Email spamming is very rampant in this digital era where almost everyone once or twice receive unsolicited messages from anonymous senders requesting for friendship or business partnership. Worrying about spamming is that in most cases the information send may not relate to the receiver’s line of work.
Besides spamming, emails are also prone to hacking due to the ever increasing numbers of cyber-attacks. Spamming and hacking usually work hand in hand to give cyber criminals an access to one’s email. The combination works in such a way that the hacker will spam email with malicious codes which will automatically install themselves on one’s email program. These malicious codes are called spywares and they secretly send critical information like passwords to the hacker.
So how can email users be protected against spamming and hackers? Note that allowing malicious spammers into the inbox is one step into losing critical data.
Email spamming is a huge business because believe it or not, it works. They know that someone, somewhere will click a strange link and download malicious code to their computer to place yet more spam on the Internet. The sad thing is that more email users will actually engage with spammers and even buy some fake products from them.
Solutions Against Spamming & Email Hacking
The first practical solution is to spell out the sender’s email address before replying or clicking a link inserted in the send email. Most malicious emails are send using very dubious email addresses like mailto.0008@gmail.com or shingi@tesla.org. Most of these email addresses, they will conflict from what the sender will be communicating in the email contents like “l work for the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe yet the sender is using a Gmail address. Now that’s the first sign of a spam message.
The other efficient way to get rid of spams and block hackers is by using Contact Forms. Contact forms do a great job of hiding email addresses contacts are put on public domains for communication purposes. When communicating, people will be obligated to fill in correct personal and email details before sending anything.
The last and most important safety tip is to avoid clicking links inserted in emails send by strangers. Most of these links have installation files which will automatically install malicious computer programs which can secretly collect critical data and send it back to cyber attackers.
The most recommendable security tip is that never leave email logged on in public places like Internet Cafes and school computer labs. Also, from time to time, email passwords need to be changed to shutdown hackers and those who might have accidentally sniffed into one’s email before.
