How to Prevent Spam Bots

Mozilla Thunderbird security and privacy features.

Spam is a term used to describe the unsolicited commercial email sent to thousands of email accounts everyday. Spammers use spam bots (or spiders) to harvest personal information from sites like newsgroups, blogs and forums which typically contain email addresses, "mail:to" links, databases, or newsfeeds. Although impossible to stop completely, there are a few things you can do to avoid spam bots and minimize the amount of junk email you receive.

Instructions

1. Update your mail client and anti-virus software to protect against computer viruses, spyware and botnets. Also, enable your firewall and any built-in security features available in your operating system.

2. Use the filtering features of your mail client which "train" the software to block spam. In Microsoft Outlook for example, right-click on the spam message, click "Junk Email," then choose to add the sender to your blocked list.

3. Set up a disposable email address through a free email provider like Gmail. Never use your primary address to make purchases or register on forums, social groups, or in chat rooms. If spam bots discover the disposable email address, disable or delete it.

4. Search for your email address in one of the major search engines. Enter your complete address such as "[e-mail]." The results will show if your address is posted on any website pages making it a target for spam bots.

5. Check the security information (available in all mail clients) for any emails that look suspicious. For example, in Mozilla Thunderbird click on "View" then "Message Security Info." The information will show if the message originated from a trusted source.

Tips & Warnings

• Never respond to emails that appear to be from sites like PayPal or eBay. Instead, login to your account on the actual website to determine if the email request was legitimate.

• Do not respond to spam or click on links in the message. Links in spam are often used by spam bots to gather personal information and install malware on your computer. Avoid opt-out, unsubscribe and download links in particular.

Resources

• Mozilla Security Center
• Set Up Outlook Express