What should you do after clicking on a suspicious email?

Phishing emails attempt to trick people into giving out personal information. They often begin with generic greetings such as “Dear valued member,” “Dear account holder,” or “Dear customer.” While it is best to avoid clicking on these emails, Quikteks, a locally managed IT firm based in Fairfield, New Jersey, offers tips for what to do after clicking on a suspicious email.

“Be skeptical of every incoming e-mail. By taking just a few simple steps, you can keep yourself safe while online.”— Andrew Rich, CEO

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1. Remain calm. People who panic after clicking a suspicious link may begin “emotional clicking,” which can spread the virus further.

2. Disconnect or unplug from the internet to stop the spread of any potential threats. Sign out of Wi-Fi networks or unplug Ethernet cords.

3. Back up computer files, including important and irreplaceable information. Using a USB thumb drive is a great option. If files are already backed up to the Cloud or an automatic backup solution, files only need to be backed up since the last backup was done.

4. If there is already an antivirus program installed on the computer, run it. Make sure to ignore all messages asking to connect to the internet. Quikteks recommends Malwarebytes. Remove or quarantine any threats found by the antivirus program.

5. Change passwords, especially if any information was entered into an untrusted source. Quickteks offers a great way to memorize complex passwords.

Quikteks founder and CEO Andrew Rich says that phishing scams tend to increase during the holiday shopping season. “Be skeptical of every incoming e-mail. By taking just a few simple steps, you can keep yourself safe while online,” Rich said. “With Quikteks, we help our clients keep their employee and customer data secure year-round.”

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