So, your inbox is full of spam - and you want to receive less of it in the future. There are many things you can do that will decrease the amount of spam in your inbox, including using a spam filter or a spam blocker. But there are also common sense ways to prevent spam in your inbox and increase your email address's security.

A spam blocker can be an effective manner in which to cope with unwanted email. This anti spam software is different from spam filter programs in that it functions by blocking the majority of all incoming spam. But how exactly does a spam blocker work and what features should you look for in spam blocker software? Is there free anti spam software available and how does this compare to the average cost of spam blockers?

Earlier this week AOL released a free standalone antivirus program called Active Virus Shield. It's powered by Kaspersky's antivirus engine, known for its fast AV updates. It's also free for everyone, not just AOL users, so I thought I'd take a look. And right away I saw a note that sounds suspiciously like an ok to send spam.

Spam is typically associated with all the un-solicited emails that end up in your email application mailbox. It's more a nuisance and time waster than anything else. Have you ever wondered how spammers get your email address in the first place?

I have a Dell Dimension 8400 computer running Microsoft XP. I seem to get a lot of returned mail that I have not sent out. I have all McAfee Virus programs but it doesn't help. I run every program to see if I have something wrong and it always comes back clear. Is there any way to stop this? Do you have any idea how it got started?

Perhaps one of the most widely used defenses for spam, virus, phishing and spyware attacks, the Barracuda Spam Firewall is an integrated hardware and software solution that leverages 12 defense layers to protect e-mail servers in both large enterprise and small business environments. It offers comprehensive protection against spam, virus, spoofing, phishing, spyware, and DoS attacks. It's also compatible with all email servers, and can fit into nearly any business environment from 10 to 200,000 employees. And a single Barracuda Spam Firewall can handle up to 30,000 active e-mail users, with multiple units that can be clustered together for increased capacity.

But not all spam is by email. One such infector is the Trojan.Mespam. This trojan drops rsvp32_2.dll amongst other files, then sends malicious URLs via Instant Messaging software and message boards. Mespam is surely one of many newer spambot variants folks should be aware of. Increased email activity reported to you by your ISP is one sure sign of this type infection. Mespam injects the rsvp32_2.dll into the system's Winsock layer, basically the interface between Windows and the Internet.