From time to time you may see spam emails coming through some of the forums on MY AADE NETWORK. The amount of spam coming through is not in excess—a 2013 Microsoft Security Intelligence Report found that more than 75% of all email transmitted could be classified as spam—and we normally expect spam volumes to ebb and flow across the entire internet. However, in order to keep our communities as spam-free as possible, we wanted to provide some tips for defending against and responding to spam.

Change your email password regularly

Consider changing your password every 45 days to prevent hackers from easily accessing your email account and your contact list. This is how a hacker or spambot can send an email from your account, acting as you. A good tip to remember to do this is to put the reminder to change your password as a reccurring event in your Outlook calendar. If you change your password often, it does not have to be a drastically different password from the one before.

Block senders who send you spam/junk email

When you receive an email that appears to be spam, block the email address that sent it to you if you do not recognize that email address. It is likely spam. If you recognize the email address, send that person a separate email, asking if they intended to send the message. That way, you are safe from having your computer infected, and you also have informed the other person that they may be infected.

Do not click on suspicious links or open suspicious attachments

This is the most important. If you receive an email that only has a link (and/or an attachment) in it, and there is no context to support it, do not click the link or open the attachment. If you click on the link or open the attachment, you are opening up your computer to a potential virus, or letting the hacker have all of your email contacts. This is how a spam email spreads.

Do not reply to the email

If you see an email that you suspect is spam, do not reply to the email. You may be risking infection of your own email. Instead, kindly email the person who sent the email (in a new separate email) letting them know that you received a spam email from them. If you see it in MY AADE NETWORK, please contact us at mynetwork@aadenet.org and we will remove it. Or contact your CB State Leader, and they can remove it.

With these practices and tips in mind, spam can be kept a minimum. Again, when in doubt, delete the email.  If it is important, they will resend or give you a call. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us at mynetwork@aadenet.org.