Here is a condensed list of basic Internet safety tips (for malware prevention).
E-Mail Safety Tips
- If you receive an e-mail with an executable file attachment, don’t open the attachment.
- Don’t open attachments from senders you don’t already know. If you aren’t sure about something someone sent you, ask them if they actually sent it.
- Be extremely careful with forwarded emails. Even if someone you know forwards you an e-mail, avoid opening the attachments.
- If you’re still learning about online safety, it’s advisable to set your e-mail client not to automatically download or display images.
- If you receive an e-mail from anyone containing a link, always hover over the link to see the URL in the address bar to ensure it’s a link you already know. Sometimes the link text you see at first is different from the actual URL. Attackers use this to trick people into going to malware-infested websites.
- Do not reply to any e-mail with bank account or credit card information. Legitimate banks and stores never ask customers to do that, and any organization which does that should not be trusted.
- If you receive an e-mail from a source claiming to be a financial institution or other business that you know, and they ask you to click a link and enter more information, the safest thing to do is open a new browser window and type in the url of the organization and go straight to their website without that link. You can then find out on their website if they are actually requesting said information.
Download Safety Tips
If you’re trying to download an image, audio file, or a document, but your browser downloads a .exe or .bin file, do not open it. If you receive a zip file, you also need to be very careful and scan it for malware/ensure that no executable files are in it.