Not Sure of Origin? Don't Open

Most viruses spread by using email - and nearly all of the viruses spread this way are hidden in an email 'attachment'; a small file like a Word document or picture that is attached to an email message.

So, if you receive an email with an attachment from somebody you don't know - don't open it.

In particular, look out for the following types of attachments, as viruses are often hidden inside them. Don't open anything from someone you don't know that have the following file types as below. .pif .exe .zip .com and .vbs

Check who the email is from

Think that email with an attachment is from somebody you know? Well, unfortunately, these days you can't always be sure.

• More and more viruses are 'spoofing' or faking email addresses, tricking people into opening them because they think its from somebody they know.
• Once again, the simple rule is to avoid opening an email attachment that you weren't expecting - even if it appears to be from somebody you know.