Rajesh Mirchandani presents a new series covering the latest developments and issues in the world of IT.
How to avoid spam
McAfee anti-spam researcher Guy Roberts' tips on how to avoid junk email andÌýtheÌýmalicious software which may come attached
Do not post your e-mail address in an unobfuscated form on the Internet. If you need to post your e-mail address, disguise it so it cannot be easily replicated for example: joebloggs-at-webprovider.com rather than joebloggs@webprovider.com
Check to see if your e-mail address is visible to spammers by typing it into a search engine.ÌýIf your e-mail address is posted to any websites or newsgroups, remove it if you can
NeverÌýrespond to spam. If you reply, you are confirming that your e-mail address is valid and the spam has been successfully delivered to your inbox. Lists of confirmed e-mail addresses are muchÌýmore valuable to spammers than unconfirmed lists, and they are frequently bought and sold by spammers
Never buy any goods from spammers. If you do, you're making it worth their while, and giving them an incentive to continue spamming.
Ensure your computer has an up-to-date anti-virus and anti spyware software package in place.ÌýÌýInstall and turn on a personal firewall, which will stop a targeted attacker
When filling in Web forms, check the site's privacy policy to ensure it will not be sold or passed on to other companies
Do not click on unusual links or open email attachments from unrecognisable sources. Confirm the sender did send the e-mail if it looks suspicious
Do not respond to e-mail requests to validate or confirm any of your account details. Your bank, credit card company, eBay, Paypal, etc, already have your account details, so would not need you to validate them
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