Spam Prevention Methods Explained

There are many ways to fight SPAM. The most widely used methods are Rule Based and Challenge-Response. A quick and concise overview of these two methods follows.

However, for those impatient readers, I’m guilty of this as well, the bottom line is that I am partial to the Challenge-Response method of SPAM prevention and strongly recommend the completely FREE software offered by The Spam Research Center. I have evaluated many different anti-SPAM programs, both free and paid, and I can honestly say that their software will not only stop close to 100% of SPAM, but it will also save you time and frustration.

Rule Based Systems

As the name infers, these methods use “rules” to determine what is and what is not SPAM. They generally look for specific keywords or content in the email. They may also use special algorithms or a distributed “community” approach where SPAM examples are sent in by users (the community) to central servers. The “community” can then use this ever-growing database to detect and block SPAM. However, because the “rule” databases are in a constant state of change in an attempt to keep up with or stay one step ahead of the “spammers”, there is always the chance that valid emails will be mistaken as SPAM. In an attempt to avoid this situation, the emails are usually “tagged” as SPAM by adding a specific keyword to the email header, subject line or some other field. These keywords can then be included in email client (Outlook Express etc.) rules so that the questionable emails can be appropriately routed to special email folders for later inspection or deleted. Unfortunately, an additional burden is then put on the user to monitor “spam” email folders for falsely “tagged” emails. Although many of these Rule Based methods do reduce SPAM, the necessity of updating “rule” databases, the ever present possibility of valid emails being detected as SPAM and the time consuming need to review “spam” folder(s) makes these methods less than desireable.

Challenge-Response Systems

Although there is no perfect solution for eliminating SPAM, Challenge-Response methods have become increasingly popular. These methods are extremely simple and only require you to maintain a “white list” and a “black list”. When an email is received from someone on your “white list”, it is delivered. When an email is received from someone on your “black list”, it is rejected and deleted. When an email is received from someone on neither of your lists, a simple “challenge” reply email is sent to them. When the unknown sender replies appropriately to the “challenge” message, they are added to your “white list” and their original and any future emails are delivered to your INBOX. The reason this method works so effectively is that “spammers” usually do not supply valid return email addresses and, if they do, there is usually a “robot” that sent the SPAM and it will not respond to your “challenge” message.

Summary

Both Rule Based and Challenge-Response methods have their PROS and CONS. However, taking everything into consideration, I feel that the Challenge-Response method is the best to date. With that said, I DO NOT feel that all implementations of this method are equal. Some Challenge-Repsonse software has the same shortcomings as those implementing the Rule Based method – “spam” folders to maintain and false positives.

I have evaluated many anti-SPAM solutions and can honestly say that I feel that Spam Research Center has the best challenge-response anti-SPAM software available today! This software has been thoughtfully designed and thoroughly tested to provide you with close to 100% SPAM protection without false positives. Better yet, the software is completely free!

Equalizing Virtual Dedicated Hosting

In today’s market scenario almost 99% of webmasters are familiar with the word “shared” web hosting accounts. Talking in real what is a shared hosting account? It is a place where one can rent a small quantity of space on a particular server which he/she has to share with other users.

One can say it is a cheap way to begin an online business but user will surely have to face several disadvantages afterwards. The problem that may happen afterwards includes inefficiency in email delivery due to spam problem. One will find his/her site coming to a pause when someone else will try heavy database work on his/her server. There are several other reasons as well which can cause a site to go down example due to a denial of service attack against someone else hosting hacking or piracy related material on one’s server.

Prevention:

Now we are going to discuss how we are going to prevent all this. By upgrading to a virtual dedicated server is a possible prevention against this problem. A virtual dedicated server helps in successful running of one’s site in the same manner as if one is having his/her own “dedicated” server. The plus point with virtual dedicated server is that it is really cheaper as compared to own server.

One can find virtual dedicated server accounts for as less as mere $30 per month. Not only that in addition one will get more amount of bandwidth as compared to shared hosting, and that too without any problem of shared hosting. One will also receive multiple IP addresses that are exclusive to his/her sites.

