We have all been there haven’t we, happily working along and then ding, Outlook flashes up a notification about that parcel you ordered and that you can track it now… But hang on, did I order a parcel, am I expecting a notification from DHL or the Royal Mail to let me know where it is?
This is one of the most common ways to get end users to open attachments and potentially open their network to a whole heap of problems ranging from, all files becoming corrupt and inaccessible, tearing through the network and putting viruses on every machine possible or sending data and traffic back to the creator of the virus. No one means to allow a virus on to the network but if we were all a little more careful and thought about the attachment before we opened it, then it might just save us from spending the amount of time it takes to get the network back to what it was.
Normally with tracking emails you will have probably noticed it is the place you bought the goods from that sends you an email, not the courier. How many times do you receive a legitimate email from Royal Mail or DHL about your parcel? almost never!
Another one to watch out for is how many times do you need to open an attachment to see the tracking? It’s normally a link that you click on that redirects you to the courier’s website, so how do we check we’re clicking on a legitimate link? Well in Outlook if you hover over the link it will show you where it is going to redirect you to. Normally this will be a very long complex string that you don’t recognise. Do not click on anything and delete the email at once if your suspicious email fits into any of the above, still not sure – give the guys on the helpdesk a call and ask for our expert advice, we can normally tell within a minute of seeing the email and checking the headers…
If you continue to receive a number of these per day, get in touch and let’s see if there is anything we can do to prevent them coming through, either assisting and making changes to current spam filters or putting one in place if necessary.
Remember, stay safe and DARE to click.
D – Did I order something?
A – Am I expecting tracking information?
R – Read the text, check the links before opening attachments.
E – Engage ESP’s technical advice if you have any doubt.
ESP Projects IT Support Helpdesk in Sheffield is now supporting around 3750 end users. These users are operating from businesses ranging in size from 5 users, right through to 350. If you are interested in hearing about our IT Support Services, get in touch
