Spam, Spam, Spam

Recent industry estimates indicate that more than half of all e-mail sent today is spam—unsolicited commercial e-mail. Spam is a Trustworthy Computing issue because it violates users’ privacy by using personally identifiable information (PII) to target them with unsolicited mail, can negatively impact reliability by straining systems with a high volume of e-mail that has no value, and can contain malicious code, such as a virus or worm.

Microsoft is using a multipronged approach to stem the flow of spam, including innovative technology, industry self-regulation, effective legislation, and targeted enforcement.

New technology. To help users manage their e-mail, Microsoft is adding spam filtering technology to messaging products and services, such as Exchange, Outlook, and Hotmail. For example, Outlook 2003 includes a new, updatable filter that accesses a database containing characteristics of likely spam (collected via feedback from hundreds of thousands of Hotmail users) to recognize and block spam more effectively. Exchange 2003 will also be updated with antispam features, including an API that enables both Microsoft and third-party providers of spam filters to easily create solutions for Exchange customers.