Ransomware is not new – it dates back to the 1980s – but it has undergone a renaissance throughout the 2010s, to the extent that it looks almost nothing like it did in its early days. Perpetrators have enhanced various strains with strong encryption (CryptoLocker), designed them to exploit protocols such as Microsoft Windows SMB […]

You can more easily manage notifications and offers from online retailers by creating an email address solely for engaging with them. This setup has the added benefit of making it easier for your to spot scam emails, which are often disguised as promotions, that wind up in your primary personal inbox. Ultimate Internet Security from […]

Many spammers send HTML mail with a linked graphic file that is then used to track who opens the mail message. When your mail client downloads the graphic from their web server, the spammers know you’ve opened the message. Disabling HTML mail entirely and viewing messages in plain text also prevents this problem.

Phishing is frequently associated with tactics such as a scammer telling someone they’ve won a prize, but it can also take the form of attempted extortion. Be wary of any email threatening to expose something about you unless you submit payment. Simply delete it instead of engaging at all.

Phishing emails are usually carefully crafted to look like legitimate communications. They still give themselves away in subtle ways, though. For example, check the subject line: If it includes your email address or an all-caps call to action, do not engage.

During the last days of election season, get-out-the-vote initiatives go into full swing. Most candidates now have multifaceted operations involving phone banking, targeted texting and email campaigns, which seek to engage likely supporters across multiple channels. Modern campaigning still involves significant expenditures on standbys like TV and radio advertising, but it has evolved dramatically in the […]