Report Email Abuse:

Please report all spam, phishing, unsolicitied bulk email (UBE), unsolicitied commercial email (UCE), and offensive email to abuse@BeaconNet.com. Be sure to include full message header information.

We have a zero-tolerance policy towards spam and will immediately block a spam sender after the first spam. If the spam sender is one of our subscribers, their account will be immediately suspended and/or terminated.

We filter as much spam as we reasonably can as an ISP. We use a variety of off-the-shelf and custom spam filtering technologies to keep our customers' mailboxes spam-free, without blocking legitimate mail. As spammers grow more sophisticated, so do our antispam techniques. Currently, we block at least 80% of spam before it reaches our customers' inboxes. If you wish to help this effort, please forward any spam you receive to abuse@BeaconNet.com. We are eager to block as much spam as possible from reaching our customers.

The Best Way to Block Spam is to Prevent It:

• Do not give your email address to any individuals or organizations you do not trust. Many companies sell email addresses to unscrupulous companies.

• Do not open or send e-cards, chain letters, or mass-forwards.

• Do not open or read spam, simply delete it. Spammers have sophisticated ways of determining if you have opened their messages. Email addresses are bought and sold. The value of your address increases if the spammer knows you are reading their spam.

• Never reply to spam or click links inside the spam attempting to unsubscribe. In most cases, these actions will actually cause your address to be receive more spam.

• Do not download or install free software, including games, screen savers, and desktop weather programs. Often this software comes with adware and spyware, which can transmit your email address and computer use habits to spammers. Remember the old adage, "There's no such thing as a free lunch."

• Be wary of email asking you to verify account details or type your username, account number, or password. It could be a phishing attack designed to steal you identity.

• Keep antivirus and antispyware software current and check for new threats regularly. Beacon's computer technicians can help you keep your protection up-to-date.

• Consider having two email addresses, one for the general public, and one for trusted individuals and business associates. If you begin to receive too much spam in your public address, delete it and create a new one, but keep your private address.

• Choose an email account that is not found in a dictionary or baby name book, or obfuscate your name. For example, do not use "Edna." Instead, use "3dna," "Edna123," or "EdnaBBFan." Make your password hard to guess, too.

• Start using a new email address, and follow these suggestions. Please contact our support team at 610-444-9008 during business hours or email support@BeaconNet.com and we will help you create your new mailbox.

For more anti-spam tips, check out Microsoft's "Security at Home" website.

Customize Beacon Anti-Spam:

Our server-side filters are customizable. We have set all options to default values that work best for most people, so there is nothing you need to change in order to block spam. If you are an advanced user or have a specific need, there are four options you can modify: Server Rules, Borderline-Spam Detection, Borderline-Spam Detection Level, and Borderline-Spam Folder. You must login to Webmail to change these options, but they take effect for all of your email, even if you use Outlook or other email programs.

1. Server Rules can be used to block a specific sender or message content from ever reaching your Inbox. Messages that violate your Server Rules will be rejected as the sender attempts to deliver them. These rules are powerful, so please be careful not to accidentally block your important messages. For example, blocking the word "cialis" will also block any email with the word "specialist," unless you create your rule in a specific way.

2. Most spam messages (the ones we're 99% certain are spam) are always blocked. They do not survive this far into the filtering process because we block them with other filters, including the Server Rules filter explained earlier. As a result, the Borderline Anti-Spam features affect only messages that our server cannot clearly categorize as spam or genuine. You can turn off this extra Borderline-Spam Detection by unchecking "Instant Anti Spam" option in Webmail under Anti-Spam Settings.

3. Spam Detection Level determines how the server will treat borderline-spam messages. By default, all accounts are pre-configured to block spam using a specific Spam Detection Level that we define for you, somewhere between Low and Medium. This ensures that most spam is blocked and false positives are minimized to near-zero levels. You can manually change your Spam Detection Level to Low, Medium, or High. Please note that setting your Spam Detection Level to High may cause false positives. Conversely, changing your Spam Detection Level to Low may increase the amount of spam you see in your Inbox.

4. All spam caught by the Borderline-Spam Detection Level filters is flagged as spam in the subject line of the spam message. By default, messages flagged as spam by these filters go to your Spam Folder in Webmail. You can log into Webmail to view and delete these messages, or move false-positives back to your Inbox. You can also turn off the Spam Folder, so all spam-detected messages will stay in your Inbox, although their subject line will still indicate that the message was detected as Spam. Some people prefer to create a rule in their own mail program to sort the Spam messages into their a spam folder located on their own computer. Because the Spam folder is only for Borderline-Spam, please note most spam messages caught as spam will simply be rejected and will never appear in the Spam folder.

Optionally, Use Your Own Anti-Spam Programs:

If you require tougher spam filters in addition to our server-side filters, we suggest Microsoft Outlook 2003's Junk E-Mail Filter or iHateSpam. All antispam programs require regular updates to remain effective, similar to an antivirus program. Our server-side filtering is very effective, but an up-to-date client-side filter can offer a modest amount of additional protection because it can be fine-tuned to an individual user's tastes. Beacon's computer support technicians can help you with these client-side spam filtering programs.

 

Please be sure to read our Acceptable Use Policy and User Agreement.