E-Mail Security

DO IT:  Daily.

There are some basic rules to follow for e-mail security.  First and foremost - beware of e-mail attachments!  Viruses and worms love to hide in an attachment.  Opening the attachment will unleash the virus.  Even if you know the sender, an infected attachment may have been sent from an infected machine without your friend's knowledge. The safest thing to do is to scan the attachment with anti-virus software before you open it.

Keep in mind that just because you delete an e-mail doesn’t mean it’s off your computer. 

Did you know that most e-mail programs save all of the e-mail messages that you have deleted?  You have to delete the files you already deleted!  And unless you have changed the settings of your e-mail program, it also saves all of the messages you have sent too. Check your Deleted Items Folder and your Sent Items Folder and delete things that are suspicious or that you do not need. 

If you use Outlook Express or another e-mail program which automatically opens your e-mail, you should know that many viruses can automate and attack your computer simply by being viewed in the Preview Pane.  While it is easy and effective to eliminate the Preview Pane, you should still use an anti-virus program.

Get rid of the Preview Pane in Outlook or Outlook Express, and take control of your e-mail security.  If you use another e-mail, it may be done similarly, or alternatively, contact the product vendor for instructions. 

In Outlook Express:

Step 1:
In Outlook Express, go to the top left menu, to View and then Layout.

Step 2:
Uncheck the box next to Show Preview Pane, click Apply and OK.

In Outlook:

Step 1:
On the toolbar, click View » Reading Pane » Off













It is probably obvious to you that you should not open any attached e-mail file whose name ends in ".exe."  Clicking on such files could activate a computer virus that might affect the operation of your computer and/or damage the information stored on your computer.

Now for the not-so-obvious.  Evil doers and spreaders of mayhem and disaster are always looking for new ways to mess with you.  One of the more creative ways is by sending you an e-mail that looks legitimate from a company you do business with.  For instance, they may send you an e-mail from eBay, PayPal or your bank/credit card asking you to click a link and log onto your account.  It looks exactly like the e-mails you have gotten from them before. 

You click the link and go immediately to a site that looks EXACTLY like eBay’s or PayPal’s (or other vendor).  They want you to log into your account so they can “steal” your login information.  The only way to know this is to look VERY CAREFULLY at the URL (address line) and you may see that it is one or two letters off. 

This is called Phising.  DO NOT LOG IN!!  If you are uncertain whether or not the link is bogus, you can either forward the e-mail you received directly to the company (do not hit reply or it will just go back to the person who sent it), or you can open another window with your web browser and access the company’s site.  Trust me, if they wanted you to do something, you will have a message from them when you log onto your account (but not using the link in the e-mail!).

Next Page