subject: Avoid Receiving Spam, Viruses and Worms Through Email [print this page] Avoid Receiving Spam, Viruses and Worms Through Email
As time marches on, so do the persistent "hackers", "crackers", and "hijackers" on the internet. We all try to avoid the virtual vandalism they seem to enjoy causing and we have probably all, at one time or another suffered through the consequences of spam, viruses and worms. Although many web mail providers claim to have effective filters in place to keep us safe from most of these problems, it is difficult to always stay ahead of whatever vulnerability the vandals find. Here are some suggestions to keep in mind:
Just because an email is successfully delivered to your inbox doesn't mean the included contents are safe. Under normal circumstances, most people have a pretty good idea who they should be receiving email from but it can be easy to be misled. Remember that spammers are quite crafty and sometimes even manage to target specific industries to attack. For example, If you are in the construction business and receive an email from someone you've never met at "yourtownsteel.com", think twice before opening it if you've never heard of the company.
Don't unsubscribe from email that you already recognize as spam to begin with. When you use the unsubscribe link, it actually confirms to the spammer that your email address is active. Your name is then added to another list for further mailings, or even worse, resold to others. There are rare occasions when unsubscribing is effective, but if you never subscribed in the first place, don't click on that link.
Another typical and very simple spam trick is to make the email look as if it is a reply to something you sent to them. Unless you would like your email address to be added to that "verified available address" list I mentioned before, don't fall for this one either.
There are other potential problems in an office environment where the company has its own email service. Large corporations have been infiltrated through email and have lost enormous amounts of revenue due to the "down time" required to repair the damage and recover data. Although some dangers are well disguised, there are some easily identifiable signs to watch for. If you work in a similar environment and receive email that is addressed to someone else in the office and your name is not included in the inbox, don't open it. Creative spammers have figured out many ways to get through most defenses and can include code buried in the email that will alter the sender and receiver addresses. This allows spam and virus carrying email to get past some filters and into any number of company mailboxes.
Quite simply, if you receive email from an address you don't recognize, don't trust it. Delete it.
