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How do I Choose the Best Anti-Spam Protection?

S. Gonzales
S. Gonzales

Receiving spam email can be annoying and potentially dangerous to your computer. There are many anti-spam software options available that can help you put an end to junk mail. When searching for anti-spam protection, you should try to find programs that have anti-virus software, that allow you to manually identify spam and that work with your particular email client and email account type.

Look for anti-spam software that allows you to filter and classify email. Some programs can detect spam email automatically, but an important part of protecting yourself from spam is being able to manually identify which emails are coming from unwelcome sources. Find a program that gives you the option to tag obvious spam.

Spam represents a very real threat to millions of e-mail users worldwide.
Spam represents a very real threat to millions of e-mail users worldwide.

Try to find anti-spam software that also doubles as anti-virus protection. Viruses can often accompany spam, and opening a spam email can make you vulnerable to computer attacks. Install an anti-spam program that can help you quarantine and delete potentially harmful threats to your computer.

Unless you're technologically savvy, you should look for an anti-spam protection program that is easy to install and configure. Some programs will guide you through the process, but others can be cumbersome to install, and the options for them can be overwhelming. Of course, you should also select a program that works with the specific email client that you use. Verify that the software works with your type of email account. Many anti-spam software options can work with Post Office Protocol (POP) and Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) email.

Anti-spam protection software may filter unwanted email messages automatically or allow options for customizing filters.
Anti-spam protection software may filter unwanted email messages automatically or allow options for customizing filters.

Make sure that you have enough space to use the anti-spam protection that you choose. Available memory and hard drive space are considerations that you should take into account. Installing any program onto your computer without enough memory or hard drive space can cause your computer to act erratically. It can also mean that your your anti-spam software won't work properly. If you have experience with anti-spam protection software, you might want to download anti-spam protection that gives you statistics on your email, because these statistics can give you detailed insight into spam and how the program handles it.

Use a program that lets you control what emails you receive by blocking spam manually.
Use a program that lets you control what emails you receive by blocking spam manually.

You should also be aware that costs of anti-spam protection do not necessarily correlate with how effective it can be. There are plenty of free options that you can take advantage of that can work just as well or better than paid alternatives. If you're interested in trying free anti-spam software, simply research some options on the Internet, read some reviews and download the software that best meets your needs.

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    • Spam represents a very real threat to millions of e-mail users worldwide.
      By: Tyler Olson
      Spam represents a very real threat to millions of e-mail users worldwide.
    • Anti-spam protection software may filter unwanted email messages automatically or allow options for customizing filters.
      By: adimas
      Anti-spam protection software may filter unwanted email messages automatically or allow options for customizing filters.
    • Use a program that lets you control what emails you receive by blocking spam manually.
      By: Scott Hancock
      Use a program that lets you control what emails you receive by blocking spam manually.
    • Some anti-spam products filter emails based upon a continually updated list of known spammers.
      By: a4stockphotos
      Some anti-spam products filter emails based upon a continually updated list of known spammers.
    • Try to find anti-spam software that doubles as anti-virus protection.
      By: creative soul
      Try to find anti-spam software that doubles as anti-virus protection.