McAfee, like all computer security companies, see spam as one of the main enemies in the computer age.

Spam is a waste of everyone’s time, clogs up the ether with its pointlessness and is it a major carrier of computer viruses. It serves no purpose whatsoever and if the world were rid of it, then 80% of the email traffic would drop overnight.

So what can you do to avoid spam? Here’s some top tips.

Top tip is do not spread your email around. Never post your e-mail address in an unobfuscated form on the Internet. But if you have to post your internet address, make sure you obfuscate it in such a way that it cannot be harvested. Better still, create a small graphic image that contains your email address, as the harvesters cannot read this. Bear in mind that spammers play the numbers game. They trawl for millions of addresses out there and guess others with specially created computer programmes. Don’t make their life easy.

Another top tip is checking to see how visible your email address is. Type it into a search engine and see if it has been posted into in any newsgroups, or discussions forum, and see if you can remove it, as this might be a good way to cut spam down.

Also consider using a number of email addresses, say one for friends and family, and one for business. This way you can greatly reduce your chances of spam. You could easily create an address that you only use for newsgroups and such places, and then, if it become burdened with spam, drop it altogether. Don’t be afraid of changing your email address as a way of avoiding spam.

Another good way of foxing the spammers is having a complicated email address made up of numbers, as well as letters, and a part of it made up of random sequences. This works against dictionary attackers.

When it come to completing web forms, always have a look at the website’s privacy policy, as avoid giving your email address, or indeed, any other personal details, to a site which admits that they sell them on to third parties. If you can, check the box which opts you out of third party mailings.

A very important rule this – never respond to spam, ever. Because a spammer lives for a reply and even if you innocently send a request saying you’d like to be removed from the list, this confirms to them that the address is valid, you have seen the email and indeed, you have replied. This means that your email address is basically in-play. Your name could then be added to a list of working email addresses which could be very valuable to the spammer and sold between them.

Along the same lines as the last point, never, ever buy anything from a spammer, or goods which have been brought to your attention via spams. Once sending spam become unprofitable, then it will die.

Get into the habit of as soon as you see the spam message, delete it. Do not open it. By using graphics within the spam email, spammers are able to track who received it and who opened. This is why many email providers give you the option of opening the graphic image within the email – resist that temptation. Simply bin it.

Do not use links within emails (always go to a site via your web browser, or your own bookmarks), and never reply to emails, purporting to be from a site you know, asking for financial information, or personal details. Guard such data vigorously.

Above all else, ensure that your anti-virus software is up to date and that your firewall (designed to stop people not only breaking in, but taking goods out), is also doing its job.

Guest Article by Neil Camp