WSIS THEMATIC MEETING ON COUNTERING SPAM CURBING SPAM VIA TECHNICAL MEASURES : AN OVERVIEW

Unsolicited e-mail (colloquially known as “spam”) is a problem for most Internet users. Although there is no “silver bullet” that can completely eradicate spam, there are many technical measures that can effectively reduce the amount of spam that reaches end-users. This paper outlines the various technical measures that are currently available, and describes how each can play a role in the battle against spam. When combined, these measures can provide a “good enough” solution to the spam problem for e-mail users. Coupled with appropriate legislative and legal action, such measures may even help turn the tide against spammers.