Google has introduced a tool called RETVec to enhance the security and cleanliness of your Gmail inbox by combating spam effectively.
So what is RETVec?
Lets simplify it. RETVec stands for Resilient and Efficient Text Vectorizer, which essentially helps Gmail identify and filter out spam emails that attempt to infiltrate your inbox.
It’s interesting to note that creators of spam emails can be quite clever in evading detection using tactics like characters, LEET substitution (e.g. “3xpl4in3d” instead of “explained”) and deliberate typos. However RETVec is designed to counteract these strategies
Google describes it as a process of converting words or phrases into values for analysis, prediction and recognising word similarities. In essence it equips Gmail with a system to detect spam more efficiently.
The advantage for users? With the integration of RETVec Gmails spam detection rate has significantly increased by 38% while the false positive rate has decreased by one fifth (equivalent to 19.4% fewer incorrect alerts).
If you’re questioning whether there are any drawbacks, to this improvement…Hey, a heads up. If your business sends out promotional emails there’s a small thing you should know about.
With RETVec being more vigilant some legit emails might accidentally get flagged. It’s an idea to keep an eye on your email stats to make sure your messages are reaching the right people.
Retvec isn’t just about beefing up security. Its also getting more efficient. According to Google the models use of the Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) has dropped significantly by 83%. Smaller models mean costs and faster processing, which is a big deal for big applications and devices. So yeah, it’s a win win situation.
Spam is like cyber criminals favorite tool. Now with RETVec in play we’re better shielded. It blocks emails keeping our info safe and our inboxes clean.
If you’re not using Gmail don’t worry too much. Other email providers like Microsoft might follow suit with similar protection, down the line.
If you want us to check out your business’s email security setup feel free to reach out.
