Viruses and Malware
Viruses and malware are often spread through e-mail. Here are some tips on avoiding this type of malicious content.
- Be careful when you're opening attachments, if you aren't expecting to receive an attachment from a contact be cautious when opening anything that is sent to you. This is especially true when sent attachments from an unknown source.
- Email headers can be incredibly useful for determining the identity of a sender. They will provide additional details on the senders exact email address and any other recipients of the email. This should inform how you handle the content of your emails. Find out how to view email headers from your email provider.
- A large number of email providers (AOL, Google, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.) now provide automatic scanning of email attachments. However there is no foolproof method of determining the legitimacy of an attachment. Therefore the choice to click is with you.
Spam
Be mindful of where you are posting your information online. Spammers will collect large bundles of email addresses and target them with unsolicited email. If you do open a spam email, don't click on any links, respond to the sender, or in any other way engage with the spammer. Doing so will only inform the spammer that you read the content they sent, thus opening yourself to more directed attacks. Once again if you are unsure as to the senders identity or the content of the email. It's always better not to open any unknown content that's sent to you. Contact your email provider for more information about spam filters for your account.
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