How
a Server Spam Filter Saves Time, Money and Downtime.
By Christopher
J Enders
A server
spam filter is a software application that scans incoming email
messages, identifies SPAM based on preset configurations and isolates
the unsolicited email so that it never reaches the email inboxes
of the personal computers in the computer network.
SPAM
is the slang term that is commonly used to describe unwanted,
unsolicited commercial email or junk email. It is not an acronym
so it doesn't actually "stand for" anything.
SPAM
email generally consists of commercial email that is delivered
to recipients who did not request information from the company
or individual who sends it.
Receiving
loads of unsolicited commercial email can put a drain on businesses
and individuals because they have to sort through email, eliminating
the unwanted email messages, which is sometimes a time consuming
process that can seriously inhibit productivity as well as being
incredibly frustrating.
Time
is money and wasting time to manually delete SPAM messages is
not a wise thing to do.
Additionally,
sometimes SPAM email contains viruses which can result in downtime
for computer users as well as being a threat to the stability
of a personal computer or computer network and the data stored
within.
Scam
artists also send unsolicited email as a part of phishing schemes
which are intended to collect personal information for identity
theft purposes, and other similar fraudulent reasons.
With
a server spam filter, you can automate the process of eliminating
spam at the receiving source - the server level - before it ever
reaches the personal computers in your network.
This
is a recommended task to automate because it saves personal computer
users loads of time as well as protecting the personal computers
and the network from damage which can result in downtime and lost
data.
If the
SPAM messages are not delivered to individuals in an organization,
then the fear of someone falling for a scam and compromising financial
or other confidential data is eliminated.
Because
anti-spam technology is not perfect, it is a good idea to have
a network administrator check the mail messages that are filtered
out periodically to make sure that the server spam filter is not
catching messages that are not actually SPAM.
When
this happens, the email capture is sometimes referred to as a
"false positive", meaning that the server spam filter
positively identified a message as SPAM when it was actually a
valid message that should not have been filtered out.
Some
anti-spam programs have an option where identified SPAM can be
sent to a computer user's junk email box so the computer user
can actually go through the filtered out messages at their leisure
to make sure that bona fide messages have not been falsely identified
as SPAM.
If this
process is used and false positives are identified, the computer
user needs to notify the network administrator so the configurations
in the spam filter can be adjusted to allow receipt of email from
the specific sender through the server.
Undoubtedly,
it is a good idea to install a server spam filter in order to
save your company time, money and heart-ache that can be associated
with system failure.
When
reviewing your options, do realize that all anti-spam products
are not created equal. There are varying features regarding the
way that SPAM is identified and the way the system is administered.
Some
filter out email messages based on keywords used in the messages,
some are pre-programmed with blacklisting of known spammers, and
most all have configurations that can be customized by an end-user
or network administrator.
It is
a good idea to review several alternative products in detail and
to determine which products best meet the needs of your company.
Searching
the internet for spam filter reviews is a good way to learn more
about individual software packages, their features and their functionality.
Copyright
Christopher J. Enders. Are you at the end of your rope, fed up
and confused by all the scrambled internet marketing advice you're
getting? Whether you are new to internet marketing, or a website
owner who wants to make more money from your website, learn the
proven strategies that will sky-rocket your internet business
at http://BiznessTips.com.
