How Vulnerable Is Your Email Account to Malware
Think your email is safe? Learn more about why your email account needs additional security in order to stay safe from malware threats.
Cybersecurity has been a popular topic in recent news stories. Millions of people have had their personal information put at risk and in the hands of hackers and identity thieves. Sometimes, people’s information and the safety of their computers can be put at risk by malware. These notorious pieces of software can harm a person’s computer and makes all email accounts susceptible to malware. To monitor your emails with a layer of protection, install dfndr security’s anti-hacking feature, it’ll alert you of suspicious links that are potentially full of malware, even before you click on one in an email:
How Does Malware Work?
Malware enters a computer through the websites a person visits and the emails that they open and read. Reading emails involves opening a link that lets in websites and pieces of software. That software can harm a computer in many ways. It can shut down a person’s computer or slow it down immensely by forcing the computer to send out spam emails or contribute to a hacking operation. Some forms of malware can control and shut down a person’s software until they pay a ransom to a hacker, sometimes in untraceable currency such as Bitcoin. These types of malware, known as ransomware, can affect companies that have millions of dollars in assets.
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Malware and Your Email Account
Email providers can take some steps to curb malware. They can flag spam emails and reject security certifications. They can also make money without anonymously selling the individual’s data like Google does. Individuals can take their own steps to make email less susceptible to malware. One step is to reduce the number of emails that an individual signs up for. This effort reduces the possibility that a person will be sent a compromised email. You also need to be vigilant about the emails they receive and the ones they send out. Try to avoid emails with suspicious headlines or ones that do not seem legitimate for any reason. However, these efforts are far from foolproof.
Since no malware protection plan can be perfect, anybody using email should take a number of basic steps in order to protect their device and their information, first being to have a solid antivirus app installed and taking precautions mentioned here.