Many computer problems are caused by malicious software. There are plenty of ways to get malware and plenty of actions to take to prevent getting it. Malware can come into your network and infect your computers through web browsing, unpatched software, improperly configured devices, piggy-backed on legitimate software, infected USB drives... the list goes on.

One of the preferred modes of transportation malware and other malicious attacks like to travel on is email in the form of spam. According to a compilation of data in 2010 by Commtouch Software Ltd, most spam (a whopping 81%) cover the topic of Pharmacy drugs, but about 2.3% are phishing attempts. Phishing is when an email or login screen looks very authentic but it's actually mimicking the login of a popular website like Facebook, Paypal, or a bank. Once you fill out your credentials on the phishing site they get sent to the fraudster.

There are plenty of other tricky scams that come in through email, but the biggest threat to companies is when spam gets forged in their name. This is called Backscatter, and it's essentially a overwhelming mass of emails that are received when an email address is forged as the sender on spam messages. It's caused typically by mail servers set up incorrectly, because the mail server is set to not reject mail during delivery, and instead send a bounce message back later. Backscatter can cause email servers to get blacklists which means now legit email from your system can get flagged as spam. How effective is your email communication if it needs to be whitelisted first?

Proper mail server configurations are extremely important. On top of that, preventing spam in the first place should be a number one concern for small businesses, especially if your inboxes are already inundated with it in the first place. Need help controlling spam in your organization? Give us a call at 607.433.2200 and ask about our Spam Protection. Don't assume junk mail is just a simple annoyance; it can really cause havoc on your business if left uncheck.