When you start using the Internet, you will start to notice that you could receive a lot of messages from people and companies that you do not know. If you are wondering what is the spam in an online context, which is a start.
spam can take many forms and be online ,, for a number of malicious things. This article will address the most common forms of spam, where it comes from, and offer ways to avoid if you do not get yourself spammed!
What is spam? Anything you want!
First, spam is very common online. Indeed, spam works best when many messages can be sent very cheaply and quickly. If you receive spam, it is likely because of a small mistake on your part to give your contact information. This generally does not mean that you are the victim of a malicious and sophisticated hack
To put it basically :.
Spam is junk mail coming into your computer via a messaging system that you do not want
and has not authorized, d have sent to you.
This, of course, is a very broad definition. Spam can take many forms on many platforms. You can get spam on Facebook, Twitter, and other social platforms, similar to how you get in the mail.
What are the common types of spam?
The most common types of spam are for the sale of a product. The types of popular products are strongly influenced by the online world as they aim:
- porn content / adult online: websites Messages for you visit their site, signup, and watch cams. This can also include advertisements for penis growth, viagra and sexual aids
- online and computer tools :. programs, software, hardware, and everything related to low prices offered computer. So low that they can not be real. So low, they are not real: This is spam
- Education: The online course offering "free" seminars, webinars, and any kind of online or distance education. You just might learn something important from these types of emails: To never trust spam
- Finance offers for loans, credit cards, Bank accounts. Even the famous scam Nigerian Prince 'falls into this category. If it is to do with the money that you should not trust. Not even if your own bank! Physically go to the bank or their website (without using the ink in al spam!) You for more information. Accounts being forged is a common method of spamming
- Health and weight loss :. '! Lose 15 pounds in a week, "said the headline that actually should read" We'll take your money and details if you think you could lose 15 pounds in a week, and then just blame you for not being good enough and poor metabolism while you eat ice cream every day. There will be diet pills, miracle weight loss plans, and 10 minutes workout plans. Who all have one thing in common: they do not work
- Political campaigns :. Some of that may fall under the category of "not spam" according to your political allegiances. But just at election time waiting to see a lot more spam in your way as politicians desperately trying to get your attention.
The worst kind of spam is not one of those things. It may come wrapped in one of these types of messages but it will in fact be a delivery tool for a virus. This is when it's really important to know what spam is also your online security is at stake. Never, never, nothing fro download my messages unless your SURE that it is 100% correct.
How can I protect myself against spam online?
How spam will find you if you do not say where you are? Your first step is always to protect your email address. Do not give it to every website that requests it. Create email aliases that you do not care, or to verify the use to lay the email addresses you can create with Guerilla mail
Here are other things to keep in mind:.
- Using a VPN when the public WiFi: also use a trusted VPN provider when signature in your accounts on WiFi networks that you do not control personally. Email addresses can be stolen by hackers sniffing your traffic between your computer and the wireless network. Your VPN encrypt your data from your computer so it can not be stolen and used for spamming
- completely ignore spam messages :. This means not answer it, do not buy products advertised in it, do not click any link, are not even open unless you are sure it is not spam. . If you are one of those things, you confirm to the spammer that your email is valid and used, increasing the frequency they spam you with
- Disable Media: Hiding malicious code in images, GIFs, and video is an old pirate gimmick. Numerous platforms and messaging turn these off automatically if they think it is a spam message. Gmail does that, and I am risky to me (not really, I knew what I was doing) to make capture screen below detailing they put out the pictures. Outlook lets you preview messages before opening them, this will protect you against spam as well.
- Check the section 'From' If you do not know who the email is from you probably do not need to know what is in the mail. If the 'From' and 'Reply to' sections are different, you can be sure that it is a spam at this stage
- Beware of spoofing :. As I was said above, identity theft is when a hacker makes it look like an email comes from someone he is not. Sometimes that spam can even look like it comes from one of your friends! How will you protect yourself against this type of spam? If it is a friend, and it does not seem like something they would send in the subject line, contact them and ask. I did it a few times and got a return message from my friend saying "No! I have been hacked"
- Disguise your email: when you need your email on a website, to hide the hacker software can not find and add. An example of this would hide the write myEmail {AT} gmail {DOT} com. A human being can understand this, but software has a much harder time. Better yet, share it as a picture and not as text
- Make your complicated email :. It may help to have an email address that is a bit more complicated than just your name and surname. Spammers use tools to build email addresses from scratch, and then email the chance to see what works. If your email is easy to guess, it is easy for a tool to guess too. Try to include your first name, times and numbers.
As you can see now, protect yourself against spam comes to you and the actions you take. What spam trying to do? He tries to catch you when you're not careful, then sell you something you do not need, direct you to a malicious website, and maybe steal your computer data for spamming.
If you think spam is not worth taking seriously, you not only put yourself at risk, but you put everyone you've ever emailed at risk. If a spammer grabbed your email contacts, or usurp your account, you may be to blame for hacking and spamming. Take spam seriously, know what it is, and protect yourself.
the entity image via alphaspirit / Shutterstock
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