Email Security Part II

Everyone knows that you shouldn't open attachments from people you don't know. Well listen up, Geekettes: don't open attachments from people you do know! Unless you absolutely know your correspondent sent it to you, you are expecting it, and it is in an email that looks like it was actually written by the correspondent, don't open it.

In part one we talked about how chain emails are a real supermarket for spammers, giving them lists of actual email addresses, they also give them lists of people who know the people in the list. Get it, Aunt Emma sends you an email of cute little puppies peeing on a flower, along with 36 other people who also enjoy peeing puppies. A spammer gets a copy. Know your email and Aunt Emma's email and all of a sudden you get this:

"Dear Geekette,

I writed you today to tell you about a great picture I saw of buetiful girl undressed. Here it is, I think you will enjoyed this much and that it will make your manhood really raising,

Aunt Emma"

Now whats wrong with this email? Let me count the ways:

1. Aunt Emma is a PhD in English Literature.
2. Aunt Emma is generally opposed to undressed girls.
3. Aunt Emma is not normally know for discussions of raising manhood.

So what do you do? You say "naked women, whippie" click the attachment and ... your computer is now sending porn from Russia with love. You have been had. You might get a picture of buetifl girl undressed, the spammer gets your computer. Soon the Sheriff is at the door to seize your computer and you are wondering how to tell your wife about it all. Don't open attachments in emails. And don't think that a virus program will protect you. It will not. Nope, half the time a virus is just too new. But more about that in a later post. For now, just repeat after me:
Don't open attachments in emails.

Have you got that?

Email Security, Part 1

The Geekess mentioned the other day that her Dad's computer seemed to be possessed. Because she suffers with me, and endless hours of Leo LaPorte on radio and Netcasts, the Geekess was well aware that Dad's computer was infected, probably with a virus or worm, since it seemed to be doing whatever it wanted to do, with no assistance from humans.

Now Dad loves to forward the latest email making the rounds, particularly those involving the latest internet warning about stolen kidneys, or tails of the eventual downfall of our society. He forwards these on to the family, usually with long lists of former receivers intact.

Such forwards are a great source of addresses of real people. Spammers love them, because, in general, each recipient is actually a person and MOST IMPORTANT each recipient actually opens emails passed on from other people.

If this is your habit, passing on these email, I beg you, at a minimum, strip all the incoming addresses off (you know the sender and all that he has shared the gem with) and type all the addresses you are sending it to in the bcc: header. At least then you are not sending a spammer list which just might wind up in the hands of a spammer, and just might wind up infecting YOUR computer when that spammer sends you an email with the latest rumor of the latest tax on email, $100 cookie recipe or outrage from Washington.

If you receive these kind of email I have a cruel suggestion. Don't pass them on. Even if it signifies that you don't love, respect or cherish the sender. The fact is, they don't love, respect or cherish you, sending you this form or potential spam. Thank them for thinking of you, explain the danger of that type of email (oh dear reader send them the link to this post!), let them know you cherish their letters and substantive emails, just not the ones with long lists of names attached.

More to come on this, Geeketts.