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E-MAIL BASICS AND SECURITY

COMPILED BY HOWIE BAUM

Introduction - In this lesson, you will learn what e-mail is, how it compares to traditional
mail, and how e-mail addresses are written. We'll also discuss various types of e-mail
providers and the features and tools they include with an e-mail account.

Getting to know e-mail

E-mail (electronic mail) is a way to send and receive messages across the Internet. It's similar to
traditional mail, but it also has some key differences.

In 2017, there were 269 billion emails sent each day. By 2019, that had grown to almost
294 billion. This year – 2023 - , people will be sending more than 347 billion
messages a day.

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E-MAIL ADVANTAGES

• Productivity tools: e-mail programs are usually packaged with a calendar, address book, instant
messaging, and more, for convenience and productivity.

• Access to web services: If you want to sign up for an account like Facebook or order products
from services like Amazon, you will need an e-mail address so you can be safely identified and
contacted.

• Easy mail management: e-mail service providers have tools that allow you to file, label,
prioritize, find, group, and filter your e-mails for easy management. You can even easily control
spam, or junk e-mail.

• Privacy: Your e-mail is delivered to your own personal and private account.

• Communication with multiple people: You can send an e-mail to multiple people at once,
giving you the option to include as few as or as many people as you want, in a conversation.

• Private, non-display of e-mail addresses: If you don’t want everyone to have the other
person’s e-mail address, you can do that too.

• Accessible anywhere at any time: You don’t have to be at home to get your mail. You can
access it from any computer or mobile device that has an Internet connection.
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 The username is the name you choose to identify
yourself.

UNDERSTANDING EMAIL
ADDRESSES

To receive emails, you will need an email

account and an email address.
The email provider is the website that hosts your
Also, if you want to send emails to other email account.
people, you will need to obtain their
email addresses.

Email addresses are always written in a

standard format that includes a
username, the @ (at) symbol, and the
name of the email service provider they
use. Some businesses and organizations use email
addresses with their own website domain.

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The email address needs to be followed by the symbol @ (means “at”),
followed by the Host name, the type of organization, and finally the
country code (if needed).
EXTENSION FOR THE
TYPE OF
ORGANIZATION

yourname@yahoo.com.br

USER COUNTRY
(only if
HOST NAME needed)
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Gmail by Google is one of the most popular web
clients for email because it’s free and easy to use.
In fact, Gmail accounted for 27.2% of email use
globally in 2023, plus it supports 105 languages !
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EMAIL PROVIDERS:
In the past, people usually received an
email account from the same companies
that provided their Internet access.
For example, if AOL provided your
Internet connection, you'd have an AOL
email address.
WEBMAIL
While this is still true for some people,
today it's increasingly common to use a
free web-based email service, also
known as webmail.
Anyone can use these services, no
matter who provides their Internet
access.
The 3 main and free Webmail services
are Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo mail.
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Webmail providers - Today, the top 3 FREE webmail providers are Yahoo!, Microsoft's Outlook.com
(previously Hotmail), Microsoft Outlook, and Google's Gmail.

ProtonMail and ZOHO are great too, but may have some cost for them, depending on which version you
choose.

These providers are popular because they allow you to access your e-mail account from anywhere with
an Internet connection. You can also access webmail on your mobile device.

For a great review of the main Webmail providers in 2023, go to:

https://www.techradar.com/news/best-email-provider.

It also gives you a link to sign into any of them, to set up an e-mail account !

OUTLOOK.COM VS THE OUTLOOK PROGRAM

Outlook.com is a free Microsoft e-mail service

The Microsoft Outlook program is different as it is a

part of the Microsoft Office 365 suite of programs that
are purchased as a yearly subscription service at
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 THE COMMON EXTENSIONS FOR DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS

.edu Educational organization (most US universities)

.k12 US school site (not all US schools use this)

.ac Academic institution (outside of US)

.sch School site (some schools outside of the US use this)

.com Company (usually .co in the UK) (future ones may be .biz)

.org Any non-profit organization

.gov Government agency

.net Network

.mil Military institution

Extensions
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can also include country codes, such as .uk, .ca, .za, br, etc. 9
 SENDING A COPY OF A MESSAGE TO ANOTHER ADDRESS
• To send a copy of a message to another email address, type the address into the
Cc (Carbon Copy) field.
• When you do this, both or all persons the e-mail goes to, can see who it was send to.

