How do you email? Starter's guide

Creating an email (electronic mail) message by using the software such as Outlook or Apple Mail doesn't differ much from creating email using webmail servers (like Gmail or Hotmail for instance), and there are quite a few features similar to ones in word processors (like Microsoft Word) for text formatting purposes. If you want to send a fancy looking email message, you would most likely want to change fonts, insert pictures, add links, and more. While this post is rather about creating and sending than designing the email message, I will provide couple of links that deal with designing nice looking email messages.
Designing of an advertisement-like HTML email is explained in video here. Yet, bear in mind that lot of people prefer to receive plain text email messages, and their email clients are set to show HTML code as a text rather than process it, therefore all the fancy design created can result in the opposite to the expected.
The following video by ISTrainer shows how to use MS Outlook for creating and sending Email messages:

Basic fields to fill in before sending an email message

To:

is the field for e-mail address of the recipient (e.g., johndo@freecomputer.com). If you like you can add the name before address, and it should look like this:

"John Doe" johndo@freecomputer.com

Note that this is the only correct syntax for sending an email. Adding a name before the actual address is optional. You can add quite a few recipients in To: field, but bear in mind, after each email address a comma must be inserted, and it should look like this:

"John Doe" johndo@freecomputer.com, "Mary Poppins" marypoppins@freecookies.com,

and so on.

Subject:

is a field for writing in what the message you are sending, is all about. Keep it short and simple, otherwise the recipient won't be able to see the whole text in the list of all incoming emails.

Bcc:

While every recipient from To: list can see all the other recipients that all have received the same message, every email address that is entered in this field, won't show up to anyone else who receives the message. The syntax for this field is the same as described before. Remember, in order to be able to send the message, you should enter at least one email address in To: field.

Body (or Content)

is where the actual text and links go. (Or images, videos and other fancy things if you are going to send an HTML email message.)

Attach (or Attachments)

is for attaching files to your email message. You can attach any file from the computer to your message but keep in mind that large files (videos for instance) are usually sent using file sharing online servers. Email is suitable for sending documents (like doc or pdf files), compressed/archived documents, small audio files.

Other things to know before sending an email

Every recipient will see who has sent the message to them. Whom they will see as a sender depends on what you have saved in your email settings as your name and last name. Usually that is a From setting that can be accessed in order to change the sender's name.

In email settings there is always an option to set a signature. That is a static text or image that appears at the bottom of each and every message you send. It is a nice way to send some cheerful text or image, or advertise your favourite website.

What else can be seen by recipient

This is more to the point in the context of this website's purpose. Recipient can always see Headers which means that it is possible to see who sent the message, what time it was sent, what email address it has been sent from, what IP address it has been sent from and more. Detailed info on how to read Email Headers can be found here.

A SpamCop.net website explains how to access the headers in all popular email and webmail clients.

How to access your email account using computer's email client

The email client on your computer needs to have correct settings for receiving and sending email to/from your email account. In order to receive messages, software email clients use POP3 protocol, in order to send messages - SMTP protocol. There are two ways to find out correct settings for receiving/sending email using your computer's email client:

• Using Google to find POP3/SMTP settings for accessing your email account
• Calling your ISP for the advice on setting up your email client

Here is instructional page for setting up Email client for accessing the Gmail account. This illustrates the common procedure for accessing Email account by using computer's Email software client.

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How Windows pc and Mac systems get infected

Why Windows malware is not posing a threat to Linux system

In this post I will make an attempt to create a synopsis of usual ways malware makes its way into Windows or Mac system. I am referring specifically to Win/Mac because the vast majority of viruses and other malware is created for these two aforementioned Operating Systems, MS Windows being particular favourite of malware writers due to its large share of OS market (that is, if we are not talking mobile phones at this point).
Malware that has been created for Windows pc, is designed for Registry based OS, and neither Linux or Unix is one, therefore, cannot become affected by it (that is one of the few reasons why I absolutely love Linux). Even though malware can affect only OS it has been designed for, there are couple of things often shared by all three most popular computer Operating Systems (as well as those found in majority of mobile smartphones): Adobe Flash and Sun Java. (In case of Linux the use of Adobe product is less common though.) Even though HTML5+DOM coding in website development is expected to eventually make the use of Flash obsolete, currently that is not the case.

