Annoying SPAM, Scary too!

AArrrrgggghhhh!!!!

Me: Spam again?
Spam: Yeah! And still counting!

What is SPAM?

(according to wiki)

Spam is the use of electronic messaging systems (including most broadcast media, digital delivery systems) to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately. While the most widely recognized form of spam is e-mail spam, the term is applied to similar abuses in other media: instant messaging spam, Usenet newsgroup spam, Web search engine spam, spam in blogs, wiki spam, online classified ads spam, mobile phone messaging spam, Internet forum spam, junk fax transmissions, social networking spam, television advertising and file sharing network spam.

For my own definition, spam is unwanted and worthless message. I hope that this post may not categorized as worthless for you.

Nowadays, spam messages are everywhere on the internet mostly on e-mails. And as social networking boosts, it became an opportunity to spammers to attack. By the way, spammers are the persons or robots who send these messages.

What is the purpose of SPAM?

Yes, though it’s really annoying to us, it has it’s own purpose and benefit for the one sending it. Usually, spammers do spamming to promote products, services, and websites, of course, for a bigger income. This purpose is not the scary thing.

The other purpose is not beneficial at all, and this is the scary one. Why? Well, if your computer is not protected by an updated antivirus, a wrong click will result to your computer to get damaged and a headache for you.

Where does spammers got your e-mail address?

I used to ask this question before. Yeah, it’s really mind-boggling where and how they got my e-mail address. And maybe you’re asking yourself the same question too.

The first reason is that they got your e-mail address publicly. Maybe you posted it somewhere that you thought it’s safe. Until, you will just receive annoying messages about money and pornography.

And the second reason is that someone sell your information to another. What??? How could that be?!

Ask yourself first, where did you enter your e-mail address? Maybe, you signed up to some sites you thought that your information are secure. Then ask yourself again, did you really read the “Terms and Agreement” before you clicked the “ACCEPT” button? Well, it’s one of the most common lies that people commits everytime and I am also guilty with this but not that often.

Based on what I have read in wiki and on a seminar I attended before (sorry for I can’t remember the speaker’s name), some of the “Terms and Agreements” contains some statements that you were allowing them to sell your information (specially your name and e-mail address) to their partners. So, if you don’t trust the website or the author, you better read their “Terms and Agreements” before accepting it.

The last reason, is by attack. Cybercriminals used to attack the databases of websites then they will get the information that they need (name, e-mail address, password, etc.) and sell it to some companies. That’s very scary specially if you have a very very very very private profile.

This post wouldn’t be complete without the tips. Let me also take it as my support for GMA7’s Think Before You Click program.

Simple things you can do to prevent spam:

1. Never post any of your information publicly unless you have a good and reasonable purpose of publishing it.

2. If you don’t trust a website or it’s author, you better read the “Terms and Agreements” or else, don’t sign up at all.

3. If the information isn’t required and there’s no special purpose of it for you, just leave it blank.

4. Just think before you click.

By the way, I will post more about on different kinds of spams on the future so stay tuned! ;p

For now, class dismiss.

Reference: Wikipedia