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Junk Mail
Junk mail, also known as spam, is a big problem
on the Internet. It clogs your mailbox with stuff you didn't ask
for and probably don't want. That is why many users ask Cruzio to
block all spam, but we can't always tell important email from junk
and we don't want you to lose wanted mail. That's why Cruzio has
created a Junk Mail Filter, which you can modify.
» Learn
more about the Junk Mail Filter
Cruzio's Junk Mail Policy
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| We block connections from any computer on
the SpamHaus
Blocklist. In the past, Cruzio has chosen not to block spam,
but to provide filters and other means for customers to decide
for themselves the messages they wish to receive. Mail delivery
delays due to the enormous volume of spam prompted us to reverse
our policy. |
| Cruzio does not allow people
to send spam from or through our network. When we get complaints
about junk mail coming from Cruzio, we investigate and take
action, possibly including terminating the spammer's account. |
| The ability to relay mail through
our outgoing mail server is disabled. This means that only people
directly connected to Cruzio can send email through our servers.
If this weren't the case, the unscrupulous could use our mail
servers to send spam. |
| If you receive a junk mail message
from what appears to be a Cruzio customer, please forward the
message to abuse@cruzio.com. Be sure to explain why you're sending
it, so the reader doesn't assume it's spam! Note that junk mailers
have the ability to "spoof" email addresses in order
to hide their identities, so the message may not really be from
a Cruzio customer. |
| Note that Cruzio does not sell,
rent, or trade our customers' email addresses. |
How do spammers get my email address?
Typically, a junk mailer buys a list of email
addresses from a broker, who compiles it by "harvesting"
addresses from the Internet. Several articles have been written
on how
to encode email addresses to evade spammers' harvesting robots.
Another method involves sending a computer-generated
list of letter and number combinations, like 'groucho3@cruzio.com',
'groucho4@cruzio.com', etc. Many of the combinations won't be deliverable,
because there is no 'groucho4', but there are bound to be lots of
valid addresses in the mix. The marketer then uses special software
that can send hundreds of thousands-- even millions -- of messages
at the click of a mouse.
One way spammers are NOT getting your email address
is through Cruzio. We do not sell, trade or release customer information.
Does Cruzio get more junk mail than other ISPs?
We don't know exactly how many junk mail messages
are deluging other ISPs, but on Apr. 28, 2003, Yahoo!,
AOL, and MSN announced a joint anti-spam offensive that will
combine technological and legal measures. The fact that these rival
companies are banding together to fight spam indicates that the
problem of junk mail is impacting ISPs large and small across the
nation.
Two days later, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
convened a brainstorming session in Washington to drum up other
anti-spam measures and even the Direct Marketing Association announced
it now supports legislation requiring advertisers to include their
real email addresses in their messages and to honor "unsubscribe"
requests-- a major concession from a group, which has been consistently
opposed anti-spam legislation.
What is Cruzio doing about junk mail?
Cruzio's junk mail filters assess each message
based on a number of different spam indicators and email with a
high likelihood of being spam is sent to the 'filtered' mailbox,
while the remaining messages are delivered as usual to your regular
mailbox.
Cruzio updates the junk mail filter with information
from several databases which track sources of spam and publish the
address of the server from which the messages originated. Since
spammers constantly change addresses, these databases help stem
the flood of junk mail, but aren't wholly effective, so a few other
safeguards are also in place:
- Our firewall rejects messages from sources which have threatened
our network.
- Our mail server rejects messages from bogus domains.
- Servers listed in the Open
Relay Database are blocked.
What can I do?
Cruzio strongly recommends that you set up your
Junk
Mail Filter. We are constantly adding improvements to the filter
and, although it's not easy to keep up with the innovations of wily
spammers, it is the single most effective thing you can do to avert
unwanted messages from your mailbox.
The FTC
has developed some guidelines for consumers which provide some
tips for battling junk mail. We also urge you to support the efforts
of your elected representatives seeking to pass anti-spam legislation.
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