Thus one can get tremendous amount of benefits by just spending little more. However as like a coin here too is a second side. The main disadvantage of upgrading to virtual dedicated hosting is that one will has to be more technically sound as he/she has to administer his/her server by own.

Thus for administration one will have to learn necessary Linux skills to make sure that his/her server runs in a proper way.

There are several host providers offering “premium” support that includes a bit more hand holding. It is mainly recommended if the user is not having good experience with Linux, or if he/she is a beginner for virtual dedicated hosting.

Thus at the end we can conclude that with the increased speed and bandwidth that a virtual dedicated host is offering and that too without any disadvantages of the shared hosting headaches, it is now on the user to decide what is best for him/her. We wish best of luck!

Center for Disease Control and Prevention Chooses Azaleos to Manage New Microsoft Exchange 2010 Email System

Center for Disease Control and Prevention Chooses Azaleos to Manage New Microsoft Exchange 2010 Email System
Azaleos ® Corporation, the managed messaging and collaboration services company, today announced that it has been selected by the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to migrate the agency’s approximately 20,000 user email system from a hosted offsite datacenter version of Microsoft Exchange 2003 to an on-premise deployment of Microsoft Exchange 2010 , and to manage the …

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VoIP Hacking Pitfalls And Prevention

VoIP hacking is a new term that strikes fear into the hearts of many residential and corporate users thinking about upgrading from their existing traditional phone network and in some cases even dissuades them from doing so.

Thankfully, although talk of VoIP hacking goes back to 2004 and earlier, there are relatively few reports of it and it certainly does not compare to the levels of malicious use seen in the days of “blue boxing” and company PBX misuse.

In essence, VoIP becomes susceptible to hacking because in transferring analogue voice data into a digital form that is carried over the internet, some security firms say this is tantamount to gaining all the risks of computer data systems such as bugs, but also worms and viruses. Hackers already have their existing tools of the trade that they have owned for years, and can simply transfer these to the world of VoIP.

Types of VoIP Hacking

There are a number of types of such malicious use, all of which can be potentially very damaging:

Audio spam is a recently increasing form of abuse – we have all become accustomed to email spam and the same mechanisms that allow for distribution of spam to millions at a minimal cost also apply to the convergence of voice and data. Companies will have to get smart and combat such spam using complex filters.

Voice phishing is likely to increase. This is a form of social engineering where the person being called is convinced to hand over sensitive and confidential information. The ability to send out mass recordings over the internet via VoIP is likely to increase this type of malicious practice.

Caller ID spoofing is where the caller is able to pretend to be someone else, probably to obtain sensitive information from the person at the end of the line. Unless VoIP systems are made secure, this will otherwise likely be an easy to perform “hack”.

Call hijacking is the interception of a call intended for a particular party and relaying it to someone else. Again, this is likely to be used in conjunction with some form of social engineering.

Sometimes a hacker may simply wish to shut down a telephone network through brute force or denial of service attacks. For some companies, such disruption of business can cost millions of dollars. A disgruntled employee, for example, may try such an attack.

Wiretapping or phone tapping can be considered to be more simple to perform on a VoIP network. Because a hacker can access the system from afar via the internet, he need not jack directly in to the local phone network. Such compromising or sensitive information can be sold on by the criminal fraternity or even espionage carried out.

Worms and trojan horses can also use spoofing to disguise themselves within a voice packet. Once behind the corporate firewalls, they can wreak havoc on a company’s business critical systems.

How To Protect Yourself From VoIP Hacking

Whilst there are a number of risks from such practises above, minimizing the risk can enable you to obtain all the advantages of lower costs and valuable services. Most large companies are now considering migration to VoIP and have mitigated the risks by using advanced encryption and placing control of such systems to only a critical few persons.

Such measures can allow you to enjoy the benefits of VoIP in a secure operating environment with business risk being minimal and insignificant.