1) Make sure you have a GOOD Antivirus program on your computer.
(By GOOD I mean, no Norton, and no McAffe) If you need a good antivirus
go to http://free.grisoft.com and download one for free (for personal use)
and there are plenty of others out there on the net.
2) Remember that Email can ONLY SEND TEXT (yes, you read that right)
You can not get a standard virus by opening an Email..
ONLY by double clicking (running) the Email attachment.
However this doesn’t prevent HTML based virus. So the only way to
get around that is to set Outlook to TEXT only. Then you don’t need
to worry about the HTML side of things.
3) You can not get a virus though a ‘data’ file type.
with computers there’s two file types. Programs, and Data.
Programs have extensions like EXE, COM, BAT..
Where as Data files have extensions like ".jpg/.gif"
BUT!!!!
You’ve must be careful about some of these. Jerks have figured out if you
save a file with a name like ‘MyNudes.exe.jpg’ then the computer will show
a JPG Icon and NOT the EXE icon.. that’s bad..
So, first things first, be sure to look at the file name BEFORE you open it.
make sure that you don’t see a ‘double extension’ like above.
Another way to combat that crap is be sure that you DO NOT hide file
extensions for known files. This setting can be changed in your Folder Options.
4) Be mindful of the people that send you things.
if all of a sudden you get an Email with an attachment from
‘SuperMario@ToadstoolCastle.com’ with a message body
of ‘Hey! I thought you would like this!"
DO NOT OPEN IT. Just delete it.
if it really is someone you know, they will have either A)
told you before hand they are sending you something
or B) ask about it later. If they ask about it, tell them to send it
again..
5) Be mindful of the URL.
In HTML it’s easy to say you are going ‘here’ when you are really going to go
‘there’ (like the Link could say Yahoo!, but really take you to Microsoft)
and be very careful of ’shorted’ URLs from places like TinyURL. NEVER
go to those links unless you know who sent them to you. Verify the LINK
In the Email before you click on it.
As for the pet peeves…
1) Emails are NOT tracked. If you get an Email saying that if you send this to 5 other people then someone somewhere will give you $1000. It’s bull crap.
2) Emails saying ‘If you send this to 5 people, then some really funny cartoon will pop up on your screen" again, this is B.S.
Remember Email, can only send TEXT. If there’s no attachment.. how can there be a cartoon? on top of that.. Email isn’t tracked.. Refer to #1
3) If you get an Email saying that the make a wish foundation will donate $.02 to some sick child if you forward this email to everyone you know.. Refer to Pet Peeve #1, and then #4. or.. if you are just lazy.. EMAILS ARE NOT TRACKED AND STOP SENDING CHAIN LETTERS.
4) Chain letters.. just stop it.. you’re clogging up my Internet.
and, of course, if anyone has any Q’s about this.. just ask. =)
(all of this is said in humor.. minus the part about the Chain letters.. really.. stop it. )
