Never respond to spam
“Never means never. Don’t click on an unsubscribe link in a spam message. Don’t write to tell a spammer to leave you alone. Don’t even use your email program’s bounce command to fake out junk senders. When you respond to an unwanted message, you let spammers know that your email address is valid.”
MacWorld
Malicious software, such as viruses, worms, and Trojan horses, collectively known as malware, can end up on your computer via email attachments and drive-by downloads. It can sneak in when you download free software, especially free antivirus software. It lurks in seemingly innocuous ads, and takes advantage of vulnerabilities in peer-to-peer (computer networking) programs.
There is really no guaranteed solution to prevent malware from invading your computer, especially since criminals spend a lot of time keeping ahead of the curve to find new and innovative ways to break down your computer’s security defenses.
That said, you can do a lot to guard against malware, such as setting preferences in your web browser to increase security and being cautious about downloading software and clicking links. See Securing Your Computer for essential steps you should take to protect your computer from malware.