For sending the

message to more
than 1 person,
put a semi-colon
(;), after each
address, and then
WHAT IS A BLIND CARBON COPY? one space

Click on the Cc button and you will see the Blind carbon copy (Bcc) letters. This is for sending
is a copy of the message to someone in secret - other recipients of the message will not know that
the person has received a copy of the message.

It’s best to use this

sparingly, as it may
be hard to hide
some things from
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 ON THIS AND THE NEXT 4 PAGES ARE PICTURES OF THE E-MAIL SCREENS FOR THE FREE
OUTLOOK.COM, YAHOO, ALTAFIBER, AND GOOGLE’S G-MAIL. NOTICE THAT THEY ARE ALL
SIMILAR IN THEIR LAYOUT.

THE OUTLOOK.COM MAIN PAGE

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 THE YAHOO E-MAIL MAIN PAGE

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 THE GOOGLE, G-MAIL MAIN PAGE

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 AOL MAIN PAGE

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UNDERSTANDING THE EMAIL INTERFACE

Below are some examples of different email interfaces from Gmail. Review the images below to
become familiar with various email interfaces.

Keep in mind that these examples will only provide a general overview.

INBOX

The inbox is where you'll view and manage emails you receive. Emails are listed with the name of
the sender, the subject of the message, and the date received.

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MESSAGE PANE

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COMPOSE PANE

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3) In some e-mail programs, you can click on the
down arrow by a box at the top of your e-mail list,
that usually says “By Date”

It then gives you a great set of choices on how to put

your e-mail messages in different order, so you can
delete them easier.

One of the first ones to try is “From” as it will

group all of those together ALPHABETICALLY, in
sections, for easy deleting.
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If you use Altafiber (formerly Cincinnati Bell), point your cursor to the ”Sorted by” box and
right-click there and you will get a list of choices for how to sort your messages. The best one to
start with is “Sort by From”, which will group messages together from each sender, in alphabetical
order.

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1) For those who use Gmail, to remove all of the e-mails from “The New York Times”, point to the
small, square box, to the left of the message, to highlight it.

2) Click on the 3 vertical dots, at the right side to get the small menu and click on “Filter Messages
like These”

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When you get the box with the menu, shown below, click on “Search”, and it will put all of the
messages from “The New York Times” together, so you can delete or move them into a side
folder.

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This is the calendar page from the Outlook program on my computer. As you can see in the top
ribbon, it gives you all kinds of ways to set up the calendar.

HINT: If you use Zoom to “meet” with people and someone sends you a request to meet and you
accept, the message may disappear but all of the information about the event, can be found in the
Calendar, on the day of the event.

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E-MAIL ETIQUETTE

Like any form of online communication, it's important to practice good etiquette and safety
when using e-mail, both for personal use and in the workplace.

Etiquette is a set of rules and guidelines that people use to communicate more effectively.
You should also know how to protect yourself from certain risks, like malware and phishing.

TIPS FOR e-mail SUCCESS

Use these rules as a starting point, then tailor each e-mail you send, based on the situation.

The slideshow below, has some good recommendations about basic e-mail etiquette.

https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/email101/email-etiquette-and-safety/1/

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 E-MAIL AND INTERNET SAFETY
RECOMMENDATIONS

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Avoiding spam and phishing

From email to instant messaging to social media, the Internet is an essential communication tool.

Unfortunately, it's also popular among scammers and cybercriminals. To protect yourself from
email scams, malicious software, and identity theft, you'll need to understand how to identify
and avoid potentially dangerous content in your inbox, including spam and phishing attempts.

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Most e-mail services also have a feature you can use to mark e-mails as spam.

In Gmail, for example, you can select the message and click the Mark as Spam button. This helps
your e-mail provider filter out these types of messages in the future.

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Turning off e-mail images

Spam messages often contain images that the sender can track.

When you open the e-mail, the images will load and the spammer will be able to tell if your e-mail
works, which could result in even more spam.

You can avoid this by turning off e-mail images. Let's look at how to do this in Gmail, but
remember that the process will vary depending on your e-mail service.

1.Click the gear icon, then select Settings from the drop-down menu.

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SELECT ASK BEFORE DISPLAYING EXTERNAL IMAGES, THEN CLICK SAVE AT THE BOTTOM.

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Whenever you open a message with images, Gmail will prevent them from loading by default.

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SPAM FILTERS

Whenever you receive an e-mail, most e-mail providers will check to see if it's a real message or
spam. Any likely spam messages will be placed in the spam (or trash) folder so you don’t
accidentally open them when checking your e-mail.

Spam-blocking systems aren’t perfect, though, and there may be times when legitimate e-mails
end up in your spam folder.

