New Outlook to give spammers the boot

Microsoft is taking the fight against spam more seriously in the next version of its widely used Outlook email and contact-management software.

Outlook 11 will, by default, no longer grab data such as images from outside servers when previewing email formatted like web pages.

The ability to send and receive email formatted in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) was at one time touted as a feature in Microsoft's email programs.

"We've taken a step backward, so to speak, by blocking external content when you preview email," Simon Marks, Office XP product manager, said this week. Marks described the new feature as an important spam-fighting tool.

Data such as image, sound and video files in HTML-formatted email is usually pulled from a web server in much the same way a web browser grabs such data. But in the case of accessing content through a web browser, someone typically makes the decision to go to the site. With web-based spam mail, the content comes to the person unwanted - sometimes with strings attached.

When content is downloaded in spam email it can act as what is known as a "web beacon," telling the sender that the email address is in fact valid, a technique used by spammers. Viewing the message in a preview pane without opening it is enough to trigger the web beacon, analysts said. The beacon can lead to more unwanted mail from the original sender and, potentially, from other spammers who have access to the same mailing list.

The new Outlook feature is part of Microsoft's increased emphasis on privacy and security, something the company hasn't always had much success with. On Wednesday, for example, Microsoft issued three new security alerts. In August, the company settled a Federal Trade Commission complaint regarding privacy and security problems with the Passport online authentication system.

And the new spam-blocking feature isn't Microsoft's first attack on HTML-formatted email. Outlook 2002, by default, blocks cookie files used to track the messages. Spammers sometimes use HTML email to place cookies on hard drives. The files can be used to track web browsing habits or collect other information for the sender.

Although the Outlook 11 feature could lessen the hassle of unwanted email, it could also filter out legitimate data, unless the default setting is changed. Microsoft is betting this inconvenience will be worth it to Outlook users who are sick of spam.

Michael Gartenberg, an analyst with Jupiter Research, believes the company is on the right track, particularly by offering customers the option of turning the feature on or off.

"Microsoft is often in the middle in security issues and needs to balance what makes sense for (people who) use their products," Gartenberg said. "By allowing IT organisations and end-users to strike a balance that's correct for them, Microsoft's approach is a good one."

But some analysts questioned whether the new feature would be all that useful in practice.

"I don't think blocking web beacons... in email messages will really help the spam problem that much," said independent security consultant Richard Smith. "It will just stop snooping."

"The legit email marketing companies... are really going to hate this feature," Smith continued. "They use email web beacons... to gather statistics about email advertising campaigns."

But many Outlook users may not care about that, regarding any marketing email as spam and welcoming any mechanism that can give such mail the boot.

Joe Wilcox writes for News.com