There are more than 12 billion spam emails sent each and every day. Chances are you get your fair share of them. In fact, recent studies have shown that out of every ten emails you receive, four of them will probably be spam related. That's likely the reason the anti-spam software industry has grown so rapidly in recent years.

But wait! Isn't spam illegal? Aren't there stiff penalties for bombarding the email addresses of innocent PC users with endless legions of junk e-mail? While there are indeed laws meant to protect you from receiving the dozens of spam messages that promote male enhancement products, weight loss pills and replica watches, the people who send these emails really don't seem to pay much attention to the rules.

ValueClick is a prime example. The FCC just nailed the company with a $2.9 million fine. The company, however, probably profited much more than that $2.9 million from the spam attacks, which means they will probably won't turn from their wayward ways.

Fortunately, there are some products on the market that are meant to protect users from Spam. The problem is that many of them are barely effective, while others are too effective and filter out emails you actually want to read. Then there are the spam protection products that make the people who send you email jump through hoops to actually get the email to you.

So, in a software industry that's filled with hundreds of anti-spam software choices, how do you even begin to determine which ones work and which don't? You turn to the experts. It's impossible to personally test every anti-spam product on the market. That's why sites, such as Star Reviews, prove to be such valuable resources. This particular site has researched numerous anti-spam products in depth, offering consumers the ability to evaluate anti-spam software without actually trying each one on for size.