If you receive an email from your own domain and it's labeled something like the following: From: administrator@yourdomainname.com
To: you@yourdomainname.com
Subject: Your Account has been Suspended
and then it has something attached to the email in the form of a ZIP file and asks you to open it...DON'T
This is what's called BAIT & SWITCH
The bait is the subject line. Of course you're going to open it if it's from your Administrator right? Well 99% of you don't have an account administrator. You've set up your own domain name or you've had someone like me do it and we've never created such an account.
Also never would an admin send you an email like this with a zip file attached saying "Here open this you idiot" because most of them know you would not open it.
But there are a number of you out there who are in reaction and will see this kind of thing and open it instantly. When you do, please note that your computer system is now what we like to call "compromised".
What I mean is it's sort of like standing on the side of the road and dropping your pants to show the entire world what color underwear you're not wearing today. Not a good thing.
Reach around the back of the computer and disconnect the cable that you have connected to your modem or cable connection or whatever. If you're on a laptop, turn OFF your wireless connection disconnecting you from the internet immediately.
Then contact someone to help you eliminate the virus/malware that has just been released onto your computer. Most of the time what will happen is something will be dropped that will lay and wait for something else to happen. Other times it simply knows where to look for programs that contain financial information, passwords, etc and it gathers it all up and waits for you to send out your next email to whoever and it piggybacks its way out of your computer with your info, drops it on the net somewhere and proceeds to tell everyone or it's creator where your bank is and how to get to your accounts.
Is this serious? OH YES. Should you be worried? If you opened up that zip file, or even worse opened it up and clicked on whatever was inside of it...YES.
Always make sure you are running a virus protector and malware protector of somekind on your computer system for times like this.
Whether you are on a Mac (less likely to be affected) or a PC (more likely to be affected and damaged), you still need to exercise caution when looking at emails and be slow when it comes to opening an email because you just never know what will be trying to get out of there.
That's the tip of the day. If you have any questions or need support, email support@docmurdock.com we have monthly support available for both Macintosh & PC computer systems.
Best regards,
Michael Murdock, CEO