Security news and alerts

Spam Celebrates its 30th Birthday (May 3rd)

On May 3, 1978, 393 users of the US military's ARPANET (granddaddy of the Internet) received the first spam email in history. A Digital Equipment Corporation's (DEC) marketing rep, Gary Thuerk, came up with an email sales pitch that produced a fierce backlash from Arpanet administrators, as well as a small number of sales for DEC. Unsolicited bulk commercial ads moved on to  Internet newsgroups, email, and website links. Much to the chagrin of Hormel Foods, the term spam was applied to the phenomenon in a pop-culture reference to a skit from Monty Python's Flying Circus, in which all meals in a restaurant come with spam, spam, spam and more spam. Junk email--not nourishing luncheon
meat--has become the principal meaning of the word spam.

Spam Tips

Don't buy ANYTHING from a spammer

If an unexpected email brings you news that seems too good to be true, it is probably spam and a scam. If you didn't request information about the product or service, it is probably spam and a scam. If it promises to enhance parts of your body, it won't. If it promises you a cheap and easy mortgage, you can do better by visiting your bank. If it promises that you can make a fortune on a penny stock, you can't. If you are unsure, check with five friends. Chances are four of them also received the spam and you'll know to steer clear of it.

Don't click on links in unsolicited emails

Spam filters are catching a lot of unwanted email, but some still reach you. Most spam is designed to get you to respond with your own email, click on an embedded link, or click on the link at the bottom to "unsubscribe." When you respond or click the "unsubscribe" link, the sender may add your address to a SPAM database of known active email addresses and sell it to other spammers. When you click on an embedded link, you may end up on a phony website designed to lure you into a phishing scam.

Don't be an unintentional Spammer

If you're like most people, you've probably received at least one hoax or chain letter in your inbox. What should you do with the next one you receive? Delete it! Chain letters and hoaxes have the potential to cause problems (lots of network traffic, filling up someone's inbox, or hooking you into a phishing scam), and they can also be very annoying.

For current information about email hoaxes, visit
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/latest-information.html.

Scam emails, pretending to come from banks and credit unions around the world, ask you to provide personal financial information, such as account numbers and login details. These scams are often supported by fake or spoofed websites, and victims are tricked into thinking they are logging in to a real website. Don't take the bait! Before you respond to any email requests for personal information, call your bank, credit union or other institution. In general, reputable financial institutions do not request personal information via email.

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