by Todd Green

What is spam?
Spam is an unsolicited advertisement usually distributed electronically via computers on the Internet. Although most spam is sent through email (or bulk emailing), it may also be distributed through Internet newsgroups, instant messengers (SPIM), mailing lists, and blogs. Most often, a single spam is part of a larger collection of messages (or postings) all composed of identical content.

So, what’s in a name?
On the Internet, spam first meant unsolicited advertisements and messages from Internet newsgroup postings. Today, however, it most frequently refers to unsolicited email advertisements. A comedy sketch from Monty Python is thought to be the inspiration for the use of the word spam in the Internet context. The sketch featured characters at a diner continually repeating the word Spam, that canned meat-food product made by Hormell.

What’s so bad about spam?
Spam has grown into a problem because recipients of unsolicited advertisements usually bear the brunt of the receiving costs. Unsolicited advertising is not a new concept, and traditional “junk mail” and “telemarketing” do not cost the recipient money. Spammers, however, often send email (unknowingly or without permission) from servers that don’t belong to them. Traffic from this spam, both sent and received, cost companies billions of dollars each year in lost revenue, bandwidth expenses, and lost productivity.

What, me worry?
Some spam emails are very costly to the end user also. They may sometimes contain an email virus that will harvest incoming and outgoing email addresses as well as setup the user’s computer to send and spoof email on the spammer’s behalf. Other spammers’ subterfuges include phishing and scamming. Phishing usually involves spoofing an email sent from an Internet business to obtain personal information and credit card numbers. Scamming is sending an email advertising a fake Internet business or organization that accepts payments without delivering a product.

What’s to stop spam?
Spam is almost impossible to stop, but one of the best ways is through learning and taking steps to prevent it. Many websites are available to inform and to provide valuable tips.

External Links & Info
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spam_(electronic)
Spam/Abuse: http://spam.abuse.net/scams/
Legislation: http://www.spamlaws.com/
WebLog: http://spam.weblogsinc.com/
CAUSE: http://www.cauce.org/
FTC: http://www.ftc.gov/spam/
Monty Python: http://www.montypythonsspamalot.com/
ASRG: http://asrg.sp.am/

About the author: Todd Green is a partner of a Memphis-based IT consulting firm. He has over fourteen years’ experience in the field of Information Technology and has managed security on many corporate networks over the years. He is the owner of SPAM-X, a Postini reseller (http://www.spam-x.com) and a partner for Postini’s preemptive spam and virus filtering service.

This article: Copyright © 2006 Todd Green and free for republishing.