Since friends and family will likely be sending you holiday letters and eCards this time of year (and saving a few pennies and a couple of trees by not sending paper cards through the U.S. Postal Service), it may be a good time to review the "golden rules of e-mail." To prevent the "bah-humbug" feeling one gets from having a computer virus, do the following:
Make sure your anti-virus software is up to date.
Never open attachments from strangers.
Never open attachments from friends if the e-mail is unexpected.
If you are going to open the attachment, do not open the attachment directly. Instead, save the attachment, and then open it.
If you do receive a holiday eCard in your e-mail, resist the temptation to click on the embedded link. The reputable eCard companies such as Hallmark.com, BlueMountain.com and AmericanGreetings.com all provide a means of visiting their Web site and typing in a confirmation or eCard number. Be leery of eCards sent by companies that do not provide you with a similar method of accessing and reviewing the greeting.
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If you do your holiday shopping online, use a credit card instead of a debit card. If you encounter a problem with an online purchase, you can refuse to pay questionable charges, which can be removed from your account while in dispute. With a debit card, the money is already out of the account.
If you have questions about computer security or have ideas for future topics, please feel free to contact me at Mcarr@unm.edu.
Mike Carr is UNM's Director of Information Assurance.
