Where Your Success Takes Root

Protect Yourself Against Spam

2011-09-30

Protect Your Computer

Keep your software and operating system up to date on your computer or mobile device.

Use a trusted antivirus program, which protects against malicious software such as malware, adware, spyware, viruses, and Trojans — and keep it up-to-date, as updated software normally has the latest anti-spam filters and provides the strongest defense against malicious software.

Use a firewall that helps to stop unwanted communication with a computer.

Protect Your Electronic (Email) Addresses

Use a primary email address for your trusted personal and business contacts.

Create a secondary email address for use in online activities, such as filling out forms or joining communities. This address may be changed if you start getting too much spam.

Protect Yourself

Unfortunately, there is no way to know for sure whether or not a message is safe. The best you can do is to reduce your risk by using your judgment. If it looks suspicious, it may be malicious spam. If it looks like legitimate marketing, then it may be perfectly safe, although you may not have requested it or you may not want to get it anymore.

Don't try or buy a product or service being advertised in a message you receive from a sender you don’t know.

Don't reply to spam if the message seems at all suspicious to you. Never reply to, or click on a "remove" or "unsubscribe" link in a suspicious spam message. If you do respond, it will confirm your address and cause you to receive more spam.

If the message seems legitimate and safe but you don’t want to receive any more messages from the sender, once the new law in force, the message should have a working "remove" or "unsubscribe" link to tell the sender that you no longer wish to receive their messages.

Never visit websites advertised in a suspicious spam message. Attachments included in emails may have software that could harm your computer’s performance or steal your personal information. Malicious software may corrupt your computer or take over your email account to send viruses to other people. Fraudsters can make messages look like they come from people you know; this is called "spoofing."If you are unsure about an email message, use an alternative method of contact, such as the telephone, to check with the sender before opening it. Do not use the contact information provided in the original email as it could be false as well. Instead, look up the contact information for the organization on their website, in the phone book or on printed correspondence you may have from them.

Use alphanumeric passwords that use a combination of numbers, character symbols and letters in upper and lower case. This makes it hard for others to guess your password. (Example: User name: JohnRobert, Password: An!C4nadi*n). When the law is brought into force, there will be a Spam Reporting Centre set up where you will be able to report spam and other electronic threats. When operational, the Spam Reporting Centre will accept various types of electronic messages from individuals and organizations in Canada. Reporting spam and related electronic threats will not stop such threats completely; however, the data sent to the Spam Reporting Centre will help it identify trends, and try to find out who is sending the spam and other threats and from where. This will aid in the future prosecution and civil proceedings against those responsible for electronic threats in Canada and internationally. Report fraud caused by spam and other electronic threats. If you are a victim of fraud, report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, your local police, the credit bureaus and your bank so they are aware of the situation.

Source: http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/030.nsf/eng/h_00095.html