A large number of companies have started using Microsoft exchange hosting provided by established by web hosting and application hosting providers. The benefits and advantages of using MS Exchange hosting are plenty. MS Exchange hosting outsourcing allows low upfront and ongoing costs. It is best to leave the hosting solution to the exchange hosting experts, and this is will make the most sense for mid size and smaller businesses. If Hosting Exchange is not your cup of tea, then go with an outsourced solution that includes license management, installation, maintenance, backups and upgrades, operation, and all other sundry tasks that will be carried out by the web host! This will help you to ease out from pressure and finally helps you to concentrate more on your business, and also lower your IT costs.

Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 hosting provides a stabilized company messaging background that has Outlook e-mails, centralized storage and the workgroup solution. Exchange mail hosting is just an outsourced solution of Exchange server implementation offered on a shared basis, with pre-configured features such as free outlook, outlook web access, anti-virus and anti-spam protection, mobile phone syncing using ActiveSync.

One of the best features of Exchange 2007 hosting is that it offers secure email and Outlook access. The anti-virus and anti-spam features are the most beneficial qualities of Exchange Server hosting, with even greater benefits while receiving mail on mobile platform. Most people receive spam e-mails, and it is certainly worth considering a switch over to Exchange hosting that is well managed and properly configured with spam filter. The Intelligent Message Filtering filters all the spam and it eliminates spam prior to your mailbox getting cluttered. With respect to security, every e-mail that passes through Exchange Server 2007 hosting is encrypted. Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 hosting has been introduced recently and it was designed with the latest clustering options, which is an expensive proposition for anyone except a large corporation. If you are currently using Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Hosting – in-house or outsourced – it is time to move onto MS Exchange Server 2007 hosting with an established application provider.

Adrian Gates
http://www.articlesbase.com/web-hosting-articles/microsoft-exchange-hosting-benefits-672583.html

Most people would define spam as unsolicited e-mail. They are e-mail messages which are mostly marketing schemes which crowd your Inbox. If you do not have an anti-spam software, you would have to sort through hundreds of junk mail before you can even get to read the e-mail messages which came from contacts whom you actually know.

This is not just time consuming but annoying as well. Some people even find it offensive when companies get a hold of their e-mail addresses and send them marketing correspondence through e-mail.

Microsoft Outlook is one of the most common e-mail programs used by Windows users. There are a lot of anti-spam software which can work seamlessly with Outlook, and this is one way of filtering junk mail from going through your mailbox.

Take a look at some of the top-rated anti-spam software which would work well with your Outlook e-mail program:
– SPAMfighter for Outlook

SPAMfighter has teamed up with Microsoft to develop an anti-spam tool for Outlook and Outlook Express users. This is an easy to install tool which would get rid of spam from littering your Inbox.

This is how it works: Once a new e-mail message shows up on your Inbox, it is tested by SPAMfighter. The tool has a feature which automatically detects spam, and if the message sent is considered to be junk mail, it goes straight to your spam folder.

There is also an option where once you click a button, spam mail is removed from the mailbox of other SPAMfighter users in over 200 countries.

It works seamlessly with Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express. The good thing about this tool is that you can help other online users by reporting spam once you receive it, and as soon as it is reported, the same message which will litter another Inbox will also be removed.

This tool comes in two versions, the SPAMfighter Pro and SPAMfighter Standard.
– CA Anti-spam Software for Outlook

CA, which is formerly known as Qurb anti-spam software, can also be integrated with Outlook. The application is now known as eTrust Anti-Spam which aims to stop all spam messages from even reaching your Inbox. As soon as eTrust Anti-spam is installed, it will work so well with Outlook or Outlook Express that you would think that it is a feature of your e-mail client.
– Norton Anti-Spam Software

Norton is one of the more popular anti-virus software. Their Norton Anti-Spam program filters your mailbox on several levels and it works well with Outlook and Outlook Express. Another feature of this program is blocking pop-up advertisements.
– Anti-Spam 1.3 for Outlook

Any version of Anti-Spam for Outlook will remove more than 90% of spam on your mailbox. With this application, you can train the software to classify the messages on your Inbox as ’spam’ or ‘friend’. After some time, it will be automatically configured and will instantly classify your messages as junk or something that should show up on your Inbox.

Here are other anti-spam software that you can use seamlessly with Outlook:

-Cloudmark Safety Bar -SpamBayes Outlook Add-in -Outclass -Ella for Spam Control -Outlook Spam Filter -Trend Micro Anti-Spam Pilot

These applications will do the job for you by sifting through the hundreds of spam mail that you receive everyday so that you can have a spam-free, uncluttered mailbox.

