Junk Filters

Published December 26, 2011

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Overview

Junk filters, also known as spam or email filters help remove unwanted email from inboxes. Filters are software applications that separate unsolicited and legitimate emails. Junk filters are configured to block emails from suspicious website or Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. While sorting through email, junk filters may move unwanted correspondence to the spam folder or trash.

Some junk filters prevent people from sending emails, especially in corporate settings, where employees are restricted from sending unnecessary email from the company's IP address. Another kind of outgoing email filter disables links, masks images, and modifies certain words.

Benefits

The biggest advantage of using a spam filter is that your inbox will be protected from malicious and unsolicited emails. This filter helps maintain Internet security and help users organize their inboxes. These junk filters are advantageous for companies that do not want their employees to use the computer's IP address for private communication. Some email addresses receive thousands of spam messages per day, and a spam filter keeps these unwanted and unnecessary emails from cluttering inboxes.

How It Works

Junk filters are designed for specific email services. You can download a junk filter to use with your email client. Many web servers come with preinstalled spam filters. Most filters prevent junk mail from landing in your inbox.

Junk filters block mail using a variety of techniques. The most common method is to disable certain IP addresses from accessing the inbox. Some junk filters are configured to operate at a certain time. This setting is used in offices where employees are prevented from using the company's IP address for personal matters during work hours. Most junk filters contain virus and spyware filters. They determine if the incoming email has a virus or malicious code. If so, the filter may completely delete the mail. In some cases, the mails can be read but the attachments will be scanned. If the attachment contains a malicious code, the filter will ask you if you wish to delete further entries from that IP address or not.

Other junk filters follow a progressive learning path. The filter allows you to add emails to the spam folder. This way, the filtering software will know your preference and stop further emails from that address.

There are different types of junk filters. Standalone junk filters need to be installed on a specific computer and then configured to work with certain email services. Another type is an integrated junk filter, which is built within the email service itself. These filters work on a progressive learning path.