Spam, the catch-all term for unwanted email, is one of the biggest problems that business owners face. But there are solutions that come very close to resolving the spam dilemma for companies of all sizes. If you operate any kind of enterprise, for or not for profit, it’s essential to use some type of spam detection system. Choices range from stand-alone software products to full-fledged cloud-based solutions. Plus, some organizations choose to do most of the work themselves while others opt for outsourcing the task to a competent service provider. The one thing to remember above all else is to find a solution that suits your company’s size, needs, and unique operating characteristics.
A large industrial manufacturing firm won’t need the same kind of spam defense as a small tax-preparation practice. So, when you set out to acquire a product or work with a provider to minimize unwanted emails, try out several strategies before settling on the one that appears to be the best fit. What are the top three reasons businesses opt to deal with this widespread problem? Here’s a brief overview of the three.
Reclaim Wasted Time
Time is money, even for a sole proprietorship. But time translates into huge sums for large organizations that waste many working hours each day screening, deleting, reading, hunting for, and otherwise dealing with unwanted messages that land in inboxes. The main incentive for using a spam-detection solution is to reclaim those lost hours. Top-rated products in the niche have another advantage: it’s possible to accurately measure their monetary benefits.
Unlike many other kinds of enterprise products and services, a filter that eliminates worthless and dangerous messages usually pays for itself in a short while. Additionally, owners can do a bit of math and figure out how long that period lasts. One of many ways to do the measuring is through a comparison of how long employees spend dealing with daily email. Once you implement a method for detecting and filtering possible threats and worthless messages, simply compare how much less time your team spends on the same task. Multiply the hours saved by an average wage rate, and you have a rough answer to the break-even question.
Prevent Hacks, Viruses, Malware, and Other Attacks
There’s much more to spam filtering than just cutting down on wasted time. One of the other incentives for rooting out inbox junk is related to cyber threats. You know the usual suspects: hackers, malicious links, dangerous viruses, and dozens of other kinds of attacks on your entire IT environment. Here, it’s much more difficult to measure the amount of money owners save by implementing a strong filter, but the potential savings is virtually unlimited.
Consider what it might cost your company to endure a day or more of down time. Or, how much would you have to spend to replace or fully revamp an enterprise-level computer network? Those are very real dangers for any business that doesn’t take control of its emailing setup. When the only inbox content you see is safe, spam-free, and relevant, the chance of a costly hack, crash, or permanent hardware problem is quite low. No, you can’t put a specific value on this type of defense except to say that without it, the very existence of your business could be at stake.
Speed Up the Entire System
If you worry about the potential dangers of spamming, it’s easy to understand that a strong filter, a powerful detection tool, and an email gateway can do a lot. Not only do all those components cut expenses, save time, and minimize attacks, but they also work to speed up your whole IT environment. For starters, an email gateway puts a solid barrier between your employees’ inboxes and any malicious message.
There’s protection on the outgoing side as well because gateways are actually servers that deal with messages before they arrive and as they leave. But how does that affect speed? Primarily, components like gateways, filters, and detection tools keep your cyber environment from getting clogged up with thousands of pieces of junk every day. If you’ve ever run a junk-cleaner utility on your main company computer, you already know how much faster the whole network runs afterward. Think of that small app on a grand scale and you’ll realize what a top-notch spam-detection solution can do on the enterprise level.
Other Reasons
Obviously, there are more than three reasons to opt for protection against unwanted mail traffic. When you set out to make your own environment as safe, fast, and economical as possible, consider a few specific features that can enhance any spam-fighting strategy. Regular filter updates are one of the handiest features of all because they free you from having to do the heavy lifting. If you run a large organization, it’s conceivable that you need filter updates daily. Even one-person shops might have to update their screening devices once per week. But, when your in-place solution has a built-in updater, you can erase one more chore from your to-do list.
Reporting and containment features are two other essentials. Automatic reporting means that the software instantly sends a spam-report back to developers so they can tweak the defensive architecture and make the program even better at doing its job. Containment control is a fancy way of describing a sort of holding cell for unknown mail threats. Think of it as a temporary quarantine that lasts until the software is able to clearly identify the potential threat.