Eye on Cyber: Email Spam Back On The Rise
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Does it seem like you're getting more unsolicited emails these days?
You probably are. So-called spam is back on the rise.
While spam has been around for nearly as long as email, the techniques used to distribute it and get people to open it have become much more effective.
People are now opening more than 14 percent of these spam emails, according to cybersecurity firm MWR InfoSecurity,
Billions of spam emails are sent around the globe every day. Long thought of as a nuisance, spam emails can also be dangerous. Nearly one third of them are laced with cyberattack software.
Email services, like Google's Gmail, are fighting back. Last year, Google announced new features for its Gmal service that the company says will detect 99 percent of spam emails and redirect them to the junk email folder.
What can you do to reduce spam?
- Make sure you're using an email filter.
- Reduce your exposure by using two email addresses – one for personal correspondence and another online shopping and subscription services.
- Don't always provide your email address when prompted online. Check the company or organization's privacy policy first.
- Finally, reduce the places where your email address is public available on the internet. You won't be deluged with spam, if the spammers can't get your email address.
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