Dave Poon
http://www.articlesbase.com/spam-articles/what-you-need-to-know-about-antispam-software-for-outlook-64006.html

Hardly a week goes by without a news report about a stolen laptop or some other security breach. I guess a positive outcome of this news coverage is it has made business and individuals more security conscious. Security is always going to be a balancing act. If your security policy gives you strong protection but is not practical or difficult to understand the risk is that staff won’t stick to it. Here are some simple steps to improve the security of your network:

DO

• Implement secure passwords. At least 6 characters with a combination of upper and lower case plus special characters/numbers.
• Ensure passwords are changed in your business every month. This can be set as an automated prompt.
• Ensure you have adequate anti-Virus Protection and Spam Filtering.
• Ensure you have a firewall.
• Only allow remote access to people who need it not everyone.
• Implement a laptop security policy and ensure staff are trained on it.

DON’T

• Share passwords within the business. There are still some businesses out there who have book labelled “passwords” on full view in the open plan office!
• Don’t let staff write their password reminders on a Post-It Note stuck to their computer.
• Have a link for external access to your internal systems from your public website.

If you are running Microsoft Small Business Server you can implement secure fobs – like some banks so that in order to login remotely you need to know the username/password and be in possession of the fob in order to input a random number. This also available on other server types and systems.

Remember that one of the biggest threats to your security is from within your business.

Wireless Networks

Wireless is not a secure medium and should be treated as such, where possible implement the highest encryption practical. Firewall the wireless so that even if it is compromised only your internet connection is compromised – not your internal systems.

Web surfing - common Sense

Don’t click on links in emails asking you to login to so and so bank or indeed any site, if you believe it is a legitimate email open up internet explorer and browse to the site directly and login without clicking on any links with the email.

Pop-up boxes – if you get a pop-up box saying you need to update so and so anti virus software and you have never heard of the software just close it – clicking on the links gets you to install malware. Another variation of the above is a pop-up saying you are infected with a virus click here to get protection or similar – don’t do it.

Social networking sites (Facebook, Bebo, Myspace etc)

I’m new to social networking sites but I have noticed that it is now possible for viruses and other Malicious Software to be spread via these sites. A user’s login is compromised and then their account is used to send malicious links via the internal email/notification system to all their contacts on that site.

Vigilance is important here and you should take the same precautions used for email, including never responding to unwanted messages and never posting personal information that could lead to identity theft. This includes your birthday in your personal profile. If you want to display it I suggest excluding your year of birth.

Related links

Facebook users hit by virus
Stay safe online - for small businesses

Please contact us for further advice on IT security

Lee Edge
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/it-security-how-to-keep-your-assets-safe-684600.html

Some Internet Service Providers (ISPs) such as AOL, Hotmail and Yahoo have a report as spam button. The number of times this function is used is collected by the ISP and used to score for filtering and potentially to block emails.

The number of spam complaints an ISP gets from users plays a major factor in the ISPs filtering of the email to junk or even not delivering the email at all. Too many people hitting the spam complaint button and your emails will be blocked.

Firstly you need to know how many spam complaints your emarketing efforts are getting. A good email service provider will be able to report for you on how many spam complaints were made.

It may be someone signed up for your emails and has simply forgotten then uses the spam button as an easy way of getting you out of their inbox. The legal definition of spam is not the same as the user’s definition of spam.

If you have a problem with too high spam complaint level what you can do?

There are actions you can take to reduce the number of users wrongly thinking your email is spam and potentially affecting future deliverability.

• Send an email to people who have neither opened nor clicked in the last year asking them to confirm they still want the email. If they don’t reconfirm, then remove them. Inactive people won’t be adding value to the list.

• Look at the profile of the people reporting email as spam. Are they recent subscribers? If so is a double opt-in needed might help (where you double check their opt-in with them before you start to send), or is the subscribe mechanism not clear enough as to what people are subscribing too. Did they subscribe through a common source? Did they subscribe a long time a go? This could help define a strategy to reduce spam complaints.

• Ensure the email branding is clear so that your company is identified. That the email branding is the same as the branding the user would have seen at time of sign up.

• Include a statement in the email to remind users they did ask for the email. EG ‘You are receiving this email as you subscribed to X on the Y. If you no longer wish to receive this email you may unsubscribe using the link at the bottom’

• Put your company name, address, registration number, contact details in the email footer. This is also a legal requirement in many countries, including all European countries

Tim Watson

Email marketing, as many of us know, can be a powerful, inexpensive method of reaching our most active potential or existing customers. It can boost not only our direct sales, but also our credibility and referrals.

One of the major benefits of email marketing is that email is free, but obviously this is the same reason why spam has become so popular and so frustrating. With spam comes spam filters and with spam filters comes the blocking of legitimate email.

In this article I’ll try and describe the basic steps that can help reduce the number of emails you send out that get blocked by spam filters — hopefully resulting in a more rewarding marketing effort.
The right selection of words Many spam filters work by analyzing the email based on its content and the words used. Many words — such as free, sex and so forth — are very heavy spam trigger keywords. Your priority should be to avoid such words while keeping your newsletter as professional as possible.

