E Mail Security

            Hi everybody. In today’s world economy, hackers are always trying to find new ways to get your information. One of the more common ways this is sometimes done is through the use of key loggers. Key loggers are small Malware apps that you can download to your machine either by a malicious website or possibly through an infected e-mail. The e-mail may even come from somebody that you already know and it might look totally legitimate. Once the key logger is installed, the hacker can then start to get important passwords that you might type in on a daily basis. A good example would be the password you might use to log into your e-mail. Once a hacker acquires this piece of information, he can log into your account and start to spam anybody that is in your address book and send them the same app and then they get infected as well. You can easily see how one infected system can affect many other people.

            Stopping this onslaught of Malware is not always an easy task. For starters, some of today’s Malware can bury itself deep into the operating system. Some Malware can even get into the MBR (Master Boot Record) and become a part of the boot sequence. Once this happens, a reformat is almost always the best answer. If the virus is removed quick enough, a reformat can often be averted. Often times, people will try to remove the virus themselves and this can often  lead to disaster. Most virus infections have a proper removal method using a series of tools in a certain order in order to get the infection removed as much as possible. Time is always of the essence. In almost every case, it is best to call a computer repair professional to do the job. Often times, by the time people decide to call us, the computer is so badly infected that we cannot not do anything but reformat the system.

            The best way to keep your computer safe is not to get infected in the first place. You must be cautious when viewing websites and  only open e mails from people you trust and know. If you open an attachment, check and be sure that the person you got it from actually sent it. If in doubt, delete it! Do not click on links in e mails unless you are 100% sure of who sent it and that it was  actually sent by that person. Again, if in doubt, delete the e mail. You should also periodically change your e mail password. Use a strong password that includes letters, numbers and symbols. Mix a capital letter or two in the password as well. Be sure to write it down and keep it in a safe place. Never keep a list of your passwords on your computer.

            If you follow these simple tips, you will minimize your chances of getting infected but if you do, act quickly and your chances of a full recovery will be much greater.