Most e-mail users are familiar with spam, unwanted, unsolicited advertisement e-mails. While spam is generally more an annoyance than a security concern, it can be used to overload a users' system. An e-mail filter can be employed to protect against spammers. The filtering capabilities in a system allow users to make decisions about where the incoming mail should be directed. To manage e-mail, it is a good idea to initially setup folders such as 'Work', 'Home', 'Business', 'Projects', 'Trash', etc. The user can then set rules that will automatically forward incoming mail to the appropriate folder. When message headers contain words and phrases that are commonly used by spammers, such as "Make Money Now", they can be directed to the 'Trash' folder.
Filtering also can look for e-mail addresses in the header of a message. A common trick used by spammers is to bcc: (blind carbon copy) thousands of users to facilitate mass mailing. Filters can be setup to trash all messages in which the user is not the primary recipient. For web-based programs, some additional filtering options include the ability to restrict incoming mail according to the users' address, domain names, subject line headers, attachment file size, etc. It may take a while to setup proper rules, but once this is done, they can facilitate efficient use of e-mail and increase user productivity.
Filtering also can look for e-mail addresses in the header of a message. A common trick used by spammers is to bcc: (blind carbon copy) thousands of users to facilitate mass mailing. Filters can be setup to trash all messages in which the user is not the primary recipient. For web-based programs, some additional filtering options include the ability to restrict incoming mail according to the users' address, domain names, subject line headers, attachment file size, etc. It may take a while to setup proper rules, but once this is done, they can facilitate efficient use of e-mail and increase user productivity.
