Junk email, the hidden threat Published March 20, 2013 48th Fighter Wing Cyber Surety Office ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- Spam. The countless unwanted email messages that find their way into your inbox. Spam messages may look to be from trusted sources, but may be "phishing" for personal information. Remember, no legitimate organization will ever ask for personal information or account credentials through email messages or pop-ups. According to Airman 1st Class Brandon Metrick, 48th Communications Squadron cyber surety technician, education is key at all levels, so it is important to be able to detect these scams and avoid becoming a victim of identity theft or computer viruses. "There are a lot of malicious attackers that would like to take advantage of people's lack of knowledge," Metrick said. "It is important to be knowledgeable about different styles of cyber attacks." Many email providers have spam and junk filters that work well, but email users should still be knowledgeable on the basic email threats, Metrick added. If a spam email is mistakenly opened, it should be immediately closed and deleted without clicking on any of its contents. Follow these steps to combat spam mail: - Use email software with built-in spam filtering - Only add people you know to your contacts list - Validate the originating source by phone - Place suspected spammers on your blocked list - In Outlook, right click a message from the sender and follow the trail for "Junk Email" to "Block the sender" - After taking actions to block the sender, permanently delete the message - Shift+Delete will permanently delete a message in Outlook If you continue to receive spam messages, contact the 48th Fighter Wing Cyber Surety Office at 226-2230 and be sure not to forward the spam message. Follow the link below for instructions for downloading anti-virus software for home use: https://www.my.af.mil/gcss-af/USAF/ep/contentView.do?contentType=EDITORIAL&contentId=c5FDEA9F0236E621601237C6DD98101F8&channelPageId=sA1FBF31D2377130901237B8FD0440136 For more information call the 48th FW Cyber Surety office at DSN 226-2230.