Receiving emails is a normal part of life at this point. So is getting SPAM! However, there may be more lurking around than you think.
A few questions that have been asked:
Can opening emails infect your device?
One of the biggest myths is that by opening an email can automatically infect your computer or smartphone. Most current email systems (Outlook and GMail for instance) do a really good job at preventing this from happening. However, if you interact with the email, such as clicking links or downloading attachments, that is where the real danger resides.
Is a Plain Text email safe?
Yes and no. While they can not hide bad HTML, they can still be a risk of having links that are a threat. Some phishing emails come as plain text, hoping that the individual will click on the contained link. Those links will send you to bad websites.
Are my emails from known contacts safe?
Not always. There are a couple of ways that bad actors can get to you, with your known contact’s email address.
First, they can spoof an email address. That is, make it look like it is coming from the person you trust, or even yourself!
Second, if one of your contacts has been compromised, you may get a bad email from them. This is more common than you think. You have to be careful with links and attachments. If you were not expecting an attachment, reach out to the contact INA SEPARATE EMAIL and confirm they were sending you something.
Do SPAM filters catch all malicious emails?
SPAM filters are great! However, they are not perfect. There are some really clever hackers out there that design emails specifically to evade the SPAM filters. That is why you must be careful with all emails.
Am I safe if I just preview an email?
Not really. However, most current email clients are better than they used to be. The risk with updated email programs is greatly reduced. The emails still may have trackers and other data collection that occur automatically, still alerting the hacker to your activity of reading the email. MAKE SURE you disable automatic image loading within your email program. This will help to lessen chances.
WHAT CAN I DO?
You need to watch out for a few things:
Embedded trackers: Some SPAM and Phishing Emails contain trackers that notify the sender of when the email is opened or read. That can alert the spammer/hacker that the email address is legit and has the potential of more SPAM being sent.
Malicious links and attachments: These are the main danger that you really need to watch for. Like I said above, you need to confirm that an attachment has been sent from the person. NOT REPLYING to the current email, but sending a separate one to them.
HTML Emails: Emails that have HTML within them can sometimes auto execute dangerous scripts when opened.
Phishing Attempts: Even not clicking on something, phishing emails look very legit. They can easily trick you to respond with your personal information. THAT IS SOMETHING TO NEVER DO. Use the phone.
Adapted from CyberGuy
As always, please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.
Stay Safe Out There!