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Users can defend against these methods by using mail clients which do
not automatically display HTML, images or attachments, or by
configuring their clients not to display these by default.
Avoiding responding to spam
It is well established that some spammers regard responses to their
messages -- even responses which say "Don't spam me" -- as
confirmation that an email address refers validly to a reader.
Likewise, many spam messages contain Web links or addresses which the
user is directed to follow to be removed from the spammer's mailing
list.
In several cases, spam-fighters have tested these links and addresses
and confirmed that they do not lead to the recipient address's removal
-- if anything, they lead to more spam.
In late 2003, the USA FTC launched a public relations campaign to
encourage email users to simply never respond to a spam email -- ever.
This campaign stemmed from the tendency of casual email users to reply
to spam, in order to complain and request the spammer to cease sending
spam.
Perhaps more significantly, since the sender address fields borne by
spam messages are almost always forged, a reply to a spam message is
likely to reach an innocent third party if it reaches anyone at all.
In Usenet, it is widely considered even more important to avoid
responding to spam. Many ISPs have software that seeks out and
destroys duplicate messages. Someone may see a spam and respond to it
before it is cancelled by their server, which can have the effect of
reposting the spammer's spam for them; since it is not just a
duplicate, this reposted copy will last longer.
Reporting spam
The majority of ISPs explicitly forbid their users from spamming, and
eject from their service users who are found to have spammed. Tracking
down a spammer's ISP and reporting the offense often leads to the
spammer's service being terminated. Unfortunately, it can be difficult
to track down the spammer -- and while there are some online tools to
assist, they are not always accurate. Also occasionally spammers own
their own netblocks. In this case the abuse contact for the netblock
can be the spammer itself and can confirm your address as live.
Examples of these online tools are SpamCop, Network Abuse
Clearinghouse and Blue Frog. These provide automated or semi-automated
means to report spam to ISPs. Some spam-fighters regard them as
inaccurate compared to what an expert in the email system can do;
however, most email users are not experts.
Consumers may also forward "unwanted or deceptive spam" to an email
address (spam@uce.gov ) maintained by the FTC. The database so
collected is used to prosecute perpetrators of various types of scam
or deceptive advertising.
Defense against email worms
In the past several years, scores of worm programs have used email
systems as a conduit for infection. The worm program transmits itself
in an email message, usually as a MIME attachment. In order to infect
a computer, the executable worm attachment must be opened. In almost
all cases, this means the user must click on the attachment. The worm
also requires a software environment compatible with its programming.
Email users can defend against worms in a number of ways, including:
Avoiding email client software which supports executable attachments.
The most frequently-targeted client software for email worms is
Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express, both of which can easily be
made to open executable attachments. However, other Windows-based
email software is not immune to worms.
Using an operating system which does not provide an environment
compatible with present worms. Essentially all current email worms
affect only the Microsoft Windows operating system. They cannot
execute on Macintosh, Unix, GNU/Linux, or other operating systems. In
some cases, it is conceivable that a worm could be written for one of
these systems; however, various security features militate against it.
Using up-to-date anti-virus software to detect incoming worms and
quarantine or delete them before they can take effect.
Being skeptical of unsolicited email attachments. Since worms and
other email-borne malware arrive in this form, some email users simply
refuse to open attachments that the sender has not given them advance
notice of.
