4 E-mail Security Tips You Should Know About

We rely on e-mail so much these days that we tend to take it for granted. What we should never take for granted, however, is e-mail security. With that in mind, here are 4 quick tips to help keep you out of trouble:

1. Make sure you have a good anti-virus/firewall program installed on your computer and keep it up to date. Never forget that e-mail is vulnerable to viruses and other online hazards. In today's digital world internet security software is not a luxury, it's a necessity.
   
2. Never click on a suspicious e-mail attachment. In fact, you should be wary of all attachments. Sometimes they carry viruses or other malicious programs that your anti-virus software might miss. And if you receive an unexpected e-mail attachment from your friend, do the smart thing and call her to make sure she really sent it!
   
3. Be wary of e-mails that ask for financial information, tell you there's a problem with your account, or use other similar tactics to try to get you to divulge sensitive information about yourself--they're usually scams designed to steal your money and/or personal information--don't fall for these tricks!
4. DO NOT CALL THE PHONE NUMBER OR CLICK ON ANY LINKS IN THOSE E-MAILS! If you receive an email from a bank or financial institution and you want to phone them to see if it's legitimate, don't use the number provided in the e-mail--it might just be another trick. Instead get the number out of the phone book or visit the bank in person to inquire about the e-mail!

Remember, there are no 100% guarantees in the online world, but following these tips and exercising good common sense just might help you avoid e-mail's darker side.