Enhancing email Productivity: Surviving Spam
Fri, Aug 31, 2007 2:00 PM EST

For businesses of all sizes, email has become a vital tool. Unfortunately, what was once seen as a tremendous time saver and convenience has become a double-edged sword, thanks not only to overuse, but also to the proliferation of spam throughout the wired world.

Reliable, efficient email is coveted by all, yet industry analysts acknowledge that as much as 85% of today's electronic transmissions are a waste of time, either because they are irrelevant, offensive, or malicious. Companies are at the mercy of global spammers, not to mention increasingly stealthy hackers and phishers.

Spam is generally considered to be any bulk commercial email sent without the express consent of recipients, and it affects virtually everyone who uses email. Spam is often a source of viruses and scams and the problem has become so great that Industry Canada struck a task force to study the situation and make recommendations on combating spam.

At Workshift Systems Corporation, in our capacity as the virtual CIO for numerous companies, we meet quarterly with our Elite Platform clients to discuss their specific IT needs and issues. In these meetings, we frequently hear how spam is now a major issue, causing lost productivity, security breaches and degraded system efficiency. The costs of spam, both tangible and intangible, are significant.

The ideal solution is not just as simple as setting maximum online security and filters, however. Expert advice, such as what we provide, can help you weigh the pros and cons of various anti-spam techniques to be sure you continue to receive the legitimate e-mail you want, while minimizing the spam you get.

So how can you protect yourself and your company from spam? Start with your computers, ensuring that you have reliable anti-spam and anti-virus programs, along with other appropriate security software, including a firewall in place. Your anti-virus software should recognize current viruses as well as older ones, should offer quarantine and/or repair services, and should come with automatic updates to respond to new viruses as they come along.

Anti-virus tools will block some spam from entering your system, as well as scanning your incoming email for spam before it ever gets to the targeted inboxes, sequestering it safely in a junk email box instead. Not only does this prevent users from inadvertently opening spam messages, it also makes the use of email more effective and efficient. Equally importantly, it protects you from becoming infected with worms or viruses that can cause you to distribute spam to others. Should this happen, it can take countless hours, and dollars, to repair an infected computer.

Another important step in the quest to defeat spam is to train employees to always question the legitimacy of the sender. One should never open an attachment unless it's been sent by someone known and trusted. If you're not expecting it, verify with the sender before you open that attachment. Another important practice, particularly for home office workers, is to disconnect from the Internet several times per day, and reboot systems at least daily. Hackers can take advantage of connections left open for prolonged periods.

To reduce your online risks, Workshift Systems Corporation recommends that people use separate email addresses for various purposes. Only give your preferred email address to trusted contacts, then create additional addresses using providers like Yahoo or Hotmail, which can be used for other activities, such as when you are asked to supply an email address when visiting a website. Similarly, you can have an alias (e.g. jm123@coname.com) set up within your company's email system that will redirect email to your principal address. If these expendable addresses start to receive too much spam, delete them and create new addresses.

It's also a good idea to be creative when you set up these expendable addresses, using combinations of letters and numbers. The more complex the email address is, the more difficult it is for spammers to use programs that randomly guess at userids and then send spam to them.

Posting email addresses on websites is an invitation to spammers. It is much better to have a clickable link to the address, or a graphical representation of the address, than to have the address appear in text form on a web page, where it could be harvested by spiders or bots that search the Internet for addresses to add to spam lists.

Should you receive a spam message, just delete it. Don't click on any links in the message, nor reply to the message, even if it offers an "unsubscribe" or "remove" link. Doing so simply validates your address as a legitimate one, and virtually guarantees that you'll get more spam. Even if the product or offer sounds great, keep in mind that it's likely a scam.

Be aware that spammers work hard to collect valuable personal information through a practice known as "phishing." By sending you email that appears to come from a reliable source such as a government department or a bank, they can trick unsuspecting users into providing personal data such as passwords or credit card numbers. Remember that legitimate companies would never ask for information such as this via email. If you have concerns, contact the organization directly by telephone and report the situation. Better yet, contact a trusted IT provider such as Workshift Systems Corporation, and ask for a thorough IT analysis and security audit to be sure your vital information is secure, and your employees' productivity is not going to be jeopardized by spammers and phishers.

Brian Skelton is a Technical Account Executive with Workshift Systems Corporation. Brian excels at understanding clients' IT needs and recommending the appropriate technology solution. He is able to leverage a broad range of industry experience in the arenas of IT Security Solutions (Entrust/Nortel), Business Intelligence Systems (Databeacon/Cognos) and Enterprise Application Development Platforms(BEA/WebGain/Oracle). Having spent more than a decade in IT, his other technical experience includes Network Monitoring Systems, Embedded Application Development as well as Business Internet Services & Solutions.

An avid skier, Brian is a dedicated local volunteer with the Canadian Association of Disabled Skiers (www.cads-ncd.ca), an organization that assists disable children in enjoying the experience of downhill skiing.

Workshift Systems Corporation is a private company that provides end-to-end business computer and network consulting services. Workshift Systems Corporation is a leading integrator of business information technology with solutions that will increase competitiveness and reduce costs for small and medium-sized businesses in National Capital Region. Workshift Systems Corporation's partners include industry's leading suppliers and manufacturers of quality hardware, software and peripherals. These partnerships enable us to offer a one-stop-shop for Information Technology equipment and service.

To contact Brian, call 613-230-3923, or e-mail bskelton@workshift.com