Email is a nightmare for clean freaks. No matter how
fastidious you are, it's a good bet your inbox is filthy—swimming
with more viruses than your average cesspool. Some email messages
are innocuous, but many contain programs that can give hackers
control of your computer. Others contain links that take you to web
sites that trick you into giving online thieves your personal data.
The bad news is that you'll probably never get rid of
it all; the good news is that there are simple steps you can take to
scrub away most of it. Here are six simple steps that will put you
back in control of your email:
1.
Vaccinate.
All major anti-virus products for home computers contain a mail-scan
function. Invest in an anti-virus program, keep it running, and make
sure to download the regular virus updates.
2.
Don't
click on the link.
"Phishing" scams dupe consumers into turning over their account
numbers and other personal data by luring them to web pages that
look identical to legitimate sites run by companies such as
Citibank, eBay, and PayPal. Never click on a link in an email asking
you to update your account information. If you want to know if the
request is real, go to the company's web site in a separate browser
window and send an email query. Better yet, call the company's
customer-support line.
3.
Leave
that attachment alone.
Unsolicited email attachments often contain viruses. Opening the
attachment launches the virus, sidelining your computer and sending
copies of itself to everyone in your email address book. If you
aren't expecting the attachment, don't open it. Ever.
4.
Skip
the previews.
Some of the more sophisticated viruses spread without any action on
your part. As soon as you open a message in the "preview" window of
your email program, it can begin installing malicious programs on
your computer. Users of the Microsoft® Outlook email program are
particularly susceptible. Closing that window so that you have to
double-click on a message in order to read it can provide another
layer of protection.
5.
Don't
panic.
If you suspect hackers may have got hold of your financial data,
contact one or all of the three major credit bureaus—Equifax,
Experian, and TransUnion—and ask them to put a fraud alert on your
file. The fraud line for Equifax is 800.525.6285; for Experian is
888.397.3742, and for TransUnion is 800.680.7289.
6.
Use McAfee® security products and
services to help control spam.
