3 Quintessential Reasons Not to Click

by Anne Middleton, on March 10th, 2015

For numerous folks, this has been a daunting and challenging couple of months, even years, struggling with their finances. 

Car and home insurance payments must be disbursed, gas prices are escalating, the California drought led to the mounting costs of produce, heating oil expenses soared …even the fast food chains prices skyrocketed.

When an email with an enticing subject line materializes in your in-box advising that you are now the lucky winner of thousands of dollars, you can barely resist the impulse to seize your mouse and click to unseal the contents.

STOP! Avoid the temptation! The consequences of releasing this communique could be devastating to your computer and demolish your essential files.

Here are three monumental reasons you absolutely must not expose the contents of any electronic communication from a stranger…

1. Infected Email Viruses.

Rule number one is never open an electronic message dispatched from someone (anyone) you don’t recognize. The email address may seem tender and enticing (like winmoney@funtimes.com), but you must identify this teasing as impending danger.  If infected, you will be required to devote an enormous amount of time and labor trying to revive your computer and documents from the impact of this toxic email.

2. Don’t Detach If You Don’t’ Know.

Everyone has harkened the awkward story of a corporate employee who releases an attachment that they trust is legitimate. 

Unfortunately, for this naïve staffer, the add-on file is not an authentic spreadsheet…it is actually nasty or pornographic material that is spread to co-workers and executives just by opening the addendum.  This employee who failed to take precautions has set free a virus infecting the entire establishment one computer at a time.

Remember, just because an email message looks like originated from your mom, best buddy or even your boss doesn't mean that it did. Viruses can "spoof" the email address, so it deceives you that the message came from someone else. Don’t become the office scapegoat…you want to be popular at work, but not this way!

3. Trust Your Instincts

We have all worked in this wacky technology oriented world for long enough to discern if an email or an attachment seems suspicious. If you are wary, the most efficacious plan of action is to simply delete it….permanently.  Don't let your curiosity put your computer at risk. “If it sounds too good to be true, it is too good to be true!”

Antivirus software can help. Whether you and your organization choose the high-quality software from Norton, McAfee or Bitdefender, use your high level of intellect to opt for the program that supports not just your basic needs, but defends and shields your gadgets far into the immeasurable future.  The best type protection packages are updated continuously, at no additional cost, often without you having to lift a figure or touch the keyboard.

Antivirus software defends your vulnerability to viruses, malware and other evil electronic scoundrels desperate to hack into your devices. It is categorically and unequivocally a worthy investment.