Later in this article I will show you a technique that I use to help me detect words that could trigger spam filters that I may have missed.

Pay attention to your formatting When formatting your email, keep it simple and professional. Excessive use of different colors, fonts, sizes, images and so forth will result in a higher Spam Filtering rate. Keep your email as clean as possible, and try to stick to a maximum of 2 or 3 different font types and sizes. Overly large sized fonts will surely add to an email being flagged as spam, as will too many images (or not enough text).

Try and use a short and simple stylesheet rather than using font tags excessively. Most spam filters don’t appreciate a multitude of font tags and inline formatting, and the more primitive filters can’t detect stylesheets so they will not penalize as easily.

Consistency is king Use a template if you plan on sending newsletters consistently. This will make sure that all your newsletters look and feel the same. It will also add a touch of professionalism and branding to your newsletters.

Whilst not directly affecting spam filters, this will enable your readers to distinguish your newsletter instantly, thus not reporting it as spam accidentally. Some spam filters work by querying a spam server, whereas others report individual emails as spam. If your email gets reported as spam, then more than likely multiple spam filters will flag your email.

Being consistent with your timing of the newsletter also helps. For example, if you send a newsletter once per month (I personally don’t recommend you send out any more than this, unless you’ve got something really interesting to say), then aim to send it out at the same time, on the same day each month.

Once again, your potential readers will learn to expect your email, adding professionalism and often improving open rates, also reducing accidental spam flagging as well.

Always use Double Opt-in Always make your mailing lists double opt-in. This means that when a user subscribes to your mailing list, they will be sent an email with a link that they must click on to confirm their subscription.

This is very important because many people can accidentally enter an incorrect email address, or even the email address of someone else on purpose. When that person receives a newsletter they did not subscribe to, they will assume they have been spammed, and your newsletter (and possibly your web server) will be reported as spam.

Unsubscribe and Contact Information Every newsletter you send out should contain a way for the reader to unsubscribe. Not doing so is illegal in some countries and is an instant sign of spamming. You should also display your contact information (Phone, Fax and Address) clearly, as this greatly increases confidence in your email and your company, as well as conforms to spam laws in the United States. Contact information also allows a potential customer to contact you if need be.

Test,Test, Test The key to avoiding spam filters is testing. The first method of testing I use is to send the newsletter to multiple email accounts with existing spam filters. For example, I have a Gmail (http://www.gmail.com) account and a Hotmail (http://www.hotmail.com) account that I make sure I send my newsletter to. If the newsletter ends up in the junk folder, then I’ve got some work to do.
I also have a couple of email accounts with different web hosts that have spam filters in place. In particular, they mostly use spam assassin — a popular piece of spam filtering software. Spam assassin is useful because every email that it flags as spam is given a report and a list of why that email was considered spam.

I also have a local spam filtering application called No Spam Today! for Workstations, that runs a local copy of spam assassin on my PC. It acts as a very close replica to the same software used on thousands of servers world-wide. By sending myself copies of the newsletter No Spam Today! — using the spam assassin checking techniques — gives me feedback as to why my email may have been flagged. If I’ve used words or formatting that I shouldn’t have, or if I’ve included too many images, etc.

Conclusion Avoiding spam filters when sending out legitimate newsletters can be a time consuming effort. However, as your mailing list grows, it can also be a very beneficial exercise. I’ve watched open rates of just 2 to 3% soar to a massive 50% and over, simply by applying the techniques described in this article.

In conclusion, I hope that you’ve found the above tips useful and I wish you luck with your email marketing endeavors!

Eddie Machaalani
http://www.articlesbase.com/email-articles/avoiding-the-spam-filters-and-other-email-marketing-tips-718573.html

I set the spam filter thingy on my yahoo mail along while back and now its only filtering half the spam mostly the stuff i am getting is from like target walmart and something called camyoon

How do i set it so all the spam is filterd not just half

To STOP receiving unwanted (Spam/Bulk/Junk) E-mail, do the following:

☞Go to Options>Mail Options>Under Spam Protection, make sure your Spam Guard is turned ON. This will force all the Spam mails to be routed to your Spam folder

►Click the Website below which gives you useful tips to stop Spams▼
→ (http://www.howtogetridofstuff.com/computer-problems/how-to-get-rid-of-email-spam/ )

●Under Blocked Addresses, type in spammer.com, this will stop all Spam that has been reported to Yahoo from ever entering your email. I recommend you remove everything on your list first. This will give you a fresh start after you type in the "spammer.com".

