Spam is not only annoying, it can be dangerous.

While standard spam (mass, unsolicited commercial email, also often referred to as junk mail) is a hassle to search through, there are malicious individuals out there that:

• send spam containing viruses that can compromise a computer (ransomware),
• or attempts to trick users by phishing to steal usernames and passwords to financial websites,
• and more.

The goal of this article is three fold:

1. To provide an understanding of spam and how it originates.
2. To provide some basic safety in dealing with spam day-to-day to avoid the hassle of receiving junk mail, or worse yet, becoming a victim of fraud.
3. To provide some basic information on how businesses can market, while avoiding sending "spam" to comply with the CAN SPAM ACT law.

Defining Spam & Origination

Spam is . . .