SMB Cloud Business Solutions Blog

Why You Need an E-mail Spam Fighting Solution (In Laymen’s Terms)

We all hate e-mail spam.  Sure, sometimes an e-mail offering you cheap Viagra will arouse a chuckle, but you're lying if you say you don't mind being bombarded with junky e-mails like that.  I know I can't stand them.  E-mail spam is annoying, and as annoying as it is when it's received in your personal e-mail account, it's far more annoying when it makes its way in to your business e-mail account. 

Being solicited with unwanted e-mails at work is unnecessary.  Business inboxes are crowded enough as is, and you don't need additional spam messages, malware, and phishing attacks sent to you.  Especially when you open them unknowingly, and cause damage to the computer systems at your office. 

That's why your office should make use of an e-mail solution.  Google's Postini, which Mosaic Technology is authorized to sell at discount rates.  Postini, which is an extremely cost-effective e-mail solution for SMBs, filters your emails in the cloud before it reaches your mail server, so you are not burdened with e-mail spam, phishing attacks, and malware. Postini also offers you optional e-mail archiving, and protects client networks from web-borne malware.  And the best part about it is, since it is a managed service, there is no hardware, software, Microsoft licensing, maintenance or administration that needs to be performed on a daily basis!  It's a simple, affordable e-mail solution that's incredibly easy to use! 

If you're interested in having spam free e-mail, sign up for a free trial of Postini, or contact us today at 484-323-5020!

Mind Your [E-mail] Manners…

Although we typically deal with email spam solutions and web security solutions, we feel that we're email experts ‘round here at Mosaic.  And that's why we're laying down the law - or better yet the guide to writing an appropriate and effective email.  (Hey, okay so maybe we have no authority to lay down the "e-mail law", but c'mon...we deal with spam and junk mail, and a lot of it.  We've seen the good e-mails and the bad, so that gives us some kind of street cred, right?)

Crappy e-mails.  We all get them all the time.  Whether it's spam (if so, check out our e-mail spam solutions) or just someone who plain old doesn't care about what they're writing, reading a poorly written, junky e-mail is sometimes too much to stomach.  Often times, when we receive something like this, we disregard and delete.  E-mail is a prevalent and convenient form of communication today.  And although there are a whole slew of people that don't take it seriously, there is a mega-majority counter-part group that realize how important and how serious it is. Would you ever write a business oriented snail-mail letter with slang and improper grammar?  I'd bet you a short stack of my mom's homemade flapjacks that you wouldn't! 

By now, I bet your asking "well what does an appropriate email look like?"  Luckily for you, I'm about to explain.  Here are a few tips to keep in mind when writing an email. 

• Grammar and Spelling Count - Is the goal of your email to establish your stupidity and discount any credibility you may have? I don't think so. Therefore, pay attention to your spelling and grammar! A poorly written email is more of a turnoff then getting a whiff of a smoker's breath. If it's not written well, do yourself a favor; don't even send it.
• Clarity is Essential - IF I WRITE LIKE THIS, ABOUT HALF OF YOU WILL ASSUME I'M YELLING! Be clear and concise in what you're saying. Remember, you can't hear someone speak when you're reading an e-mail. Inflection and tone of voice is often interpreted incorrectly. Make sure you are specific with what you say, and straightforward with how you say it. Don't confuse people. That's just silly. Also, make sure your e-mail subject line summarizes the main idea in your message.
• Remember, People are LAZY - Yes, I totally yelled the word lazy.  Get over it.  As humans, we scan things when we read, and we leave stuff out.  A lot.  When writing your e-mail, get the main point of your message across almost immediately.   This is simple - just remember important stuff first, not so important stuff...not first. 
• Keep it Simple, Stupid - Be a doll and do me a favor, keep it short and simple.  I don't want to read most of what you send me.  Don't send me your life story, keep it short - this is an e-mail, not a snooze fest.
• Be Polite, Professional, and ‘Ppropriate - Ppropriate = Appropriate.  I just wanted to give you the three P's of writing e-mails.  Use your noggin and always write courteously.
• There is No Unsend - As much as it pains my well groomed fingertips to type this, remember, you can't unsend an email.  What's sent is sent, guy.  As cliché as it is, remember to chill out and calm down before writing an email.  If you spout off an emotion filled ramble that seemed like a good idea five minutes ago, odds are it was never a good idea.   Take a minute to calm down before writing. 

There you go.  Those are the official rules of e-mail as told by people who witness some downright-awful e-mail.  Now that you've read our golden rules, you're pretty much obliged to check out our e-mail spam fighting solution that will protect your organization from spam and junk mail.  Contact us at 484-323-5020 for more info!

 

 

Spam Protection: How to Approach Email Security for Your Organization

Inundated with email spam? Face it, we all are nowadays. Email threats and spam messages are dominating our inboxes, and, in turn, causing major problems for businesses and end users. Technology and computers are the hub of business in today's world; that being said, mostly every organization relies on email in some way, shape, or form. It was recently reported that 90% of all email is spam. Many small and midsized businesses that use email can't afford to have a full time, internal IT staff to assist them with their every problem, making them more vulnerable to spam and email threats. Email security has been a growing problem for SMBs.

Here are five simple solutions SMBs can utilize to help bolster your organizations email security and fight spam:

Your best bet to avoid spam is to not get on a spammers list to begin with. But hey, it's not a perfect world, we ALL receive spam constantly.

1) When you post in forums, chats, and other websites - often times you're asked to leave your email. DON'T do this anymore. Instead make something up or make it unclear. You need to be careful what you do with your email address. Think of it this way, would you willingly give your home address to a bunch of criminals?

2) Don't sign up for offers or membership with your business/personal email account. When you do so, you're practically inviting the spam into your house. Also, make sure you look a the little checkboxes that often appear when your signing up for something online. Don't opt in to receive stuff when you don't want it - plain and simple.

3) Spam is often inviting. It often prompts opening it by relaying to you that "You Won", "You Requested" "You Signed Up".... Ignore this; this is usually an email spam red flag.

4) Do you know who sent you your email? You should! Make it a priority to assume that all email from unknown senders is spam.

5) Lastly but definitely not least, look into anti spamming protection and email spam protection. This is key. Here at Mosaic, we offer Google's Postini solution. Postini basically takes the hit off of your mail server and is your first line of defense. Postini filters your mail and prevents your mail server from taking an attack. This ultimately takes the hits from going to your network and affecting your organization.

If you'd like to learn more regarding how to block spam, contact Mosaic Technology today! Call us at 484-323-5020!