Tip 7 in an occasional series. Keep visiting regularly for more Windows Security Tips.

Malicious emails may arrive containing viruses or Trojan horses. These malicious emails may arrive from strangers as spam, or they may arrive from friends with harmless-sounding titles and attachments that have irresistible titles… resist it! Unless you’re certain you know what these attachments contain, DO NOT OPEN THEM. It is much safer to delete them entirely from your system, then call your friend to find out what it was (and, if necessary, ask them to resend it) than to open it and then have to call them to inform them of the virus that has just infected your system! Your friends will, in the balance of probability, have no idea that their emails are transmitting viruses, so don’t assume it’s okay just because it is from uncle Bob.

Your anti-virus software may catch emails that contain viruses before they can do any harm to your PC, but don’t rely on them to do this. Anti-virus software is fallible, and there are any number of reasons for it not picking up a particular virus in a particular email at a particular time. If in doubt, Chuck It Out.