►Click the link below which explains you on how to block an address ▼
→ (http://help.yahoo.com/tutorials/cg/mail/cg_otherspam3.html )

►Click the link below to report Scams of various types▼
→ (http://www.consumerfraudreporting.org/defend_yourself.php )

♦Also go to Options>Mail Options>Under Spam Protection, tick mark the option which says Always show images, except in Spam folder (http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/mail/yahoomail/abuse/abuse-13.html )

♥If you get email from someone you don’t know, ‘NEVER’ open it (it may contain viruses) and report it as SPAM. This will automatically block it from your email account. When you do open an E-mail that is Spam, you have alerted the sender that your account is Active.(http://help.yahoo.com/us/tutorials/mail/mail/spamguard1.html )

♥This will immediately stop all the Junk Mail considerably. I only get maybe one or two Spam emails a month. Remember, anytime you give out your E-mail address over the Internet, you can expect to receive some kind of Spam, unless you have made sure that site is secure. Hope this Helps(http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/mail/yahoomail/abuse/abuse-15.html )

I want to test the Gmail spam filter, and need a large sample size to get reliable statistics. Is there anyway to sign an email up automatically to a large number of spam lists?

Thanks.

The surveys is a good answer. Posting your email address online will get you into spam links too. Posting it in plain text on yahoo answers and in forums such as here where they are posting their addresses for the bots to scrape.

http://www.emailquestions.com/email-discussions/754-send-me-spam.html

I have been getting a number of junk emails (unsolicited) that I would like to seperate out into a spam folder. They have been arriving at a rate of 4 - 6 each day.

STOP opening them! Opening spam alerts the sender that your address is a valid one and they send you loads and loads more. You can not completely stop all spam, but you can help to put a big dent in it.
Check mark them and click on ‘Spam,’ this should stop those addresses from being delivered to your inbox.
Use your spam guard and block address.
Look for the ‘Options’ link at upper right corner of mail screen and click on it
Options /mail options
Click on ’spam’ in the list on the left.
Make sure spam guard is on, by checking in the little box.
Then in ‘Blocked Email Addresses,’ enter the E-mail address you wish blocked, in the box after ‘Add a blocked address’ and click on the ‘add’ button, then click on save changes at top left of screen.
You will never get mail from that address again.
This should help you to control your spam.
Other tips:
Do not ever open E-mail from people you do not know; and unless you are absolutely sure who it is from then treat them as spam.
Never, ever give out your account information or other personal information to anyone.
If you are on a site and you absolutely have to sign up for something, check the entire page to make sure you uncheck any lines wanting to send you any other info, notices, catalogs, ads, and the like.
Added detail:
Yes, spammers change one item in their addresses a lot, so you might try blocking the entire domain, by putting in
*@ thedomainyouwanttoblock.com
for instance: *@seeyou.com
Or, if they change the domain, instead of the company name you can block the name by putting in Imatheft_inc@*
Hope this helps

I need to know the actual Spam Filtering technique of yahoo mail. Because I want to be sure my mail will go to the in-box of someones (not in my buddy lists) mail (not to the spam folder). I will not put any image or any link to the mail body. And it also will be small. But I astonished sometimes small email is also treated as spam. Just see the following two.

1. "I want to say you something. bye"

2. "I want to say you something. one day I told you not to go so far from me. but now I am telling to go. please go, go. never come to me again. I will think this was my fault (not your anymore). bye"

First one has been treated as spam but not the second one even the second one is larger than the first one. And it also varies from words to words. What is the solution? Please let me know.

It depends on each particular Yahoo members spam filter and how they have been using it. Some people do not have it turned on at all, so it can not "learn" from how they use it. Others are more sensitive than others because they use it a lot. The bottom line it, that there is little you can do about it, it is up to the recipient to handle and deal with their spam and the spam filter they use. They must check their ’spam’ folder by going into the ’spam’ folder and check mark the item they wish to keep. Click on the ‘Not spam’ button and it will be returned to their in box, also allowing that address to be delivered to the in box from now on. However, they need to go in periodically and check to insure all items are spam.
Also, make sure that they have your address is in their address book, as it helps to ensure that address as a "safe" one.

I often wonder when sending a 1st-time email to an employer if it is alright to attach your resume. What I’m really asking is will it pass through most employers spam/virus filters if you send an attachment?
ie. a pdf file attachment.

If you are sending your resume unsolicited to an employer it may very well wind up in the "round file" even if the attachment makes it past their email filters. First question I have is: why are you sending a resume unsolicited - does the employer have job openings? If so, they must have an accepted/preferred way of accepting your job history, either through their own on-line application or some other way of applying that they outline on their website. If you have a particular job in mind, you should be following their application process for that job. But if you’re just sending in a resume blind in hopes that someone will read it and create a job for you, then I think the odds are against you to ever get your resume read. If you are interested in applying to a company and relevant job opening info is not available to you, you should call their Human Resource department and inquire about openings, and what the best way would be to apply or to show your interest in the company.