Do you remember life before email? For most of us, email is as elemental as the telephone, keeping us connected to friends, family, and colleagues. However, when our inboxes get jammed with spam, it's tempting to forget the whole thing and go back to snail mail. Spam and other email security threats are annoying and relentless, and dangerous. Email is an inherently unsafe medium for exchanging information, and it's an easy way for viruses to spread from computer to computer. But your own common sense and good judgment can go a long way toward removing the risk from your email experience. Also, there are many quality tools designed to reduce spam and keep you safe on email.

Minimizing spam

Spam not only clutters your inbox and wastes your time; it's also become a common way to perpetrate fraud and spread viruses. So now more than ever, it's in your best interest to minimize the amount of spam in your inbox. One way to reduce the influx of spam is to act judiciously with regard to email you receive from strangers. The same goes for your decision to include yourself in email distribution lists when you sign up for a Web service or buy a product.

That's not to say you shouldn't place yourself on email newsletter or distribution lists. Getting updates on new products or the latest work by your favorite charity can be helpful and informative. And when you ask a reputable organization to quit sending you email, you can usually depend on them to follow through. However, when a random email from an equally random sender says, "click here to be removed from our list," or asks whether you'd like to receive email from their "partners," think twice. It's possible you'll get an unexpected resulta whole new spate of unsolicited and unrelated spam emails. In the end, it all comes down to trust. Ask yourself how much you trust the source before requesting email or hitting that unsubscribe link, and then follow your instincts.

Anti-spam software

Anti-spam software No matter how careful you are about aggravating the spam problem, there's not much you can do to prevent unsolicited emails from reaching your inbox. That's why it's important to get some help from a good antispam solution. Antispam software, at its most basic, analyzes each email you receive and filters out those that appear to be unsolicited. Of course, some filters are better and more sophisticated than others. Those on the cutting edge are even smart enough to learn about your preferences over time. Others filter email based on certain key words you designateeven in different languages. Still others give you the power to block all email that doesn't come from a list of addresses you've authorized; conversely, they'll filter out any email from your unauthorized list. The most powerful anti-spam products combine all these features in one solution. Your best bet is to buy one of these robust tools from a respected security company.

Safe emailing

Even with spam under control, email is not safe. So, it's up to you to remain vigilant and act with caution. Use the following tips to guide you:

Don't send vital personal or financial information over email. Email is generally unencrypted, and unscrupulous individuals with access to your email provider's servers can read them.
Don't answer emails sent by people you don't know or that you weren't expecting to receive. Don't click on links within such emails, and don't open their file attachments.
Even when email appears to come from an acquaintance, verify its authenticity before opening attached files or clicking on links within the textespecially if you weren't expecting the email.
Watch out for email con games. Don't let someone trick you into sending your social security number or bank account information. Confirm the legitimacy of all charity requests, investment opportunities, and unsolicited product promotions. Remember, if an offer looks too good to be true, it probably is.
Beware of phishing scams. Phishers pose as legitimate businesses or other organizations and try to fool you into providing vital informationeither by directing you to a spoofed Web site or by responding directly to their email. To learn more, check out Club Symantec's phishing article and tips.
Install an antivirus program that scans email attachments for viruses.

Spam is a fact of life. So are the dangers associated with email. However, by using good judgment and the best available tools, you can reduce the amount of unwanted email in your inbox. You can also feel safe using your email account to exchange ideas, information, and digital files.