Although Mailprotector does filter your mail for both spam and virus threats, no filter is 100% effective. It is possible for a virus to sneak through undetected. Mailprotector recommends training all users on the following guidelines for handling attachments.
Some simple, but frequently ignored, safe computing practices to consider when opening emails and file attachments, in general:
- Always check who the email sender is. If the email is supposedly coming from a bank, verify with your bank if the received message is legitimate. If from a personal contact, confirm if they sent the message. Do not rely solely on trust by virtue of relationship, as your friend or family member may be a victim of spammers as well.
- Double-check the content of the message. There are obvious factual errors or discrepancies that you can spot: a claim from a bank or a friend that they have received something from you? Try to go to your recently sent items to double-check their claim. Such spammed messages can also use other social engineering lures to persuade users to open the message.
- Refrain from clicking links in email. In general, clicking on links in email should be avoided. It is safer to visit any site mentioned in email directly. If you have to click on a link in email, make sure your browser uses web reputation to check the link.
- Always ensure your software is up-to-date. Currently there are no known CryptoLocker that exploits vulnerabilities to spread, but it can’t be ruled out in the future. Regularly updating installed software provides another layer of security against many attacks, however.
- Backup important data. Unfortunately, there is no known tool to decrypt the files encrypted by CryptoLocker. One good safe computing practice is to ensure you have accurate back-ups of your files. The 3-2-1 principle should be in play: three copies, two different media, one separate location. Windows has a feature called Volume Shadow Copy that allows you to restore files to their previous state, and is enabled by default.
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