We can say that email is a very important means of communication. We use it both at the user level and in companies and organizations. It is very useful to contact other people, but also necessary to register on platforms, store information or link devices. Now, a problem behind e-mail is the Spam. In this article we are going to talk about what it is, how we can prevent the inbox from being flooded with spam and how to block them.

How spam works
Spam is how all junk emails that reach our inbox. Basically it is an unwanted e-mail, generally abusive advertising, but it could also be a real danger to our privacy and security. It affects us all, since to a greater or lesser extent we all receive emails of this type.

We must differentiate between Annoying spam, the one that is simply going to fill our email, of which it can be dangerous. The latter could aim to steal personal information, strain some type of malware and, ultimately, compromise the proper functioning of our devices.

Spam usually send it to multiple addresses of mail. They have a list and they send something in bulk. Most spam does not reach the inbox, as there are locks and filters that we can use. Platforms like Gmail and Outlook work very well in this regard, but still a small percentage sneaks in.

It is important to note that the amount of junk emails that it reaches us may depend on what we do as users and the mistakes we may make. Therefore, it is necessary to take certain precautions to avoid it. This will keep the inbox clean, but you will also improve security and privacy.

What to do to avoid spam
So what can we do to prevent junk e-mail from entering our email address? We are going to give a series of essential guidelines that you can put into practice in a simple way. This will prevent this type of email from entering Gmaill, Outlook or any other platform you use.

Don't expose your address
The first thing is that you should not expose your address of mail. Attackers will create a list of addresses to send spam to. Those accounts will be taken out of public forums, comments on websites that anyone can access, open social networks where we put our email address…

Therefore, you should avoid exposing your email publicly. It can be registered by bots or any user who has access to those places where you have publicly put information and available.

Beware of records
You can also expose your email address when register on the Internet. In most cases they will ask you for an address to access an online service and create an account. Now, are all those platforms reliable or may your data be in danger? The truth is that we can register in unsafe places and that will favor spam.

Our advice is to avoid registering on unreliable sites. You can also apply this when entering a public network, since you may have to put an email address and from there you start receiving junk emails constantly. Be careful with the terms you accept.

Do not respond to unknown emails
They may use as a strategy to send an e-mail from a relatively secure account and it will not come as spam, simply to check if there is a real user behind that account. If you reply, if you confirm that that account is active, they can include you in a spam list and, from that moment, start sending you emails in bulk.

So avoid answering emails if you don't really know who's behind it. Any questions you have, it is better not to answer or open possible attachments. It could be a scam and expose your safety.

Install only official applications
You must also install only official applications. If you are going to use the mail on your mobile or computer and enter from its program, be sure to download it from official sources. Avoid downloading it from third party sites, as it could be a scam. They could have been created just to cheat.

You should also apply this if you are going to log in from the browser. You must have a program that is reliable, such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, but always downloaded from secure sources. Avoid non-security applications.

Use alternative addresses
A very good option to avoid spam in your email is directly to use alternative directions. There are many options available. If you are going to register on a dubious platform, where you don't really know if it can be safe or not, a good idea is to register with another alternative address and thus not expose your main one.

You can even make use of disposable emails. They are email addresses that you create and that have a certain time before disappearing. It can be from just 10 minutes to a few weeks or months. They are interesting for what we discussed about being able to register on sites that may not be reliable. Some options are Temporary Mail or 10 Minute Mail.

How to block unwanted emails
We have explained what you should do to prevent spam or spam from entering. But, ¿what should you do if it is too late and you see that your account receives unwanted emails? Luckily, the main email providers have functions that you will be able to use to stop receiving those emails.

In the case of Gmail, you have to go to the message in question, click on More ( the three points that appear on the right ) and give Block. What this function does is block that sender. From that moment you will no longer receive emails from that account. Be careful if in the future you will need to receive emails, as it will be blocked. All those emails will go directly to the spam tray.

También puedes directamente quitar la suscripción. Si por ejemplo te has registrado en un sitio web y le diste permiso para que te enviaran correos de publicidad continuamente, lo que tienes que hacer es abrir uno de esos e-mails y, una vez dentro, pinchar en la opción de Cancelar suscripción. Desde Gmail indican que puede tardar unos días hasta que esto tenga efecto, pero ya deberías dejar de recibir ese tipo de correos.

Como opción alternativa, también puedes pinchar en Más (los tres puntos) y darle a Marcar como Spam. Es otra manera de que ese tipo de correos empiece a llegar a la bandeja de e-mails basura y no inunden la bandeja principal.

In short, as you see, spam is a major problem. However, you can prevent your junk mail tray from filling up. You can take into account the advice we have given and thus protect your email address. Also, if you already receive emails of this type, you can block them.