How to improve your email security and reduce spam in your inbox

Spam is the equivalent of junk mail on the Internet. Spam is email communication that is sent to people without their permission or consent.
The recipient addresses are often taken from Usenet postings or websites, obtained from databases or simply guessed from known names and domains.

Spam is used to advertise almost any product or service, from "adult" items to website logo designs. Hackers also use it to spread viruses or links to malicious websites that collect personal information such as credit card numbers and passwords for sites like eBay and PayPal. To the normal user, these messages appear legitimate. The link even has a legitimate-looking domain name. "Phishing" is the term for this method.

Here are some clever tactics and tips you can apply immediately to reduce spam and improve your email security.

- Set up your anti-virus software to automatically scan all incoming emails for viruses. Malicious software is still routinely distributed by email. Make sure your antivirus software definitions are up to date.

- If you frequently sign up for "freebies" or other online services, set up a separate email account just for this purpose. Yahoo!, Hotmail and Gmail from Google offer a lot of storage space for their accounts by default.

- Use a free disposable email provider such as Sneak Email - http://www.sneakemail.com if websites do not accept free email addresses from the above services.

- When you send an email to a blog or website, format it so that only a human can understand it. For example, if your email address is johndoe@hotmail.com, write it as "Johndoe at hotmail.com".

- Never open a message from an unknown sender, but delete it as quickly as possible. This is especially true if there is a connection. Replying to a message only confirms to the spammers that the email address is "live".

- Do the following if you receive an official-looking message from your bank, eBay or another website that you are not sure is genuine. Log in to the website normally via your browser instead of clicking on the link in the email. When you log in, you should see a notification if there are indeed major problems. If possible, contact the website's customer support team by phone.

- If possible, use stand-alone spam filter software. This software searches for spam-like characteristics in your email, e.g. terms such as "click" or "teenager". It also compares emails sent by senders against a "friends list".