Is computer security the only option to combat the misuse of e-mail?

In today's age of technology, internet security options are infinite. Email scams, hoaxes, spam, advertising and viruses are growing at a phenomenal rate. The technologies to prevent malicious emails are not far behind. Whilst computer security is not the only option when combating the misuse of e-mail, it is the most sensible option, and provides an ease of use to the home and commercial user.

Spam e-mail's and 'hoax' e-mail's are growing more technologically advanced each day and dealing with hoax emails is annoying and time consuming at best, and costly at worst. Steve Polak's article 'Shut fraud window' claims that 'Spam e-mail which is falsely claiming to be from one institution or another is quite common.' With the amount of internet security options available, such as anti-virus software, anti-spam spoftware, firewall's and Patches for operating system are amazing that such a huge number of e-mails are getting through such systems.

3wPlayer

PMdiagram

Part of a spam e-mail

Microsoft outlook blocks all downloads (even .jpg's) unless you specify that they are from a reliable source. So the fact that virus's are being received, is not acceptable. The other form of spam is hoax emails. Program's such as outlook often block many of these until you specify it is from a reliable source.

Hoax e-mail's are quite common and persistent, but some fault lies on the user. Most computer users don't understand how to identify malicious emails, and informing them of this can be quite costly and time consuming. With all the information readily available to inform people of the hoaxes around, users usually don't see this as important because of how secure they feel having anti-virus software. Nor do they have the background knowledge to understand and interpret information. When an e-mail arrives from the National bank spelled 'Natianl', the user see's this and still...