Why You Shouldn’t Unsubscribe from Spam Emails

Spam emails
Spam emails

We’ve all receive spam and phishing emails. They’re aggravating, clog your inbox, and it takes time to delete them. As a business, spam email can trigger numerous issues, including malicious ransomware attacks. In fact, 91% of all malware is still deployed via email.   Just one click from an unsuspecting employee can cause catastrophic data loss or thousands of dollars in damages. 

If you’re like me, you’ve probably been tempted a time or two to hit that unsubscribe button at the bottom of the spam email, trying to end the troubles once and for all. But whatever you do, don’t click that “unsubscribe” link! 

Here’s What Could Happen 

Spammers hit millions of email addresses daily, but not all spammers know if the emails they spam are active email addresses. Just like marketers want to ensure they’re sending emails to valid email addresses, so do spammers. After all, the likelihood of someone clicking on a link in the spam email is higher if the email address is valid and active.  

If you do hit “unsubscribe”, spammers can validate that you’re an active user on that email account. Your email address just became a hot product for spammers of all types. In fact, hitting “unsubscribe” could actually result in 100’s of more spam emails to your inbox every day.  

Another possibility is that the unsubscribe link is corrupt and will download malware, ransomware or other viruses onto your computer. This can put you and your company at significant risk. 

What to Do with Spam Emails 

When you do get a spam email, you should mark that email as spam and delete the email before even opening it. Sometimes a spammer can tell if the email has been opened and thus that you’re active on your email account. Labeling the email as spam or junk can help email providers better identify and categorize spam emails as they deliver to your inbox in the future. In any case, don’t hit “unsubscribe”! 

Here’s How to Prevent Spam All Together 

To prevent spam altogether, using email security filters can be the most proactive and worthwhile step you can take. They can empower your workforce to better identify spam emails and even prevent them from delivering to your inbox altogether. Email security filters can help your business filter out spam emails, impersonation emails, and general junk mail. It’s especially helpful when Office 365 email filters just aren’t cutting it. Microsoft doesn’t specialize in email security, they just provide the platform. Cyber Sainik Email Security, powered by Mimecast, on other the hand, can protect and prevent against suspicious and malicious emails.  

The Bottom Line: 

Don’t hit “unsubscribe” on those spam emails. Do get an email security filter that empowers you and your workforce to stay safe while managing email communications. Here at Cyber Sainik, we help business manage email security from filters to Office 365 backups. Contact us for more on our Cyber Sainik Email Security services, powered by Mimecast. 

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