Safe Computing: Spam
What is SPAM (a.k.a. Junk E-mail)?
Your email address, just like any email address, is readily available to anyone on the Internet with enough time or interest in obtaining it. Specifically, the dubious marketing companies that employ “spamming” techniques use bulk email systems that target randomly generated email addresses, list email servers or large targets (such as a university) as a source of harvesting email addresses. In most cases, a user receives spam because they have used their email address to sign up for some type of service (e.g. you gave it to your bank when you wanted to access your account online, you filled out a survey in order to receive something or you are subscribed to an email list that a spammer is subscribed to and they can therefore find your email address) or posted a message in a newsgroup.
ITS has enacted solutions to reduce spam, and we will continue to offer suggestions for faculty, staff and student email systems to help combat the influx of spam. Please look for more information regarding our progress on combating spam and offering Outlook 2003 for students in the near future.
Additional Anti-Spam Links
UM-Ann Arbor anti-spam sites
Fraud, Hoaxes, and Urban Legend Emails
Some Frequently Asked Questions About Spam
What is Spam?
Learn what defines spam by reading the "What is Spam" Quicknote.
Why am I getting all this Spam?
Read this article on Spam published by Macworld to learn a little bit more. http://www.macworld.com/article/58997/2007/07/spammer.html.
Also, to learn more about what UM-Flint is doing about Spam you can visit this article written by ITS here at the University. http://www.umflint.edu/helpdesk/pages/UM%20Flint%20Spam%20Stats.html
Where can I find out more?
Please visit the ITS Security Services blog at http://blogs.umflint.edu/itssecurityservices for more information on Spam, Phishing, and Computer Viruses, including a listing of the most recently blocked phishing messages.