MAIN RULE: NEVER AUTOMATICALLY TRUST AN EMAIL WITH AN ATTACHMENT.

You think I have antivirus software, I am safe? Think Twice.

At this time it is actually the malware, ransomware… which is more dangerous as the viruses. GNO pc's cannot update the windows enough, because of the limited resources of internet connection (when we have a server in place that might be a central updating server) so we do run pc's that are more prone to attack as in a well connected environment.

1. is there an attachment on the mail? The very first reaction to EVERY email with an attachment has to be : caution
2. check if the email comes from a trusted person, but be aware that email addresses get spoofed, meaning that it might look as if the mail comes from someone you know but it is not.
3. if you doubt the sender, DO NOT OPEN the mail but check with the sender (mail, call) if they really sent you an attachment and what it is about
4. never ever open an attachment that has a name ending on .bat, .exe., .cmd, .zip, .rar, .L7…etc or any kind of extension you don't know, check with the system admininstrator if in doubt, before clicking it!
5. if the attachment is labeled .pdf you are most of the time save, but attention, virusmongers try to trick you by sending files like filename.pdf.exe It is the last extension which is the real one!
6. don't automatically trust an email that seems to come from a large company, lots of them are sent as if they come from DHL, UPS, a well known bank or insurance company etc. The internet is a real jungle and a lot is not what it seems to be
7. .zip, .rar etc extensions indicate a compressed file, this can be genuine (a large .doc file can be compressed into a much smaller one by using compression) file, but quite often it contains a virus. Ask the system administrator if in doubt, it is safe to open the compressed file but the file inside can be a virus again (see above). So do not just double click the content of a compressed file.