Spam Patrol

Total Traffic Control Spam Blocker, a product of Lightspeed Systems, is designed to put an end to unwelcome junk e-mail, otherwise known as spam. An innovative feature enables Spam Blocker to recognize the words and phrases that spammers use, while providing five levels of protection. "We have written statistical software that 'learns' these words and phrases by analyzing thousands of spam and non-spam mails a day," explains Lightspeed's president, Rob McCarthy.

The new product works by creating up-to-date "spam pattern files," which teach the Spam Blocker to recognize what current mass mailings look like. Based on these patterns, the software automatically determines which e-mail is spam and then blocks it. Lightspeed updates the databases of known sources of spam and instantly cuts off newly detected ones. Users can even set up both their own "black lists" to shut out pesky spammers and "white lists" to welcome senders that might otherwise be blocked.

As McCarthy pointed out, school districts are required by the Children's Internet Protection Act to protect students from offensive images and e-mail content. The Total Traffic Control product has a price tag of $3,995. Visit www.lightspeedsystems.com/spam_blocking.asp