You should check your spam folder regularly to make sure you aren’t missing any important e-
mails.

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OTHER COMMON e-mail SCAMS - Spam and phishing are common problems, but there are many
other types of e-mail scams you may encounter.

Some will promise to give you a lot of money if you advance a small amount upfront. Others may
pretend to be from people you know in real life, and they'll often ask you to send money or
download an attached file.

As with spam and phishing scams, remember to trust your best judgment. You should never
send someone money just because you've received an e-mail request.

You should also never download e-mail attachments you weren't expecting because they
might contain malware that could damage your computer and steal your personal information.

Spam, scams, and phishing schemes will continue to evolve and change. But now that you know
what to look for—and what to avoid—you can keep your inbox and computer that much safer.

Watch the video below, for a review

about spam and phishing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI3
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IDENTIFY SUSPICIOUS SITES - If you're ever
unsure whether a website or download is safe, close
it and investigate the site before returning to it. It's
always a good idea to be cautious when browsing
unfamiliar sites.

 Ask your friends if the site is reputable or if they

have any experiences with the site.

 Search for information about the site. Use a

search engine to find news about the organization
that runs the site or look for posts on forums about
other people's experiences with that site.

 Check the address bar in your browser. Some

malicious websites are designed to look like other
well-known sites, but your address bar will tell you
which site you're actually on. If you are no longer on
the site you expected to be, it's suspicious.

 Run a Google safe browsing diagnostic on the

site. Copy and paste the URL of a site into the search You can always check if a link is the right
box on the diagnostic page, then click the search one, by pointing to it with your mouse, and
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This will display a site safety report. reading what the link says. 45
SAFE ONLINE SHOPPING

Online shopping is a convenient way to buy almost anything from the comfort of your home.

While there are some risks with shopping online, there are also many ways to protect yourself and
your financial information.

Watch this great video below to learn more about staying safe when shopping online.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el3N6qQjr-I

SHOP FROM HOME

To protect sensitive information like credit card numbers, you'll want to shop from your home
Internet connection if possible.

Try to avoid shopping when connected to a public Wi-Fi network or when using a public computer,
such as a library computer.

Public computers and Wi-Fi networks are at a slightly greater risk for hacking, which could put your
information at risk.

Also avoid giving any personal information over a cell phone as it can be picked up by a hacker.46
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USE SECURE PAYMENT METHODS

Credit cards are generally the safest way to pay for items online.

Avoid options like direct wire transfer, bank transfers, or sending cash or checks through the mail.

If you don't like the idea of giving your credit card information to different retailers, you could try
an online payment service like PayPal or Google Wallet.

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LOOK AT THE SECURITY SYMBOL

Some websites will display a lock symbol in the address bar. This is most commonly
seen with certain types of websites, like online stores and banking sites. This means the
website is using an HTTPS connection and the S stands for SECURE, which makes it
safe to enter your personal information. You will also find this on the Google website.
The one for Wells Fargo is shown below

You won't see this symbol on all websites, and that's OK—not all websites need this extra
layer of security. However, you should avoid entering any sensitive information, such as
your credit card number, if you don't see this symbol in the address bar.
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PHISHING

Phishing scams are messages that try to trick you into providing sensitive information. These
often appear to come from a bank or another trusted source, and they'll usually want you to re-enter
a password, verify a birth date, or confirm a credit card number.

Phishing messages may look real enough at first glance, but it’s surprisingly easy for scammers to
create convincing details.

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This is a good example of a phishing or Spam message.

It looks like its from my Daughter Elise, but her e-mail address isn’t the same as the one she
uses all of the time. Its important to look at and check the e-mail address to be sure its
from someone you know or a reliable website.

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This is another example of a
Phishing message that I received
twice, at home. It offered me a
$50.00 reward at Amazon if I
would click on a link.

The only thing that I bought a few

months ago from Amazon, cost
$40.00 so this is one of those
messages that sounds “TOO
GOOD TO BE TRUE” !

I checked the actual e-mail

address that it was from and it
wasn’t an authentic Amazon
address, so then my belief was
confirmed.
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This a good example of a real Phishing e-mail message. I have an account set up with Cincinnati Bell for use
of my computer, a home phone, and cable for TV.

Watch out when a company you use, asks for any personal or computer information or to click on a link, like
below, as its not something they normally do. Important: Always look at how their e-mail address reads.

