If you Google the words “email safety”, notice that there are two age groups often warned about it: kids and seniors. It is because the risk of these groups getting abused over emails is quite rampant. Kids are usually curious beings and almost always curiosity clouds better judgment while seniors are usually trusting and, well, curious beings too so the fate they share is pretty much the same as always.
Anyway, I would to share my rule of thumb when using the internet, particularly emails. Number one is, never be too trusting, not even if it’s your friends sending you messages. Why? It is because you can never know for sure if it is really them or if malicious intent is there. You just have to be careful ALL THE TIME. No excuses.
· Never ever share your online information, personal and otherwise. Not even to your husband. Or your kids. My partner and I, we love to share bank info etc with each other. This is because we often forget our own info while we found out that we are each other’s excellent info keeper however, I don’t think that is wise when it comes to online information as it can be passed without you and your partner knowing. Anyway, you can always hit that “forgot my password” link to sort effects of baby memory.
· Online information is always passable, no matter how careful you are. Emails get forwarded, so does your signatures and whatnot. Your nasty email about your neighbor can even find its way to your – horrors – neighbor’s inbox, say 2 months from now so as much as possible, provided only little information about yourself.
· Never open an email from someone you don’t know or wasn’t expecting. Email spammers are talented beings, they know what to write and how best to lure you into opening their emails. Some of the things they wrote there sound true enough to call action so as a good precautionary measure, just don’t open them.
· ..and don’t open attachments as well, or click links on emails. Okay, you accidentally opened a spam mail and there’s this very enticing attachment that comes with it and there’s also this link which is supposed to “redirect” you to a website that will fulfill your wishes. To open or not to open? Of course the answer is DON’T. It is because these are the first steps to getting yourself in trouble. Downloading a malicious attachment or even opening up an affected website are sure fire ways to infect your computer with virus.
· Make it a habit to report. Anything you encounter that got you suspicious should be reported at once. Don’t be shy about it since big, legitimate companies will definitely appreciate it and most of all, you are going to help other people by doing so.