Top weaknesses that can cause infection

1. Unpatched security holes.

Operating system, software and its components are always a subject to exploitation because nothing is ever 100% perfect. If latest updates are not installed, the coding and design vulnerabilities in software applications and operating system are posing a risk of being abused by malware writers. Internet browsers, Adobe products, Sun Java, Windows Media Player, Apple Quicktime all have to be updated on regular basis.
Adobe products. Adobe Reader is usually installed with Speed launcher. This feature is loaded during Windows start-up thus prolonging the OS loading and storing the associated .exe file in Applications' folder where it may simply be another useless file which may be exploited during malware attack on the system. By reading this short article you can decide whether you really need this feature. More on Adobe Acrobat Reader related security issues here.
Adobe Flash is another subject to exploitation if not kept updated. Hackers are known to exploit Flash vulnerabilities which can lead to malware infection. When visiting a website that hosts a HTML page which requires a Flash script, users may encounter a malicious Flash redirector, or malicious script written to exploit vulnerability in the Flash Interpreter which causes it to execute automatically in order to infect the computer. Flash vulnerabilities are directly related to Web application and casual online gaming security. More extensive overview on this subject can be found here.

Java, if not kept updated, is the most common way of infecting computer with trojans while browser is rendering a HTML code at some dodgy adult or software cracking tools' website. It must be noted that most exploited vulnerability on such an occasion is previous Java version that has not been uninstalled after the new, updated one has been downloaded and installed. You can check whether you have two Java versions in your Windows pc by going to Control Panel and opening Add/Remove Programs. If you do have two Java updates listed, it is recommended that you uninstall the older one. You can check your system's Java status here.

2. Javascript enabled for all sites.

Regardless of the Web browser you are using, a Javascript can make your system less secure if enabled to run on all sites. The safe way of using Javascript is to enable it exclusively for trusted sites. Javascript is often the cause of malicious redirects to a site with either a malicious content or an intent to boost the incoming traffic.

3. Online game servers.

Because of the design of the online game architecture, firewalls and anti-malware software sometimes can't detect intrusions. That provides an opportunity for hackers to abuse the victim's machine by using online bots and rootkit-like techniques. More info on data and computer security threats related to online gaming can be found here.

4. Torrent, P2P (Peer-to-Peer) networks, File Sharing programs.

Connection to these networks is making the system susceptible to remote attacks and probability of downloading infected, malicious files. That in turn can lead to identity thefts. Malicious worms, backdoor Trojans, IRCBots and rootkits spread across P2P file sharing networks, gaming, dodgy adult and underground sites.

5. Infected files on USB and other storage media.

An Autorun.inf file can cause much trouble. More about this threat and how to avoid it you can read here.

6. Clicking unsolicited links in e-mail and Instant Messenger chats.

For more info as to why such links are being sent and what consequences such actions can have please see my previous posts here and here.

7. Rogue antivirus / antimalware software.

This includes clicking on pop-ups or banners that claim your computer is infected. All about rogues you can read in one of my previous posts here.

8. Backing up infected files.

A logical cause of re-infection.

9. Assuming that antivirus and/or firewall are not needed, or that they are providing 100% protection.

Two extreme assumptions that both can result in computer not being protected against cyber threats. On the first occasion, it is most likely that such a computer's owner won't even get that far as to visit this website to read this article, therefore, I am going to address the second assumption by saying that even protected machines get infected. Otherwise malware writers wouldn't waste their time on doing what they do. Here is an excerpt from Ivizsecurity.com blog:

Security products like anti-virus, firewalls, IDS/IPS and VPN have become of paramount importance to provide highest degree of confidentiality, availability and Integrity (CIA) to individuals and organizations. However, it is foolish to assume that security products are free from any vulnerability (security flaws). Security Products can also be of target of attacks from the attackers.

  By assuming that Anti-virus and Firewall will do the trick of fully protecting the machine, we risk to return to the beginning of this list, e.g. unpatched security holes.

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Speed up and secure your Web Browser

One excellent way to make your Windows (or Mac or Linux) computer more safe for the Internet browsing is to manage what is called the Hosts file. That does not mean that you would have to understand programming or anything like that. It's actually pretty simple: on your computer you just go to where your Windows Hosts file is, and either, copy+paste new content into it, or replace the file with a new one. It is easy to do yet also requires careful attention while performing the process of changing the file: Hosts file is not something you want carelessly play around with.

Before we proceed to actual way of dealing with Hosts file, I will explain what is the point of changing it, so you can figure out yourself if you actually want to do that.
You most definitely want to update your Hosts file if you:

• don't like dozens of advertisements displayed on pages you are browsing. If that is the case then updating your Hosts file the way I am about to advise will let you get rid of majority of annoying ads on Internet pages by simply not loading those ads.
• want to keep the number of malicious websites (those containing malware and browser hijackers) you risk to open to a minimum.
• don't want to be secretly tracked by some Internet ad providers who try to follow visitors' actions and see what other sites they are visiting.

Changing your Hosts file will block your computer's connection to any of the sites that are correctly listed in this file.
For instructions and more details visit this site: http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.htm The procedure is harmless and doesn't require any additional software. Speaking in terms of TV adverts: Ever since I have discovered this method, my computers' (both, Windows and Linux) Hosts file is always up to date with the content provided by Winhelp2002 website. No more forever loading ads, no more strange, slow loading pages, no more strange behaviour by my Web Browsers.

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