The one below says little about being from Cincinnati Bell (just on the last line) and the last 2 digits says its
from Brazil so I made sure to permanently delete it, right away !!
__________________________________________________________________________________

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Even though I think that I am an observant person when it comes to Phishing messages, the IT
Department at the VA Medical Center sent out 2 test messages to everyone, to see if they opened
them.

AND I OPENED BOTH OF THEM, WITHOUT TAKING THE TIME TO READ THE WORDING !!

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This is what I received when I made the mistake of thoroughly reading the last e-mail:

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 CREATING STRONG PASSWORDS

Just like with any online service, it's important to choose a strong password—in other words, one
that is difficult for someone else to guess.

You'll need to create a password to do just about everything on the Web, from checking your
email to online banking. And while it's simpler to use a short, easy-to-remember password, this
can also pose serious risks to your online security. To protect yourself and your information, you'll
want to use passwords that are long, strong, and difficult for someone else to guess while
still keeping them relatively easy for you to remember.

Check out this cool video from Canada, about this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEmF3Iylvr4 (3.5 min)

Why do I need a strong password?

At this point, you may be wondering, why do I even need a strong password anyway? The
truth is that even though most websites are secure, there's always a small chance someone may try
to access or steal your information.

This is commonly known as hacking. A strong password is one of the best ways to defend your
accounts and private information from hackers.
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TIPS FOR CREATING STRONG PASSWORDS

A strong password is one that's easy for you to remember but difficult for others to guess. Let's
take a look at some of the most important things to consider when creating a password.

Never use personal information such as your name, birthday, user name, or email address.
This type of information is often publicly available, which makes it easier for someone to guess
your password.

Use a longer password. Your password should be at least six characters long, although for
extra security it should be even longer.

Don't use the same password for each account. If someone discovers your password for one
account, all of your other accounts will be vulnerable.

Try to include numbers, symbols, and both uppercase and lowercase letters.

Avoid using words that can be found in the dictionary. For example, swimming1 would be a
weak password.

Random passwords are the strongest. If you're having trouble creating one, you can use a
password generator instead, such as the one at https://strongpasswordgenerator.com/
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COMMON PASSWORD MISTAKES

Some of the most commonly used passwords are based on family names, hobbies, or just a
simple pattern. While these types of passwords are easy to remember, they're also some of the
least secure. Let's take a look at some of the most common password mistakes and how to fix
them.

Password: brian12kate5

"I doubt anyone could guess my password! It's my kids' names and ages. Who else would know
that?"

Problem: This password uses too much personal information, along with common words that could
be found in the dictionary.

Solution: A stronger version of this password would use symbols, uppercase letters, and a more
random order. Rather than using family names, we could combine a character from a movie with a
food. For example, Chewbacca and pizza could become chEwbAccAp!ZZa.
type of9/5/2023 58
 Password: w3St!
Password: w3St!

" "My password is so simple! It's just the beginning of my street

address with a few extra characters."

Problem: At only five characters, this password is way too short. It also includes part of her
address, which is publicly available information.

Solution: A stronger version of this password would be much longer, ideally more than 10
characters. We could also substitute a nearby street name instead of her current address. For
example, Pemberly Ave could become p3MberLY%Av.

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 Password: 123abccba321
"My password follows a simple pattern, so it's easy to remember and type on
my keyboard."

"
Problem: While patterns like this are easy to remember, they're also some of the first things a
hacker might guess when attempting to access your account.

Solution: Remember that random passwords are much stronger than simple patterns. If you're
having trouble creating a new password, try using a password generator instead. The website for
this is https://strongpasswordgenerator.com/

Here's an example of a generated password: #eV$pIg&qf.

If you use a password generator, you may also want to create a way to remember the password.

For example, H=jNp2# could be remembered as HARRY = jessica NORTH paris 2 #. This may
still feel pretty random, but with a bit of practice it becomes relatively easy to memorize.
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 Password: BrAveZ!2
"I use the same passwords for all my accounts. This way, I only have to
remember one password!"

Problem: There's nothing really wrong with this password, but remember that you should never
use the same password with different accounts.

Solution: Create a unique password for each of your online accounts.

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 SAFETY AND SECURITY WHEN ON THE INTERNET
YOUR BROWSER'S SECURITY FEATURES - Your computer faces different threats whenever you
browse the Web, including viruses, malware, and spyware.

The good news is your web browser has a lot of built-in security features to help protect your
computer.

Let's take a look at some of the most important features you should know about, as well as some
simple tips you can use to stay safe online.

Watch the video for a summary about your browser's built-in security features.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZZQlgV2Gus 2.3 min

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