How to Spot a Virus

In a business environment, it’s not realistic to avoid opening email from strangers, but even so there are a few common sense tips to avoid playing into the hands of a virus. 

Look for emails with no subject, or with a subject that makes no sense or lacks good context.  Would Dennis in accounting really send you a message with the subject in French, or with text that seems randomly pulled from a document?  Do you really think the unknown correspondent whose email just popped into your Inbox is a secret admirer who picked today to declare their love? 

Beware of attachments, and if practical, verify any attachment you did not expect by emailing back or calling the sender to certify that, indeed, they sent you a valid file. 

And remember, a virus can claim to be from anyone in the address book of the infected machine, even your best friend or a close business associate.