Email (Electronic Messaging) has transpired into a quick and easy way to correspond with friends, family and business associates. Email was actually around before the Internet and was a critical tool used in the Internet’s creation. With new technology emerging fast and furiously, email is easily accessible not just using home or business computers, wireless connections in your local coffee shops, hotels and airports, but it can also be accessed by Smartphones and Personal Digital Assistants (PDA).
When email was first introduced its intent was for trivial correspondence. The ease of this new form of communication caught on quickly, and now millions of people world-wide utilize email daily. When used correctly, email can be a very effective way of communicating and conducting business. When used incorrectly, it can become a security nightmare both personally and professionally.
Reflection moment:
Think about how you would feel if a stranger received your personal information without your knowledge. Electronic messaging uses a protocol called Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP); the key word being ‘Simple’. Email messages are sent in a simple clear-text format, and are not secure unless your business or email application or Internet email provider has an email encryption product. Another little known fact for many world-wide “emailers” is that there is no guarantee that your email will reach its intended recipient. If your message does reach its official destination it can then be forwarded on to others without your knowledge or consent. Once the Send button has been selected you have no control over what happens to your email message. Numerous copies of one email message can be saved and sent to a variety of places. Businesses also backup their email servers, giving them the ability to recall email messages from years prior.
Clean out the Junk:
Unfortunately, email can also be used by others to send bulk email or unsolicited email, also known as spam. These messages are similar to the junk mail we all receive in our home or business postal boxes. There are products available to curtail this intrusion from flooding your email inbox, such as your email software’s Junk mail feature, or even pricier solutions such as Spam Firewalls for businesses. Spam email is also used as a gate-way to infect your computer or network with viruses and Trojans.
Let’s go Phishing:
Beware of email phishing scams. Phishing scams are designed to trick you into giving out your personal information such as passwords, credit card numbers, bank or other account data or even your social security information. Con artists will send out millions of fraudulent emails, mimicking legitimate organizations that you trust. They use the same logos and pictures from legitimate websites to dupe you into clicking links that redirect you to a bogus website they have created. Once you have been redirected to this copycat website, login information or other personal information can be captured with ease. Organizations such as PayPal, financial institutions and government websites are well-known targets for phishing scams. Phishing scams can also come in the form of a pop-up window when you’re surfing on the Internet.
Simple Safety Tips:
Listed below are some useful email safety guidelines for both personal and business email correspondence.
• Never assume email is secure, or that it will always reach its intended recipient.
• Never send passwords, account details or confidential information in an email message, whether it be your own or a business associate’s information.
• Never update credit card information because an email was received stating your account could be closed (phishing scam). Call to verify your account status.
• Always scan email attachments for viruses.
• If you receive a suspicious email do not open it.
• If you receive an email message with an attachment or link from an unknown sender do not open the attachment or click on the link.
• Always type website addresses into your Internet browser bar instead of clicking links provided in an email message (phishing scam avoidance).
• Do not open .zip files or .exe files received via email as these are most likely viruses.
• Remember that financial institutions and government offices will never contact you by email asking you for login credentials, passwords or other personal information. If you receive an email from your financial institution call the organization to verify the validity of the message. Do not call the phone number provided in the email message.
