Email Attacks:How To protect Yourself

Imagine the old system of sending mail that took almost three months to reach the intended destination overseas! Recipients had to wait this long to receive mail from business partners or relatives. Gone are the days when the system denied us the opportunity to receive mail or documents at a click of a button. The advancements made in the computer industry has completely revolutionized the way we send and receive mail these days. There isn’t much hassle when sending mail. All you have to do is sit in front of your computer and send message. Within minutes the message is in your recipient's inbox. Fast! Despite such advances, this method seems to be the most targeted and simpler way of spreading computer viruses. If you are really concerned about security of your computer, here are a few ways of how to:

Email Attachments:

Virus software writers always try to find sneaky ways of spreading computer viruses. An easier and fast way has been through E‑mail attachments. Honestly, email attachments have really speeded up the rate at which virus attacks have spread worldwide. The commonest of all is the “Chain Mail” phenomenon. You can even receive mail from someone you know or trust without knowing that it contains virus infection. Many internet users have blindly fallen victims of virus infection. Some attachments come in form of pictures or document with a virus attachment under the hood. Great care should be exercised when you receive any email attachment especially one which you did not expect. Another way to protect yourself from such attacks is to use caution when responding to Password reset information from your Social Networks or E-mail Service providers. Cybercriminals are out there to fool internet users into believing the legitimacy of the message by copying information from such websites in order to attack you by sending false messages. If you are not sure about any email attachment in your inbox, please do not hesitate to verify with the sender before opening. Never click links in your email unless you are hundred percent sure that it’s from a source you trust. Such links often lead you to a webpage that downloads Malware onto your computer and fall victim of Phishing.

Keep Your Antivirus Up and Running:

Install an Antivirus Software from trusted source and keep it updated on regular basis as virus definitions keep changing everyday. A strong and reliable Antivirus software will be able to protect your computer and scan for any virus infections in your system. Set your Antivirus program to scan all incoming mail, attachments or compressed files before opening.