Types of Unsolicited or Unwanted Email and How to Manage It
There are several types of unwanted or unsolicited emails that show up in our inboxes and differing ways to handle them. Some are truly unwanted emails and other emails are just not wanted at this time or in the multitudes they come in. Among these are spam, junk, and quarantined emails. While they share similarities, there are distinct differences between each of them and how you manage them. Let’s review.
Types of Unsolicited or Unwanted Emails
- Spam Emails: Spam refers to unsolicited bulk messages that are sent to many recipients randomly. Typically promotional in nature, they often contain advertisements. It is also a good vessel for scams and phishing attempts. Email providers usually filter spam emails out and send them directly to the spam folder. Spam’s purpose is to reach as many people as possible with the goal of executing sales, spreading malware, or collecting personal information.
- Junk Emails: Junk emails are also unwanted and are similar to spam but are usually characterized as messages from legitimate sources. These emails may include newsletters, marketing campaigns, or notifications from websites or services that you may have subscribed to in the past. While these emails may be sent with your permission, the clutter they create in your inbox is unwelcome and they may not be relevant or useful to you anymore. Junk emails can be dealt with in two ways. Either manually mark them as junk or they can be filtered into a separate folder by email providers.
Quarantined Emails: A third type of unwanted or unsolicited email are quarantined emails. These are different from spam and junk emails in that they have been identified as potentially harmful or suspicious by the email provider’s security systems. Instead of being delivered to your inbox or spam folder, they are separated and held in “quarantine” for further examination. Quarantined emails may include attachments or links that could contain malware, viruses, or phishing attempts. To identify potentially harmful emails, email providers utilize different techniques like analyzing content, checking sender reputation, and scanning attachments.
How To Deal With Unwanted Email
- Handling spam: Spam is automatically filtered by email providers using advanced algorithms and filters and is often moved directly to the spam folder in an attempt to keep your inbox free of clutter. However, some spam does occasionally make its way into the inbox. Remember to report these to help improve the spam filters.
- Junk dealing: Junk emails are typically sent from legitimate sources that you most likely encouraged at some point. These are newsletters, promotional offers, or notifications from companies you have interacted with in the past. While not as harmful as spam, they can still make a mess of your inbox. Most email providers allow you to set up filters to automatically redirect junk emails to a separate folder. Here you can review them at your convenience.
- Managing the quarantined: Quarantined emails require additional scrutiny due to their potential risk. Email providers commonly furnish a quarantine area where you can review and release any valid emails mistakenly flagged as suspicious. Here you or your managed service provider can verify the content and the original sender when deciding whether to send the email to your inbox or just delete it forever.
Managing Your Email with a Managed Service Provider (MSP)
MSPs ensure that email communication remains reliable, secure, and efficient for their clients. An MSP will handle your email service from your email provider including helping you manage the types of unwanted or unsolicited emails. Here are five key ways MSPs manage email services for businesses.
- Setup and Configuration: An MSP will determine the client’s needs and requirements, recommend email solution options, and implement them. This includes configuring domains, setting up email accounts, establishing user access controls, and integrating additional features like calendar synchronization and mobile device support. MSPs promote communication and collaboration by ensuring that the email service is tailored to meet the specific needs of your business.
- Updates and Maintenance: MSPs carry out ongoing maintenance and email infrastructure updates by monitoring the system for performance issues, security vulnerabilities, or potential blockages. Regular software updates, security patches, and system optimizations are utilized to ensure email service remains reliable and protected against potential threats. In case of unforeseen incidents, MSPs also manage backups and disaster recovery plans to minimize data loss and ensure business continuity.
- Security and Compliance: When you consider the sensitive and confidential information exchanged through email communication, it is no wonder email security is a top priority for businesses. MSPs implement vigorous security measures to protect against spam, phishing attacks, malware, and other threats. Advanced email filtering and encryption solutions are deployed, multi-factor authentication is set up, and strict access controls are established. A MSP can also assist with adhering to industry-specific compliance regulations such as HIPAA, SOC2, or GDPR.
- Monitoring Performance: MSPs track metrics such as email delivery rates, response times, and storage utilization in order to proactively diagnose and resolve issues that could impact email performance. Your MSP will employ tools to monitor and use industry best practices to maintain high availability, minimize downtime, and enhance the overall user experience.
- Training and User Support: MSPs offer help desk services to answer user queries, troubleshoot issues, and give assistance in a timely way. MSPs also conduct training sessions and create documentation to educate employees on how to utilize email features effectively and maintain email etiquette, like handling different types of unwanted or unsolicited email.
So the next time you are lambasted with any of these types of unwanted or unsolicited emails, consider delegating your business email management to the capable hands of a managed service provider.