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Safe Email practices

Why are safe email practices important?

1. To minimize the chance of your pc getting a virus
Emails are one of the most popular modes of virus distribution these days, so to keep your computer healthy, and help prevent spreading viruses, you need to practice a few safety rules

2. To minimize the chance of you sending a virus to someone else
If your computer is infected, you can infect someone else. This is a case where good citizenship is important

3. To minimize spam in your inbox

Safety Rules

  • Attachments

    • Attachments require special attention. They could contain viruses - even if it's coming from the computer of a friend. Therefore:

    1. Don't open attachments if you don't know who they're from
    2. Even if you do know who it's from, if the subject line sounds suspicious, contact your friend before opening. Viruses often "spoof" the from address (masquerade as someone else - usually getting the name from an infected computer's address book - the infected computer could be a friend's which is why all email - even from friends should be held suspect.) Viruses also often try to come up with a compelling  subject line to get you to open them.

  • Preview
    The preview feature of Email programs like Outlook Express can allow you to unwittingly execute the code in an infected email. Therefore:

    Turn off the preview Pane in Outlook express
    Go to Menu > View > Layout... in Outlook Express and uncheck the box for "Show preview pane".

  • Beware of strange messages
    Examine your list of unopened messages carefully before you open any of them. If you didn't expect a message, if you don't know the sender, if the subject or attachment seem strange, too urgent, too alarming, too good to be true, or the sender and the subject don't jibe, just delete the message, along with any attachments, without opening it.
    •
  • Minimize Spam in your inbox
    Spammers have a number of methods of getting your email address (details on how), but don't make it easy for them. Just as an unlocked car is easier stolen than a locked one, an unprotected email address is easier to harvest than a proctect one. To Protect your email address:

    1. Don't post your email address on the Web or Use net groups
    2. Consider using disposable (throw away) forwarding email addresses when possible (i.e. whenver you have to give it out to anyone or any company you suspect might sell your address or spam you)

    (Where can I get a forwarding email address? Family Internet Safety members have that option available to them here.)
    •
  • Use Antivirus software, and keep it updated.
    This will help protect your machine, and the machines of others on the internet if a virus should happen to get through to your machine.
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