Use Multiple E-Mail Accounts

Many people make the mistake of maintaining just one E-Mail account and use the same E-Mail account is for personal messages, business messages, sign up for subscriptions and other online services. The likelihood of a phishing* attack or a hacker installing malicious files increases because the number of spam messages is greater when all E-Mail from various people and agencies land in the same E-Mail account. As a result, the user has to be on guard at all times.

A simple way to address this problem is to use different E-Mail accounts for different purposes: personal, business, online mailing lists, and another for when you go shopping online. If you do not want too many E-Mail accounts, you should at least have a E-Mail account where everything besides work, friends and family letters are sent. Chances are that any spam that you might receive will mostly be concentrated on this particular E-Mail account. Be extra careful when reading mails received on this E-Mail account and you reduce your chances of a phishing attack or getting hacked.

*According to Wikipedia, phishing is the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.

Avoiding Spam

E-Mail has become ubiquitous as a communication tool today. With the rising usage of E-Mail comes the rising occurrence of spam. Here are some basic tips for avoiding or at least reducing spam in your in-box:

• Do not use your primary E-Mail address on message boards, online forums etc. Use a second 'disposable' E-Mail address for these websites.
• Avoid opening E-Mails from someone you do not know or do not trust. These could contain software or script which might harm your computer.
• Do not reply to a spam E-Mail. You are unknowingly just validating your E-Mail address as being currently live.
• Use anti-spam and filtering software. However, keep in mind that even the best anti-spam software cannot stop all the spam and some may even mark legitimate E-Mails as spam.
• If you are using an E-Mail client like Outlook or Thunderbird, instruct your antivirus software to scan incoming E-Mail.
• Install a spyware / malware checker and run it once a week to detect and remove any spyware or trojans.

Using the BCC Field

Use the BCC field when you do not want recipients to know who else you have sent the e-mail to. The BCC field ensures privacy of your contacts since recipients can not view this field. If you use the BCC field, but be sure to leave the 'To' or 'Reply To' blank, or your e-mail may be considered spam.