Delete all unsolicited e-mails after informing the concerned authorities

Email is a very important part of the communication cycle. In recent times it is becoming one of the greatest sources for hackers to target by sending alot of spam email.

If you have old mail that is unsolicited and not in use, delete it, if you have spam mail and you aren't sure of the mail delete it, below are few standard practices you can use as you get along with email in the cyber world.

• Be careful who you give your email address to.
• Consider having separate personal and business email addresses.
• Choose an email address which is difficult to guess.
• Don’t advertise your email address, for example by making it available on the internet.
• Check privacy policies and marketing opt-outs carefully. If you buy something online or subscribe to a service, check the company’s privacy policy before giving your email address or any other personal information. Consider how the company uses your information and whether they might send it to other people within their organization or to other organizations.
• Avoid responding to spam emails if you have any doubts about who has sent them. Replying indicates that your email address is live. You should not reply to emails unless you know and trust the sender, and are confident the email is genuine.
• Don’t click on the adverts in spam emails. By clicking on spammers’ web pages, it shows your email address is live and may make yourself a target for more emails. It can also reveal your computer’s IP address.
• Use a spam email filter on your computer. These are programs which work with your email package to sift through new emails, separating spam emails from wanted emails and blocking them. Most packages are successful although sometimes block good email too. Also, they can’t stop the spam emails being downloaded before being blocked. New spam email filters are being developed all the time; you can search the internet for one that is suitable for you. Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) also offer filters which work by examining content and using blacklists to restrict spam emails. Again, these sometimes block good emails as well as spam emails and you might have to pay for them. For more information on the services that are available to you, please check with your ISP.
• Keep your systems well maintained. Hackers and spammers can exploit software problems, so most software companies issue product updates and patches that fix known problems. Updates are generally available through manufacturers’ websites and are usually free to download and install. You should also consider using anti-virus software to protect against virus programs that can destroy computer files and are increasingly being exploited by spammers.