Spam

What is spam?

Spam refers to unsolicited messages sent without the recipient's consent, usually at large scale. While commonly associated with email, spam also affects SMS, messaging apps, social networks, forums, and comment sections. Spam can be merely annoying - or actively harmful when used to distribute scams, phishing links, or malware.

Why spam matters

Spam is a significant issue because it:

• Consumes time and productivity
• Overloads communication systems
• Serves as a delivery vector for phishing and malware
• Degrades trust in digital communications
• Increases operational and security costs

A large percentage of cyberattacks begin with spam messages.

Common types of spam

Spam appears in many forms, including:

1) Email spam

• Unsolicited advertisements or scams

2) SMS spam (smishing)

• Fraudulent messages sent to mobile devices

3) Comment and forum spam

• Automated posts promoting links or scams

4) Social media spam

• Fake accounts posting or messaging at scale

5) Call spam (robocalls)

• Automated or deceptive phone calls

Spam vs phishing

While related, they are different:

• Spam: unsolicited mass messaging, not always malicious
• Phishing: targeted deception to steal credentials or data

Phishing often uses spam as its delivery mechanism.

How spam is generated

Spam is commonly sent using:

• Compromised email accounts or servers
• Botnets of infected devices
• Open relays or misconfigured mail servers
• Automated scripts and tools

Modern spam campaigns are highly automated and adaptive.

Detecting and filtering spam

Spam filtering relies on:

• Reputation-based filtering
• Content and pattern analysis
• Machine learning classifiers
• Email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
• User reporting and feedback loops

No spam filter is 100% accurate.

Spam and cybersecurity

From a security standpoint, spam:

• Acts as a primary threat distribution channel
• Enables large-scale social engineering
• Helps attackers test defenses and user behavior
• Can be used to overwhelm monitoring systems

Effective spam control is foundational to email security.

Preventing spam

Best practices include:

• Using strong spam filters and email gateways
• Enforcing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC
• Educating users to recognize and report spam
• Limiting public exposure of email addresses
• Blocking known malicious domains and senders

Common misconceptions

• "Spam is just annoying, not dangerous"
• "Spam filters catch everything"
• "Only email is affected by spam"
• "Reporting spam has no impact"