Protecting your Cabrillo.edu Account from Spam

posted Dec 17, 2010, 2:45 PM by Unknown user   [ updated Oct 6, 2015, 3:49 PM by Matthew Locke ]
The best method to protect against spam is to keep your email address away from spammers.

Methods to combat spam include:

  1. Don't publish it anywhere on the web unless you disguise it.
  2. Use an online email provider (e.g., gmail) for mailing lists or commercial services that can sell your address.
  3. Check the web for your new address. If someone published your address, ask them to remove it from the web.
  4. If you receive spam, do not open it. Delete it immediately.
    TIP:
    Sophisticated spammers know if you open or view their message. Change your mail client's default window arrangement to avoid seeing a preview of mail sent to you.

List of methods to disguise a published email address

  1. Publish your email in writing only (e.g. E-mail: jodoe at cabrillo dot edu)
  2. Substitute HTML codes for characters (e.g., ":" for a colon; "@" for the @, and "." for periods)
  3. Use Javascript (see example obfuscation code below)
In addition, we offer Proofpoint spam filtering with default settings that protect your cabrillo.edu account from SPAM.
  1. Visit the Proofpoint page for more details Proofpoint

Example of Javascript obfuscation code

<!-- JavaScript to print the mailto: link to the browser.
Copy this part into the HEAD section on your web page -->

<SCRIPT LANGUAGE='JavaScript'>
<!--
var lhs = "emailusernamehere"; //change this to your email username
var rhs = "cabrillo.edu"; //change this if you use a different host

function print_mailto_link() {
document.write("<a href=mailto:"+lhs+"@"+rhs+">Your Name Here</a>");
}
// -->
</SCRIPT>
<!-- where you want the links to actually appear,
use the code below within the BODY section
of your html page -->
<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript">
print_mailto_link();
</SCRIPT>

NOTE: Credit is due Web Techniques magazine for the javascript and other disguise techniques

The following is a YouTube video with helpful tips on how to deal with unwanted emails.


Additional Information: