Cyber-hygiene

I got an unsolicited e-mail from an organization wanting to advertise on my blog the other day.  I imagine that my blog was picked by robot, because I don't post often enough for advertisers to be interested.   

    I told my husband about it on our morning walk, and he asked if I'd clicked any links in the e-mail.  I said yes, that I'd wanted to check out the advertiser's website, but when I got there you had to register to browse it, and registration required "signing" a fine-print agreement a mile long.  So I got out of there and deleted the e-mail.   

    By this point, my husband had stopped walking, turning to stare at me in the road.  "Never click a link in an unsolicited e-mail!"  he said.  "It's just simple hygiene, like washing your hands after you go to the bathroom." 

    I felt my eyes widen.  "No," he said, "don't worry," and started to walk again.  "But from now on, go to your browser and type in whatever link you want to check out.  Don't ever click unsolicited links directly.  That's just like not giving financial info. over the phone when someone calls you."   

    So now I've got a list taped to the side of my computer.  Is there anything I should add to it besides the above? Or any site you know of where these rules that everyone should know are gathered?     

Comments

[notdotdot]

Thank you! Didn't know that.
As for other "bewares" I'm no help.
I think I'll pet my dog!

[joared]

Glad to know that -- makes sense. Wonder if there's a list of "Don'ts" somewhere?

[Tabor]

I get this drilled into me at least once a month at work. My real name/email is available on several webpages that I manage. I never changed that because these websites are pretty selective to readers. But I do get spam which gets automatically filterd into another folder and if I haven't a clue who it is from nor what the actual message is about, I delete it without opening it. The potential spam emails are selected by an automatic process through our IT people. I have yet to have missed anything important from anyone.