Number 10: Configure your mail client to filter spam

If you're tired of receiving spam, or junk email, chances are you can have quite a bit of it moved automatically from your mailbox. Outlook, Pine, and many other programs all have mechanisms for "filtering" email.

Number 9

Do not respond to spam If a spam email message includes an address to "unsubscribe", do not respond to it. Do not follow any links either. Responding and clicking links only lets spammers know that someone is reading their email, thereby making your address more valuable to other spammers. Instead, try filtering the spam. See http://www.engin.umich.edu/caen/faqs/Email/.

Number 8

Use web-based email If you are away from your favorite email client, you can securely access your mailbox with any browser from any Internet-connected computer using web-based email. The following URLs provide access to University of Michigan email sites:

• Regular U-M mailboxes: http://mail.umich.edu/
• U-M Exchange mailboxes: https://exchange.umich.edu/

Number 7

Do not check for new email every 30 seconds Most email applications have a setting to indicate the frequency with which to check for new messages. We recommend a setting of five minutes. The more often you access your mailbox, the more frequently the email server must read your entire mailbox into memory and examine its contents. This means more work for the server, and consequently, slower response time.

Number 6

Use IMAP instead of POP Post Office Protocol, or POP, was developed to download and read email on the same computer. POP clients can be set to work around this and leave all mail on the email server, but those workarounds slow down the email server considerably. Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) is a newer protocol, designed with roaming users in mind. It is more efficient, containing features that allow you to view messages without downloading the entire mailbox. Using IMAP, you can also organize your email into folders.

Number 5

Use IMAP folders IMAP allows email folders to be managed easily and effectively. By moving messages out of your inbox and into IMAP folders, your mailbox will become more organized and you will be able to find old messages more quickly. The size of your email inbox will also decrease.

Number 4

Keep your inbox small Whether you use POP or IMAP to access your email, it is important to limit the size of your inbox. Each time you access an email message, the server must read through your entire inbox. If your mailbox contains all your messages and attachments, it can grow very large very quickly. When hundreds of users check their email at the same time, the server must work harder. There are many ways to limit the size of your inbox. The easiest are to delete messages you don't want, and to save messages into IMAP folders. If you are a POP user, make sure that you don't have the "Leave Messages on Server" option selected in your email preferences.

Number 3

Don't open attachments you don't expect Or at least check them for viruses first. Numerous viruses can be spread via email, and you may be only a click away from spreading it yourself. In the past few years, several viruses have brought email servers to their knees, such as Braid, Klez, and BugBear viruses. These nefarious programs can go through your address book, find people you know, and send email from you on their behalf! When lots of people start spreading viruses, "email storms" ensue and email servers grind to a halt in an attempt to deliver all the bogus messages. Do not open attachments from people you do not know. If you receive an attachment you don't expect, even from people you know, first save it, scan it for viruses, and then open it. You will save yourself, and others, a lot of grief. For more information on viruses and antivirus software, visit the UM Virus Busters page at: http://virusbusters.itcs.umich.edu/

Number 2

Be security-conscious: Use SSL SSL encrypts your password and email from prying eyes during transmission. See the SSL article on page 4 for more information.

Number 1

Stay informed! Knowledge is power, and the best way to improve your overall computing experience, whether with email or otherwise, is to keep informed and abreast of emerging technologies and security concerns. The following web sites provide up to date information about new information technology concepts, security risks, and more: Security Focus: http://www.securityfocus.com/ ; InternetStorm Center: http://isc.incidents.org/; Slashdot: http://www.slashdot.org/; Ars Technica: http://www.arstechnica.com/.