2008 Woodie Awards
Junk e-mails plague students
By: Jessica Pavlovich
Issue date: 11/26/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
No matter how technology keeps advancing, spam and junk e-mail continue to exist.
Ryan Laus, associate manger of network services for Information Technology, said a number of companies specialize in creating and sending spam.
"Junk e-mails and spam come from a variety of places across the world," Laus said.
According to spamlaws.com, 80 percent of all e-mails are reported as unsolicited.
Eric Lorenz, Infrastructure and Security director, said spamming can be inexpensive for the spammer.
"The cost of running a spam business is almost zero compared to physical direct mailings," Lorenz said.
Spamlaws.com reports that the most prevalent type of spam is advertising-related e-mails, second to adult-related spam.
There are ways to avoid spam, Laus said.
"To help students avoid junk e-mail, be selective as to which companies you give your primary e-mail address to," Laus said.
Most United States companies are required by law to give an opt-out option in marketing e-mails.
Other ways to avoid spam and junk e-mail are to download a spam blocker, which generally requires a monthly fee, or to utilize an e-mail service's spam filter, spamlaws.com stated.
Both Laus and Lorenz said they use CMU's e-mail account and receive only about half a dozen junk e-mails a week. Both also have their spam filters set to high.
"I personally have mine set to the most aggressive choice and have not had any issues with it stopping legitimate e-mail," Lorenz said.
Because spam blockers are concentrated on just blocking spam, spamlaws.com suggests looking for one that is compatible with your e-mail service and to consider the level of blockage provided, ease of installation and cost.
Laus said many anti-virus vendors offer anti-spam software as a part of their security. Some are Norton, McAfee and Kaspersky, he said.
Spamlaws.com states that a good way to avoid spam is to acquire an e-mail alias. The site said by creating an extra e-mail account, people can avoid unwanted marketing e-mails when signing up for services or buying something online.
news@cm-life.com
Ryan Laus, associate manger of network services for Information Technology, said a number of companies specialize in creating and sending spam.
"Junk e-mails and spam come from a variety of places across the world," Laus said.
According to spamlaws.com, 80 percent of all e-mails are reported as unsolicited.
Eric Lorenz, Infrastructure and Security director, said spamming can be inexpensive for the spammer.
"The cost of running a spam business is almost zero compared to physical direct mailings," Lorenz said.
Spamlaws.com reports that the most prevalent type of spam is advertising-related e-mails, second to adult-related spam.
There are ways to avoid spam, Laus said.
"To help students avoid junk e-mail, be selective as to which companies you give your primary e-mail address to," Laus said.
Most United States companies are required by law to give an opt-out option in marketing e-mails.
Other ways to avoid spam and junk e-mail are to download a spam blocker, which generally requires a monthly fee, or to utilize an e-mail service's spam filter, spamlaws.com stated.
Both Laus and Lorenz said they use CMU's e-mail account and receive only about half a dozen junk e-mails a week. Both also have their spam filters set to high.
"I personally have mine set to the most aggressive choice and have not had any issues with it stopping legitimate e-mail," Lorenz said.
Because spam blockers are concentrated on just blocking spam, spamlaws.com suggests looking for one that is compatible with your e-mail service and to consider the level of blockage provided, ease of installation and cost.
Laus said many anti-virus vendors offer anti-spam software as a part of their security. Some are Norton, McAfee and Kaspersky, he said.
Spamlaws.com states that a good way to avoid spam is to acquire an e-mail alias. The site said by creating an extra e-mail account, people can avoid unwanted marketing e-mails when signing up for services or buying something online.
news@cm-life.com
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