Cornerstone Group © 2025 Venture Commun i cat ions • 605-852-2224 • www. venturecomm.net While most spam emails are relatively harmless and just annoying, keep in mind that scammers also use them to unleash phishing attacks and expose you to malware. That’s why it’s important to take steps to reduce the number of spam emails that get through to your inbox. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends using these strategies: • Use an email filter. Check your email account to see if it has a tool to filter out unwanted emails or to funnel them into a junk email folder. Many email providers (like Gmail or Yahoo) have strong spam filters turned on by default. But there are ways to make them work even better. For example, if any spam makes it through to your inbox, mark it as spam or junk. Filters aren’t perfect, so even emails that make it past the filter might still be spam. Also, check your spam or junk folders occasionally to make sure non-spam email didn’t end up in there. • Block unwanted emails. Check your email provider’s settings for steps to block unwanted emails. Try blocking specific email addresses or email domains (the part of the address after the @). • Check to see how companies will use your email address. Different websites and apps handle your privacy differently. When you give a company your email address, it might share or sell it to third parties. Checking a company’s privacy policy might help you see how they’ll share your contact information. • Unsubscribe from unwanted emails. Many email providers have features that help you unsubscribe from email lists. They may show up as a banner or as a button when you open the email. To find out what options your email provider has, search online for the name of your email provider, plus “how to unsubscribe from unwanted emails.” Here’s an added bonus: When you reduce spam emails, it’s easier to manage the emails that are important to you. How to Get Less Spam in Your Inbox Don’t Pass by This Password Reminder You’ve heard it before, but we’ll say it again. It’s important to have strong passwords and change them regularly to help keep your accounts safe. Here are the basics: Don’t use personal information. This includes names of people in your family, your address, or birthdays, since this information can be publicly available to hackers. Don’t use real words. Password cracking tools can process every word in the dictionary until a match is found. Instead, use uppercase and lowercase letters combined with special characters such as “&” or “#.” Create longer passwords. The longer it is, the better. Try for at least 10 characters. Don’t use the same password for multiple websites. If one website has a data breach and you’ve used that password elsewhere, it’s easier for hackers to steal more information. Change your passwords. Get in the habit of changing them twice a year when you reset your clocks for Daylight Saving Time.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTMzNDE=