammer will typically send out millions of messages in a day. If only a few people respond, they are in profit.
New European laws banning spam e-mails came into force in December 2003.
It is now a criminal offence to send unsolicited commercial e-mails or text messages unless the recipient has agreed in advance to receive them. Unfortunately the new law applies only within the EU - and much of the spam clogging up our inboxes comes from outside the EU.
It can be very difficult to stop spam once it has started arriving in your inbox. But it is worth noting the following points, especially if you have recently set up a new e-mail account:
Think before you give out your e-mail address
Try to avoid giving your main e-mail address on web sites, chatrooms, newsgroups or to companies. There are many places online that provide free e-mail accounts. You could set up a separate account to use when signing up to an internet service, or for online shopping. This way your main e-mail address cannot be "harvested" by spammers. Avoid forwarding chain-letters or petitions. The lists of addresses can be used by spammers.
Never reply to spam
This includes the notorious "click here to unsubscribe" trick. While it looks as if you are being given a chance to opt out of receiving further unsolicited e-mail, in fact you will be letting the spammer know that your e-mail address is active, leading to yet more spam being sent. Don't click it, just delete the e-mail.
Blocks and Filters
Your webmail or e-mail program probably has simple spam blocking features already. Have a look for the pages on "spam" or "junk mail" in the Help section of your mail program or webmail service.
There are various software programs to help you block spam - see Anti-Spam Resources below.
Internet Service Provider
Several Internet Service Providers include spam blocking facilities, either as part of their basic package, or for a small additional cost. E-mail your ISP or search their website to find out about any spam blocking services they may offer.
Permission-Based Services
If you take out a subscription to a permission-based e-mail service, your e-mail will be intercepted before it reaches your inbox and the sender will be required to log in to a website and enter an attached code before the mail is sent on to you. Once logged as a valid address, the sender's future messages to you will go straight through. This method can be inconvenient for the sender, though you can add your existing contacts to a "whitelist" of acceptable addresses. Spam Arrest currently charges £18 per year for a subscription; CleanMyMailbox is more expensive at £63 per year.
How to Complain to the Spammers Provider.
It is possible to report persistent spammers in the hope of getting their account closed, but you will need to do some detective work. Alternatively, you could try Spamcop - a spam reporting service that will help you report spam quickly and accurately.
SpamPal is a free anti-spam resource.
See UKorbit Anti-Spam Sites for spam blocking and filtering programs and further useful resources.
Adware is "advertising supported software" and usually takes the form of software programs in which advertising banners are displayed while the program is running. This is often a means of using a "free" version of the program. Ads are viewed through pop-up windows or through a bar that appears on a computer screen when you are online. Sometimes Adware programs include code that tracks a user's personal information and passes it on to third parties without the user's knowledge or permission. It then becomes known as Spyware.
Adware can be annoying and may slow down your system by launching unwanted pop-up windows. In extreme cases your web browser can even be "hi-jacked" and re-directed to other websites.
There are also many PC surveillance tools for monitoring activity on a computer, ranging from keystroke capture, snapshots, e-mail logging and chat logging. These tools are often designed for parents or businesses but can be easily abused if they are installed on your computer without your knowledge.
It is important that you know what you are installing on your computer. Any Adware activity must be documented in the End User License Agreement (EULA), which is the agreement you accept when you click "OK" or "Continue" when you are installing software. Although tedious, it is important to read the EULA and understand what you are agreeing to before you install the software.
Adware and spyware can often be installed along with ActiveX components, which allow websites to launch interactive programs and games in your browser. Make sure that your browser security settings are set to "high" so that you will be alerted whenever an ActiveX component is about to be installed on your system. Only download ActiveX components from trusted sources, and only when they are absolutely necessary. Always look for the VeriSign security certificate.
Spyware and Adware can be notoriously difficult to remove once it is installed on your system. There are several detection programs to help you find and remove unwanted spyware (see Resources below) but these programs will not automatically remove it from your system because it has been downloaded and installed by choice. Note also that "free" adware programs will no longer function when the adware is removed.
Note for Win XP users: It is highly recommended that you install Windows Service Pack 2, as it includes important security updates.
Browser Hijacking is an extreme form of spyware and adware where a script surreptitiously downloaded and installed on your computer takes over your browser and modifies your default start and search pages. Additional shortcuts may also be added to your "Favorites" folder and in some cases a new search bar may be added to your usual toolbars. The purpose of browser hijacking is to force its victims to visit particular websites, thus boosting their visitor statistics and potentially increasing their advertising revenue. Users of Internet Explorer are most vulnerable to browser hijacking; it is vital to keep up-to-date with Microsoft security updates and to be very careful about what websites you visit and what software you install.
Visit the sites listed below for further details on prevention of browser hijacking and methods of recovery.
See Spywareinfo for spyware and hijackware removal solutions. Their forums are helpful for extreme cases of spyware infestation and browser hijacking.
AlsoSpychecker.com for anti-spy tools to protect your privacy.
Also http://www.download.com for Ad-Aware - adware removal solutions (free for non-commercial use only).
Also http://www.safer-networking.org for Spybot's Search & Destroy software (free - donations accepted).
Hijack This - essential free software for browser hijack recovery.
Visit UKOrbit's Consumer & Advice Centre for further help and information.
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