In order to prevent the spread of junk e-mail - commonly known as ''spam'' - on the internet, Sparklight will proactively disable e-mail accounts that are sending an unusually high number of messages in a short period of time, or that have sent messages that have been reported by one or more recipients as spam. Per our Acceptable Use Policy, ''…prohibited uses and activities include, but are not limited to, using the Services, customer-provided equipment, or Sparklight-provided equipment, either individually or in combination with one another, to … send very large numbers of copies of the same or substantially similar messages, empty messages, or messages which contain no substantive content, or send very large messages or files that disrupts a server, account, newsgroup, or chat service…''

When your account has been disabled, you may see the following symptoms:

• If logging into your email via the website, you may receive an Error 403 message.
• If you check your email via an email client (such as Outlook, Apple Mail, or the email app on your phone), you will be unable to send email and may get prompts asking you to log into the email server with your username and password, which will repeat until the log in prompt is closed.

The above symptoms can be signs of other issues as well so if you do see them, please contact Technical Support at 1-877-692-2253 for assistance.

If you have been disabled but were not aware of any spam messages being sent from your account, it's possible that one or more of your e-mail accounts have been compromised by spammers.

When disabling accounts for spam activity, Sparklight utilizes a ''three strike'' policy for accounts that are repeatedly used for sending unsolicited and / or junk messages. To prevent further account suspension, you will need to take steps to ensure the security of your account. Sparklight requires the following steps to be re-enabled:

First Disable

 Scan all devices on your network for both viruses and malware. This includes, computers, smartphones, and tablets. Make sure your anti-virus and anti-malware software has been updated to include the latest definitions for threats to your computer, and quarantine, clean, or delete any detected threats. Note any malicious software or viruses found, and what was done to remedy the problem.

Restore account security by performing the following:

1. Passwords for all usernames on your account will need to be reset to a new, previously unused password. You will need to use a strong password with a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters (!, @,#,$,%,^,&, * are acceptable characters).
2. The password reset question and answer for each of your usernames will also need to be updated to new information by logging into MyAccount.
3. Delete any unused or suspicious usernames with email from the account (not required, but highly recommended).
4. Ensure your own wireless network(s) are secured with a password and be careful when connecting to public or unsecured networks. If you are not using a firewall on your devices or have it disabled, it is suggested you use one or activate an existing firewall.

When the above actions have been completed, contact Technical Support at 1-877-692-2253 for assistance

Second Disable

Upon your second disable, you will be prevented from logging into any My Services sites and will be temporarily unable to access your e-mail. Internet connection will continue to work as normal.

You will be required to have all devices on your network scanned by a local computer technician, or by Sparklight's authorized remote support vendor, who will then need to contact the Sparklight Technical Care Center to advise what/if any viruses or Malware programs/files were found and cleaned up during the scans, as well as what steps have been taken to secure your network and network devices.

• You should provide your Sparklight account number, as well as any associated usernames, to the technician who will be contacting the Technical Care Center; this will make it a quick and easy process to find your account and process the re-enable request.

You will need to perform steps 1-4 of restoring account security as outlined in the First Disable steps.

Third / Final Disable

Upon your third disable, access to all Sparklight e-mail addresses will be permanently disabled, and you will be prevented from creating new ones in the future. You will still be able to use your usernames to access My Services sites.

If you have one of your previous Sparklight e-mail addresses registered for paperless billing, it is your responsibility to create and register a new e-mail address or opt-out of paperless billing.

Once disabled for the third and final time, you will no longer have access to recover e-mails, contacts, or calendar events.