Easy, free and fast. E-mails are practical. A simple form of contact that is part of most people's routine. There are times when we go weeks without having professional conversations in person or on the phone, and we don't even notice. That's because we've got used to solving everything by e-mail.
We exchange messages without thinking about the risks, after all, the tool is one of our favorite forms of communication. And there are risks, lots of them. Cybercriminals continue to use email to spread viruses with speed. So much so that today email is still the weakest link in the security chain. Phishing reached 90% of organizations worldwide in 2019, according to international reports. And most infections don't even require users to forward the email to other people. The viruses scan the contacts in the mailbox of the infected targets and look for addresses of new contacts. They then automatically send a new malicious message. The recipient often doesn't suspect the attachment, as it came from a trusted sender.
How to protect yourself?
Always be wary of email attachments, even if you know the sender, especially if you didn't request the attachment
There are many techniques for falsifying the sending address, which make the message appear to come from a familiar source. Check with the sender who supposedly sent the message that it is true before opening any attachments. This includes email messages from your electricity, gas, internet or telephone company. If the email is about an unsolicited situation, or messages that differ in language and structure from those you usually receive, don't open it.
Keep the operating system and applications up to date
Install software updates so that attackers can't take advantage of known vulnerabilities. Many operating systems offer automatic updates. If this option is available, you should enable it. There are some basics that can make a difference when it comes to detecting a scam.
Consider your instincts
If an email or attachment looks like a scam, it probably is. So don't open it, even if your antivirus software indicates that the message is clean. Attackers constantly release new viruses and protection software doesn't always keep up. Perhaps it didn't detect it because it doesn't yet have the vaccine for that particular malware. In this case, contact the recipient of the email and check the legitimacy of the message. It's important to remember that, in the case of forwards, even messages sent by a trusted sender can contain a virus. If anything in the email or attachment strikes you as odd, don't click on it.
Don't let your curiosity put your information at risk.
Save and use an antivirus to scan all attachments before opening them
If you have to open an attachment before checking the source, take the following steps:
- Make sure that the signatures on your antivirus software are up to date;
- Save the file to your device, be it a computer or smartphone;
- Manually check the file using your antivirus software;
- If the file is clean and doesn't look suspicious, open it.
Disable the option to download attachments automatically
To simplify the reading process, many email programs offer an automatic attachment download feature. Check the settings and make sure you disable it.
Use an account with restricted privileges on your computer
Most operating systems offer the option of creating several user accounts with different privileges. Consider using your entire system with restricted privileges, leaving special access only for maintenance. Some viruses need "administrator" privileges to infect a computer.