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Viruses.
Many computer viruses are spread via email, and often come with a file attached. By opening the file, your computer may become infected - so be cautious of any email with attachments, and think twice about opening it even if it comes from someone you know.

Keeping your anti virus software up to date, and ensuring you have the latest windows updates installed will help to protect you from any infection.

Scams.
There are regular attempts to trick people into unwittingly divulging banking information or other passwords so a fraud can be committed. Beware. If something seems too good to be true then it probably is. Previous scams include being asked for your banking details by the (alleged) son of a former African Head of State to help transfer money into a neutral 3rd country via your account.

There has also been an increase recently in so called "phishing" where extremely plausible emails are sent claiming to be from a particular bank, asking for you to confirm your login name and password. These rely on sending out hundreds of thousands of emails - it only takes a few people to reply and the scammers can make a small fortune by draining an account of funds.

Unfortunatey there are no common sense programs to download.

Spam.
Spam is unwanted, unsolicited email, and can range from emails advertising gambling sites, prescription drugs and even adult websites. There are several steps you can take to reduce the chances of your inbox becoming overwhelmed with junk e-mail.

• Be wary of signing up to free newsletters. Most bona-fide UK businesses adhere to anti-spam guidelines and legislation, but some dubious sites hosted elsewhere may not think twice about selling your email address to a spammer.
• Got your own website? If you need to have your email address on there, do it with a graphic as text can be "harvested" by a spammer's automated Internet browser.
• Similarly, if you post on any forums or discussion boards, be wary of having your email address on display there for the same reason as above.

Various anti-spam programs exist including Spam Arrest which reqires users be added to a list of known senders to reduce the volume of junk you receive.

If you still have questions regarding safe email use after reading this guide, then call our technical support line on 0871 700 7700.