How to identify and prevent receiving spam

Spam refers to the receipt of unsolicited email messages. These unwanted messages are sent with a variety of different objectives and use different systems and means of propagation across the network.

Contrary to what most internet users believe, there are several types of spam strategies, and even though it's considered an "old" term, it's still widely used by cybercriminals in attempts to extort, steal, damage, or hijack information and devices, mainly from companies and professionals.

In this text, you will see the types of spam that exist and their characteristics, some ways to identify spam messages, and also an efficient way to protect yourself.

Types of spam

There are several types of spam with specific characteristics that differentiate them from each other, however, the most common are:

• Hoaxes – messages related to false stories, which use social engineering with the aim of the user (recipient) forwarding them to their contacts;
• Chain letters – messages that promise luck, wealth and other benefits to those who forward them to a certain number of people and contacts within a certain time;
• Advertisements – promoting products, services, and even political propaganda, this is the most common type of spam;
• Scams – content with misleading opportunities and offers that promise false results, such as job offers or very lucrative business opportunities;
• Phishing – messages with disguised content to deceive recipients, requesting the provision of personal data and passwords ;
• Malicious programs (viruses and worms) – content with harmful information, attachments and links, which, when opened, can install viruses and cause loss of information;
• Pornography – sending pornographic content via email, often involving pedophilia. It's important to have security policies in place to prevent children from receiving this type of spam;

Among the most common are advertising, which are usually harmless, and phishing, which have evolved significantly in recent years, creating new versions such as Smishing and Vishing , both with the same objective: to steal confidential information from the user who receives them.

But what many professionals wonder—after all, companies are the main target of this type of message—is how to identify spam. And that's exactly what you'll see in the following lines.

How to identify spam messages?

Spam messages can be well-crafted and deceive users by posing as genuine messages. Therefore, it's important to know how to identify these messages so they can be discarded and classified as spam. Here are some things to look for to identify spam messages:

• Suspicious headers : incomplete sender and recipient information, both of which may include nicknames or generic names. If the sender is unknown and the recipients are hidden, this is a strong indication that the message is spam and may contain malicious content;
• Suspicious subject : If the subject line is suspicious and unfamiliar to the recipient, be wary. This field is used to lure users into opening messages, so be careful;
• Attachments and links : email messages that contain attachments and links to be clicked can be harmful;
• One-time receipt : Messages that say they will be sent only once are usually spam;
• Unsubscribe and removal options : Some spammers justify their abuse by offering the option to be removed from the list and suggesting that the email address be removed from the registry. These messages are usually spam;

There are many ways for your email to end up on spam mailing lists. There are companies that sell lists for sending advertisements, and countless websites that use malicious methods to capture emails and even install viruses on computers, turning them into sources of spam.

It is important to avoid and be very careful when accessing sites with suspicious content, such as drugs, violence, pornography and gambling.

How to protect yourself from spam messages?

The best way to avoid receiving spam, security issues, and viruses is to surf the web responsibly. While online, we need to take the same precautions we take when traveling and when entering and leaving our homes.

The tips for reducing spam are directly related to the precautions recommended for internet users , so that they can safely enjoy all the resources and benefits it provides.

Below are some important security and spam prevention tips:

• Preserve and avoid providing personal data, emails and especially bank and credit card passwords;
• Have separate emails for professional and personal activities, purchases, and online registrations;
• Avoid clicking on suspicious links on websites, especially unknown websites, and also on links in email messages;
• Be careful when accessing and clicking on promotions and seemingly unmissable opportunities for discounts and purchases, as they can often disguise viruses and irregular registrations;
• Avoid registering on websites without first obtaining complete information about the sites and products or services offered. It's also important to seek references from other websites and acquaintances;
• Always have the email anti-spam features provided by the email service provider enabled;
• It is important to use prevention tools on your computer, such as anti-spyware, firewall and antivirus;
• In business environments, use a system to block harmful websites , preventing access to malicious links sent as spam.

We know that it is practically impossible to avoid receiving unwanted messages, but by following these tips and browsing the internet with caution, it is possible to reduce spam and, most importantly, avoid security problems such as loss of information or problems with banks and credit cards.

I hope this text has helped you protect yourself online and avoid headaches.

Until later!