Spam
This is a great little article courtesy of Jason Doan.
This is a great opportunity to address some areas of technology that affect us, and the things we can do to make our time with computers more comfortable.
An aspect affecting most everyone is SPAM email. It’s that unsolicited garbage that’s filling up your email inbox.
There are many methods to reduce the SPAM that reaches your inbox, but because of the nature of SPAM, it will never be completely eliminated.
Some SPAM you recieve may not even look like it and that’s where the real danger comes from. Below you’ll find various types of SPAM and ways to spot it.
Phishing – This type of SPAM generally scares you into providing personal information and is usually financial in nature. They’ll state that your account is going to expire or that someone else has accessed your account without your knowledge. They’ll ask you to verify your identity, contact information, account numbers and more. The emails will look very professional most of the time. The important thing to remember is that no financial institution would ever collect information this way.
Important and/or Funny Attachment – This has been something that has plagued email from the early days that found widespread usage. Recently it has been on the rise, affecting Adobe PDF, Excel and ZIP files but not limited to just those types of files. That’s why it’s important now, more than ever, NOT to open attachments unless you know the sender.
Sales – This is probably the type of SPAM that you see the most of. Less than 1% of recipients purchase something through SPAM, but it’s enough to keep the spammers active. Don’t reply, purchase, or interact with these at all. Not only are you encouraging the SPAM industry, but you’re also opening yourself up to fraud and much more.
Another important thing to mention is the use of Quickview or Preview Pane. This is the feature in an email client that allows you to view your email before opening it. The problem is that it confirms and active email address for the spammers and can open you up to malicious code. Simply by selecting your email to delete it, you’re opening it. Disable these features.
Some of the lesser known email provider’s email by never arrive due to being caught in SPAM filters.
Email is a fast, convenient and necessary method of communication in modern life. Handled appropriately, it can help to keep us informed, connected and efficient. It’s important that we continue to make technology work for us. If we work together, I’m sure we can.
—Jason Doan
Zapped! 