Latest Spam Articles

Advanced spam services your main line of defence

Sat, 27 Mar 2010 09:08:01 +0000

Faster forms of communication such as broadband have lead to an increase in business communication, which can provide instant online contact and make our business and personal lives easier to organise. However, faster online communication has also lead to a speedier form of spam email deployment too.

Most spam emails are simply annoying with offers of cheap Viagra and most people will pay little notice to this unknown addressee forwarding subject matter of this type should it filter through a basic spam blocker.

However, with less response to the typical strategies deployed by hackers and with the timely provision of antivirus and spam filter software counteracting their attempts there are now new and more ingenious ways explored daily to attempt to better penetrate our networks.

Botnets is dangerous malicious software that has been problematic for many businesses without advanced spam filter technology. This spam email correspondence will contain malicious software with a downloadable file that when clicked upon opens the virtual door for an online criminal to access and browse personal information and private passwords. It renders business networks and individual computer systems vulnerable.

Keystroking is also a common online attack popularly deployed through email spam that often contains embedded links. If these links are clicked upon they provide full access for an hacker to run an advanced memory software program in the background during the use of a computer. As the name would suggest, a criminal is able to monitor the key strokes of a computer user in order to gain vital private information such as passwords and financial accounting details.

We at MessageStream have been providing some of the UK’s largest businesses with our advanced spam blocker technology, which is capable of vastly reducing email spam by up to 99% providing vital protection for SME’s and corporations across the country.

Advanced hackers with new techniques to counteract basic spam filters

Sat, 27 Mar 2010 06:18:36 +0000

Most people know the word ‘spam’ refers to unwanted email, although during the 1980s it was widely recognised as a processed meat. In fact spam emails were already in existence in the 1980s but to a lesser degree. Yet now the dramatic increase in volumes has overtaken any other email communication in existence.

The technical advancements in online communication have made for slicker and simpler online communication for all, but unfortunately it has aided spammers with advanced techniques too. There are more instances occurring which see spam emails used for the most devious of reasons, whether it is to deploy dangerous viruses into your system or to send Botnets or keystroke software into your system.

Botnets software, when deployed into a network, can commonly remain there unnoticed. It will copy critical information such as banking and person details and then provide the information to the online criminal that deployed it.

The true extent of spam carrying Botnets software can actually lead to your personal details being provided to an online criminal without you knowing it. They are then able to sell your data to a complete stranger on the other side of the world.

It is possible to have your personal identity stolen in this way without even knowing it, however, ensuring that spam email attachments are never mistakenly accessed will prevent this type of fraud. In the case of a large organisation the only guarantee you have of preventing dangerous software from entering your network is by the almost complete eradication of spam email even hitting your server in the first place.

We at MessageStream have been providing the latest spam filter technology to businesses across the UK for many years preventing targeted spam and dangerous programs from even touching their company servers.

The daily annoyance of targeted email spam

Sat, 27 Mar 2010 03:22:46 +0000

A thriving company who has a great presence online through carefully targeted optimised keyword phrases, a PR presence on content delivery sites and forums and various other mediums is without question going to be a prime target for spam.

Spam is, regardless of anything you read to the contrary, an unavoidable downside when it comes to a business which thrives online; similarly it is an unavoidable occurrence for many independent internet users who are subject to daily spam emails.

Of course, there are basic spam filter services which are possible to use through your email provider but even at maximum setting this will still often let 20 – 30% of spam emails through its spam blocker.

Whilst it is important for a business to use a basic spam filter it’s not a complete answer to spam itself. Within large organisations where email addresses are available online to encourage speculative email enquiries it is possible any new email address will not be recognised by your spam filter. Should this situation occur your email provider’s basic spam filter may end up filtering an important sales enquiry which may never be seen by the right person and thus business is lost.

Email spam will find its way through basic spam filter and it only takes one dangerous email with a virus attachment opened mistakenly by an employee to cause untold damage across the company’s networked systems. The complete elimination of spam is impossible, however, with the use of external spam services provided by experts the reduction of spam is a staggering 98-99%.

We at MessageStream offer professional spam services via advanced spam filter technology to provide the maximum protection from spam, viruses and phishing emails. The provision of our advanced spam blocker technology sees spam emails filtered before they reach our client’s servers.

Stay Safe Online - E-Crime Guide

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:24:30 +0000

Whilst the internet offers a world of opportunity for you and your business, it is not without it's hazards. E-crime is on the increase Worldwide. The fight against e-crime affects everyone who uses the internet and small to medium businesses can potentially be very desirable targets. By taking preventative action you can minimise the risk of becoming a victim of E-crime.

Businesses cannot afford to be complacent. Many attacks are not targeted directly at your business but could affect it nonetheless. Theft of data and identity can lead to widespread damage to your clients, reputation and your bottom line. We recommend taking the following steps in order to prevent and combat e-crime, thus helping keep your business safe.

Passwords

Consider the consequences of your passwords being compromised and criminals gaining access to your accounts - money could be stolen, sensitive emails could be read and your business could be seriously damaged. With a ‘weak' password in place this is a serious possibility, so make sure you do the following;

-Always try to use a password of at least eight characters, combining special keys such as £, $,