Spam is a common problem that strikes many
people, particularly in their email. Individuals who
live in the United States tend to be the most
responsible for spam than those who reside
anywhere else in the world at a surprising 14.6
percent. Of course, the more spam you get hit
with in your email, the greater chance there is for
a bigger problem to hit your computer. This
includes hacking that involves botnets getting
onto your computer that can send out even more
spam.
spam
How to Stay Safe
Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to
avoid email spam. If you have already been hit
with some, you can use a good antivirus, anti-
malware or anti-spyware program to scan your
system. Once it picks up all of the malware, you
can delete it. Make sure to reboot your computer,
especially if there were many unwanted items
detected after the scan and perform another so
that you can be sure that everything has been
removed. Be sure to read antivirus reviews to
pick out the best software for the job.
There are other things you can do as preventative
measures. One of the first things is to never open
a suspicious looking email that comes with an
attachment. You can usually spot these
messages. If it reads strangely and includes an
attachment, that is a sure sign that it is spam. If
it comes from someone you know, such as a
friend or family member, chances are great that
they have been hacked. Immediately delete these
emails and let the individual know that they have
may have been hacked.
Other Preventive Measures
Always avoid making purchases from unsolicited
emails. If you choose to go ahead and buy items
through unwanted emails, you are essentially
harvesting future spam.
Use an email filtering software so that you can
block spam and other malware. Most free email
hosts have antivirus scanning built in. For
instance, Yahoo! uses Norton Antivirus.
Be careful when you visit certain websites,
especially if you are posting your email address
to online mailing lists. These lists typically end
up posting your personal information, including
your name and address on social networks and
makes you a huge target for spam.
Always keep your work and personal email
addresses separate. You should also consider
signing up for a third email address any time you
enter information into online surveys or
registration forms. These online forms tend to be
prime senders of spam.
Avoid using preview mode in your email. Even
when you only view a preview of a message and
don’t actually click to open it, a spammer can
detect when their message has been seen. This
will prompt them to send you even more spam as
it confirms your email address
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