Why I love my job: Pete Chronis, senior manager for fraud and abuse, Earthlink, Atlanta

What I do: Nobody likes e-mail spam, least of all Pete Chronis.

As senior manager of fraud and abuse at Earthlink in Atlanta, it’s his job to block spam, phishing schemes and viruses from being passed on to Earthlink’s customers. “Our job is to protect our customers from online threats,” he said.

It’s not just to stop nuisances. Chronis said spam —- unwanted e-mail usually sent in bulk —- and phishing —- an e-mail designed to trick the recipient into revealing personal information —- can lead to identity theft, a serious crime. Viruses can play havoc with an infected computer or modify programs to send vital information secretly to an outside source.

Chronis and his team have set up a series of layers of protection, consisting of technology, processes and people, he said.

“Daily, we protect customers from one-half billion sources of spam,” he said. “We prevent 50 spam messages per mailbox per day. You don’t even see them.”

He compared his people and processes to detective work to find out where the spam is coming from. Many times, he said, it’s from outside the United States, in countries where there are no laws to prevent spamming or where stopping spam is a lower priority or technologically difficult. An e-mail source is like a phone number, he said. It can be traced.

Chronis and his team also look for patterns to spam and phishing schemes, such as the well-known “Nigerian” letter, to determine whether they need to be blocked.

For viruses, the Earthlink team compares all incoming e-mails with known viruses. Most are hidden in attachments and are activated when the recipient opens the attachment or clicks on a link.

Many times, a user isn’t aware there’s a virus on the computer. Unlike older viruses, which would delete data on a hard drive, newer viruses hide and secretly record keystrokes to bank accounts or other sensitive areas, then send them to the instigator.

What got me interested in this: “About 12 years ago, I made the transition into technology after my previous company offered to train me to be a software developer,” Chronis said. “As a subject matter expert in credit card fraud, they felt the investment in training me would pay off.”

Best part of my job: “Three things: The environment is fun and rewarding, the work is interesting and exciting, and the people are top-notch,” Chronis said.

Most challenging part: “I can’t tell what’s going to happen today,” he said. “There are people out there whose job it is to get you to click on a link and infect your computer. The threat is always there, always evolving.”

What people don’t know about my job: “We’re successful when people don’t notice spam or their computer doesn’t get infected… . It’s a quiet pleasure,” he said.

What keeps me going: “I like the environment, the work and the people… . Those things make a difference,” he said.

Preparation needed for this job: “I’m a tech guy” with a background in IT operations, Chronis said. “It requires understanding of how systems operate.”

As a manager, he said, he has to be efficient with people and technology.

Ten years ago, Chronis said, a degree in technology wasn’t necessary to work in the field, but experience was critical. “You could work your way up,” he said. Now, he said, it’s helpful to have a degree in computer science.

He also said it’s important to be able to take a collaborative approach to projects. He said his team works with Earthlink’s other departments.

While Chronis has a bachelor’s degree in political science, he has 15 years of experience in technology, including developing risk management systems for a credit card company.

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