Spam is a challenge for Internet users, businesses, and policymakers alike. Estimates vary, but some suggest that more than 100 billion spam messages are sent every day, representing up to 85 percent of global daily email traffic. The proliferation of spam presents a harmful, costly, and evolving threat to Internet users. Governments can help reduce the impact of spam by deterring offenders via effective laws and enforcement measures, multistakeholder antispam efforts, the adoption of best practices, and citizen education about the dangers of spam. Network operators can help reduce the impact of spam by taking steps to reduce the chances that spam originates on your networks. Individual users can take actions so that they do not contribute to the spam problem. It is through working collaboratively that we will be able to combat the challenge of spam!
In this toolkit, we provide you with information about how you can help reduce the spread of spam.
Getting Started
If you are looking for introductory information about spam, we suggest the following:
- The Challenge of Spam: An Internet Society Policy Brief (Spanish) (French)
- What is Spam?
- Botnets: An Internet Society Policy Brief (Spanish) (French)
- Combating Spam: Policy, Technical and Industry Approaches
The Internet Society is pleased to bring you this Anti-Spam Toolkit as part of our joint work with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to address the challenge of spam. Please see the ITU’s page on combating spam for more information about their resources.