There are times when computer viruses catch you by surprise. You feel you were doing everything in your power to practice good computer security habits, but then you remember: you may not have been as cautious as possible when it came to your emails and texts.
Who can blame you? The number of emails and texts we receive seems to grow by the day. Now add to that number of messages that seem suspicious and could be nefarious. It can feel like a part-time job just monitoring your messages and finding ways to keep your data as private as possible.
You may not always prevent viruses, but there’s one mistake you can avoid because it can almost guarantee putting you in harm’s way when it comes to viruses. Avoid this one ‘rookie’ mistake.
Struggling With Sleep? This Rechargeable Sound Machine Is A Total Game-Changer
Don’t Click on Links in Suspicious Emails
Fraud messages you receive from senders who are trying to steal your data will often sound urgent. They may pretend that they need some kind of personal information from you, such as your address or passwords. They may also send you a link to click on and ask that you visit their website to provide more information. This will often accompany a threat: if you don’t provide the info, you may be locked out of an account or may not receive a package or gift that is rightfully yours.
Whatever you do, don’t click on links in suspicious emails or text messages.
When you click on the link, it may direct you to a web page that looks legitimate. This may make you feel more comfortable about providing your personal information (remember: don’t do it). But another thing that can happen is the very act of clicking on the link can download malware or spyware onto your device. These malicious software programs will then get to work stealing your data from right beneath your nose. Be careful with emails from senders that you do not know. Delete and report them and never click on suspicious links.
