How do I Choose the Best Anti-Spam Proxy?

An anti-spam proxy is a function available on many email servers that is intended to filter out spam from reaching a user's email inbox. In order to choose the best anti-spam proxy, it's important to consider a number of factors related to the way in which the proxy sorts mail and how well it protects your network. User friendliness is another important factor to consider. Finally, it's important that you choose an anti-spam filter that is easy to configure.

An important factor when it comes to choosing the best anti-spam proxy is the method and speed with which the filter sorts legitimate emails you want to read from spam or junk mail. Some programs quickly sort mail based on the email address from which the message was sent. Others scan the subject and actual content of each incoming email. These programs normally look for details such as unfamiliar senders and web links in the body of the email. Many users claim that some programs take an inconveniently long amount of time to scan emails.

Another important aspect to consider when it comes to choosing the best anti-spam proxy concerns how well it protects your network or your computer. Most programs do this through anti-virus scans. These scan each incoming email for viruses. A good anti-spam proxy also scans downloads attached to emails. A common complaint about anti-virus scans that come with anti-spam proxies is that they require constant updates. These updates may often require you to restart your computer or may slow down running programs.

User friendliness is a key aspect when it comes to choosing the best anti-spam proxy. You want a filter, for example, that makes it easy for you to move email from the junk to the main inbox, which you might have to do when a legitimate email is mistakenly identified as spam. Another user friendliness concern is that some email security programs might slow down the performance of your network.

When choosing an anti-spam proxy, you also should consider the ease of configuration. Configuration refers to the process you must undergo in order to install the anti-spam filter. Users often prefer programs that require virtually no configuration. Others might be fine with an anti-spam proxy that requires a minimal amount of configuration, which may include checking preferences and computer compatibility. The programs that often receive lowest ratings from users are those with complicated, time consuming configuration processes.

Choosing the best anti-spam proxy often depends on the kind of email system you use. Many free online email services, such as Gmail, have built-in anti-spam filters. Email systems that are part of an interior network, on the other hand, often do require email security. An interior network connects computers in an office environment to a shared server, files, and other services, such as email.