More could be do to protect us from spam but users should protect themselves through better education. There are spam filters that take into account format, address, message hashing algorithms and other attributes and provide a percentage weighting for the filter. Rather than using security as a marketing tool if Microsoft are looking to stop spam why is there not a free spam filter on Hotmail? Why do I receive spam from Hotmail accounts?

If I do not want to receive direct mail I do not enter credit card competitions or similar and if I do provide my address I check the box that specifies my details will not be passed to a third party or be used to contact me other than for the service I specify. I don't leave my address on petitions or other uncontrolled lists.

Users need to learn similar caution with email addresses. Don't expose the address to the member's directory. Add usergroups with an account that does not give your email address. Don't display email addresses on websites, use forms.

Microsoft (and Hotmail), AOL, and other email providers biggest help would be to stop people sending bulk emails from their servers and accounts and stop the auto generation of new email addresses. AOL will block email from a domain without a reverse lookup entry but let their own users send spam. Double standards?

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Link to this comment: http://www.securityfocus.com/comments/columns/170/20664#20664