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Today I want to discuss internet security
This is a small thing and maybe you already know this....
Security tip #1: don't use your actual e mail address in the face of your blog.
why? there are malware and spam programs that troll blogs searching for e mail addresses. Granted, there are zillions of blogs out there, but why take a chance? If one of these programs picks up your e mail address, it will send malicious files to you under generic names in hope that you will open them.
What to do: instead of using the @ and .com -- write it out. For example, I will say my e mail address is tesshilmo(at)comcast(dot)net It is those two symbols (the @ and .com) that identify something as an e mail address to these trolling programs.
Super easy to do, plus I am adding an extra layer of protection against spam and malware.
Did you know this? Will you consider changing your habits to add this layer of protection or is it just not worth it to you? Who out there is hosting a Wish I Knew Wednesday? I'd love to learn your tips!
26 comments:
I did know this! It's always a good idea, no? Thanks for spreading the word, Tess. Hopefully we won't have to deal with such scary things.
Hope you're well!
Good tip! Thanks.
Hmm. Didn't know that! Thanks for the tip.
I learned this tip from another fellow blogger.
Great tip!
I did not know that is why the email addresses are sometimes written out. Thanks!
Thanks Tess!!
Thank you, Tess! I changed those on my blogs. :)
Yup. I always just tell people to see my profile to contact me. There's an email link there.
No robots allowed!
I've seen people do this and wondered why. Now I know. Sanks. However, I wonder if the robots have also been programmed to pick up on those "tricks" too. If they haven't yet, I'm sure they will eventually. Still, I'm going to change mine...
Lynnette Labelle
http://lynnettelabelle.blogspot.com
Tess, actually I learned this from you when we were doing the interview. Great lesson here. Thanks for sharing and for doing these, Wish I knew Wednesdays. :)
That's good to know. From now on no posting of email address.
Good advice. I learned this years ago from our IT guy at work. We had all our work email addresses on the company website. We were inundated with SPAM. You see, there are programs out there that automatically search the Internet for email addresses. Once they find them, the SPAM begins. Our IT guy removed the email dresses and the spam diminished. Woo-hoo.
Then again, he built the website, so I had to wonder why he put the addresses up in the first place. Hmmmm, maybe that's one of the reasons we have a new IT guy.
S
S
Thanks! I didn't know this.
Great tip!!! I usually don't give too much thought to it...anything I do on the internet I use my yahoo email address. It's pretty good at sticking spam where it belongs. On average I get maybe 1 or 2 in my inbox a day and I never open them, just click their boxes and send them to my spam folder.
Great tip, Tess! I didn't know this. I always wondered why people wrote it out, though. Thanks!
I knew this and it's great advice! Thanks Tess!
I do this too. I just wanted to avoid junkmail but you gotta love malwarers too. Ugh.
Hm, I knew this, but do not often practice it. Now I will! Thx for the reminder!
Thank you for that bit of advice, Tess! I didn't realize that happens! Better to be safe than sorry! I will change it on my blog!
I didn't know that. But thanks, I will follow suit. :)
How did I miss this post? Malware, perhaps ;)
How about this. I snub my nose at malware. *me snubbing nose* and will leave my email alone!
(secretly wishing that something happens and makes my computer useless for days while I have it fixed and can write on paper and not check email incessantly.)
Totally do this! I had one email get massive spam all due to being "out there". What a great thing for you to post!
Thanks, girlfriend...
I knew this already, but great tip! You can never be too careful.
Good to know. I always wondered why people wrote it out that way. Off to change mine now. Thanks!
Thanks for the tip.
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