Safety tips while using e-mail

With the widespread use of the internet, e-mail has become an important part of our lexicon. We are now using this useful tool in our daily interactions on a frequent basis and many tasks cannot be completed without it. However, opening certain kinds of e-mails can be highly dangerous and bring your systems crashing down with very little chances or recovering lost data or information. However, there are certain tips that you can keep in mind to ensure that you remain safe while using e-mail.

1. You should re-check the privacy setting in your account as soon as you sign up for an account on any website. You should create specific settings so that you receive e mail only from people that you know and not from strangers prowling the net.
2. You should remember that your bank or any other such authority whose services you may be availing will never send you an e mail that asks you to provide your password or any other such confidential information. So, it is best to call up your bank and check in with them regarding any such e mail that you may have received as it is likely to be a phishing related scam. Once you reveal such information, unscrupulous elements can take over your identity and commit crimes in your name with you being held accountable for activities that are performed under your name.
3. You should never open e mail that has been classified as junk through your e mail controls. All e mails coming into your inbox are thoroughly checked by the website and when they are found to be free of offensive material, they can be seen in your inbox. Otherwise they go to the junk folder as they may have been found to contain viruses that may threaten the health of your system.  It is important to protect yourself well against this virus threat.
4. You should never remain logged in from a public computer or a system at your friend’s place. The person who may sit on the same system after you leave can have access to all your information if you forget to log out or close a certain window when you leave. So, you should make sure that you have closed your account before you head out.
5. If you receive calls asking for your e mail id’s password, you should never provide it until and unless you have thoroughly verified the credentials of the caller. You can do so by calling back the number from which you may have received the call and making some enquiries.
6. You should never click on attachments or download files that appear to be fishy. It is better to be safe than sorry in this case and make all the files that you receive undergo a through scan to rule out the presence of malware or spyware.
7. If you receive links to webpages and click on them and something unexpected pops up, you may be visiting a cloned webpage that has been specially designed to gather information about you. One must be weary of such sites as they can be used to extract useful information that may be quite harmful for you.

The tips formulated above can help protect your system and uphold the safety and security of your computer. Most viruses that infect computers are found to have infiltrated the system as a result of the carelessness and callousness of the users involved who allow their entry by clicking on certain links that they should not have clicked on.