How to Fight Spam Guide - Learn the Right Way to Handle Your E-mail and Cut Down on Junk Mail

Spam is on the rise again. After a leveling off period in 2005, junk mail is on the rise once again. Junk mail has doubled in late 2006 from the same period in 2005. The upswing in spam can be attributed to new technology being used by the spammers these days. For a while the anti-spam software was doing a good job at rejecting mail being sent from servers that were known to distribute spam. But like most things in life (good and bad), the spammers have figured out a way to get around the anti-spam software. They have learned how to set up botnets. This article will show you how to protect yourself from having your computer becoming part of a botnet.

A botnet is a network of computers that are connected to the internet via broadband, like DSL, or a cable modem. Without the owners knowing it, their computer is being used to send out spam. Any PC that is always connected to the internet via broadband is at risk of becoming part of a botnet. Since the junk mail is sent from a group of personal computers, the anti-spam filters allow a bunch of it to get through. A botnet isn't exactly something new, but the way the spammers have learned to conceal them is. The latest botnet software allows them to get control of your PC by simply visiting a rigged website, or by clicking on a spam message itself. Once this happens, the volume of junkmail being sent by your computer is small enough that you are unaware of what's going on. The spam filters then have a hard time figuring out the difference between legitimate and bot generated mail sent by the same computer. Pretty Slick, HUH!

So how can you stop these spammers from hijacking your PC?

Start with a good firewall and a secure browser.... If you are currently using Internet Explorer for your browser, upgrade to IE version 7 right away! Prior versions of IE were anything but secure. The newer version 7 has much better defenses built in. Another great alternative (a better one in my humble opinion) is to use Mozilla Firefox for your web surfing. Firefox from day one was a much better browser than IE. Although IE 7 has corrected much of the problem.