What is spam?
In the world of cybersecurity, spam refers to unsolicited, bulk digital communications sent for malicious purposes. It’s the electronic equivalent of junk mail, but often with more deceptive or harmful intent. Spam can take various forms, including:
- Email spam: This is the most common type, bombarding inboxes with unwanted promotional messages, phishing attempts, or malware links.
- Social media spam: Spammers might create fake accounts or exploit legitimate ones to spread malicious content or links on social media platforms.
- Text message spam (smishing): Spammers can send unsolicited text messages with phishing links or attempts to steal personal information.
Key components_
- Sender spoofing: Spammers often forge email addresses or phone numbers to make their messages appear legitimate.
- Deceptive content: Spam emails or messages may use misleading subject lines, urgency tactics or fake offers to entice users to click on malicious links.
- Distribution networks: Spammers can exploit compromised computer networks or botnets to send massive volumes of spam messages at once.
How Microsoft defends against spam_
- Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP): This cloud-based service offers advanced spam filtering capabilities for Microsoft 365 email accounts, helping to block spam messages before they reach user inboxes.
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint: This solution can help identify and block spam emails containing malicious attachments or links that could lead to malware infections.
- User education: Microsoft provides educational resources and training programs to help users recognise and avoid spam attempts, further strengthening the organisation’s security posture.
