• First things 1st - Current News - Internet Scams &  Virus Information 
• Email hoaxes, scams, and chain letters 
• Virus information 
• Consumer Reporting Sites & Internet Info Sites 
• Managing  & Organizing Your Email 
• Encrypt your email messages for privacy 
• Miscellaneous sites of interest / stopping email spam - resources. 
• What is Spyware, adware & Malware / and removal information links 
  *separate page  Read also this white paper *PDF document on Spyware from Aladdin Systems
• Check out what this guy has to say - email humor !

FIRST THINGS FIRST
Phishing is on the rise - know the facts and don't be fooled into giving out personal data online
or in emails

Excerpt quoted from website
PFISHING is a term denoting "spoofed" emails and fraudulent Websites
designed to fool recipients into divulging personal financial data such as
credit card numbers, account usernames and passwords, social security
numbers, etc. By hijacking the trusted brands of well-known banks, online
retailers and credit card companies, phishers are able to convince up to 5%
of recipients to respond to them. 
Visit http://www.antiphishing.org to find out more

Take the  MailFrontier Phishing IQ Test II  - see how you score
http://survey.mailfrontier.com/survey/quiztest.html

Consumer Advice: How to Avoid Phishing Scams
www.antiphishing.org/consumer_recs.htm

Visit the resources of:
Fraud Watch International
http://www.fraudwatchinternational.com/internetfraud/phishing.htm

Read Online articles:
Phishing: Falling Hook, Line and Sinker 
Tips for Quickly Spotting and Avoiding Phishing Scams 
Ron Pacchiano | 10/3/2005 | WinPlanet / Tips & Tutorials 
http://www.winplanet.com/article/3038-.htm

Is the future of e-mail under cyberattack?
By Jon Swartz, USA TODAY SAN FRANCISCO — Excerpt quoted:
For years, consumers and corporations raved about e-mail's potential.
Now they're fretting about its future
www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2004-06-14-email_x.htm

Think Before You Click to Avoid Viruses and Scams 
Just a bit of caution will keep your PC and your personal data safe. 
Plus: How good is an anti-spyware tool marketed through spam?
Scott Spanbauer
From the August 2004 issue of PC World magazine
http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,116586,00.asp

Booming Web Scam 
Phishing is on the rise: Don't get tricked into divulging personal information online.
Steve Bass
Wednesday, June 09, 2004
http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,116186,00.asp
** see other helpful links for your computer & you from PCWorld.com

Gone Phishing!: How To Protect Yourself From Phishing Scams
June 14, 2004
http://netsecurity.about.com/b/a/092264.htm

Also quoted from from netsecurity.about.com
FREE  CLASS Computer Security 101
Computer security can be a difficult concept for many people. There are so many strange words and acronyms that it can seem like someone is talking a foreign language when they are discussing it.
The Free Computer Security 101 Class will help you understand. The lessons begin by explaining what some of those terms and acronyms mean. If you understand what they mean and how they're used with your computer and the Internet, then you can also understand the problems they cause and what you need to do to protect yourself.
The Free Computer Security 101 Class will also cover many of the attacks and vulnerabilities to watch out for and the common defense mechanisms like antivirus software and firewalls.
Find out more at http://netsecurity.about.com/c/ec/1.htm
and see
Free Tools and Utilities To Help You Secure Your Computer or Network
Free tools, applications and utilities grouped by type to help you secure and protect your computer or network without breaking the bank.
http://netsecurity.about.com/od/freesecuritytools/

FREE online Course offered by CNet
Combating Spam and Spyware
excerpt quoted from Cnet
What you'll Learn

    * Locate and safely remove spyware installed on a computer
    * Understand the mechanisms behind spyware, and how to prevent infection
    * Understand how anti-spyware and anti-virus researchers combat spyware
    * Manage and reduce the amount of spam e-mail you receive
    * Understand the techniques spammers use to distribute their spam e-mail
Find complete details and latest dates course will be offered
http://courses.help.com/courses/overview.jsp?courseId=2351
See all courses available
http://courses.help.com/

Another article of interest for internet shoppers:
Consumer Alert: Fees Surprise Unwary Web Shoppers 
Surfers unaware that credit card information is sometimes shared.
Tom Spring
From the August 2004 issue of PC World magazine
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,116592,00.asp

Visit the Virus Library - see what the latest viruses are that may be coming to an email box near you!
Virus Information Library
www.viruslibrary.com/

See the SpamLaws.com website for the latest developments in the passage of 
Laws governing Spam Mail
Information on the: United States CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 (S. 877) 
This Act may be cited as the: 
`Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003', 
or the `CAN-SPAM Act of 2003', which takes affect January 1, 2004
• Email hoaxes, scams, and chain letters 
• Virus information 
• Consumer Reporting Sites & Internet Info Sites 
• Managing  & Organizing Your Email 
• Encrypt your email messages for privacy 
• Miscellaneous sites of interest / stopping email spam - resources. 
Check out what this guy has to say - email humor !

This page on LibrarySupportStaff.com is designed to have links to resources that will aid
you in finding out whether an email communication is "real'' or a fraud, chain letter, or scam.
I also have included links to "general" consumer sites, for information on internet safety and fraud .
There are sites that have information about how to protect yourself while using the internet,
and to help prevent identity theft. 
It is important to note that often when you forward email , you leave all the information about the "send/mail to" email addresses of every recipient past and presently in the email "chain" - readable & vulnerable in the headers of the message.
And the email address of everyone who has received or been sent the message,
can be copied, saved and sold to email marketers, and a ready made listing can be sent  new chain scams  and hoaxes.
The consumer sites listed below, also will have information regarding products, services, and promotions that are legitimate.
And they are also sources where consumers can find truthful information,
to compare against something they "read" or have forwarded to them in an email message. 
Consumers can also report scams or hoaxes that they feel they may have been a victim of.

Just say NO and delete it...
In general - NO one should respond/reply to an unsolicited email message, or forward
an email message to a friend, family member, co-workers, or listserv - when the email message 
encourages you to do so, in the guise of a warning or a "cause" they feel you should be supportive of.
And if you respond to a request to be "removed" (from the "send to" list) 
from an "unsolicited" message sent to you, you usually - 
are notifying the sender that you have a working email account.
Your best course of action is to just delete the message. 
If you are the recipient of spam, hoax,
or chain mail in the workplace, notify your IT dept. 
And never open an email attachment,unless you knew it was expected, 
or you speak with the sender to verify its contents.

Read this article on How Viruses Work
and how they can flood email boxes with so much mail as to shut entire networks down.
REMEMBER - DO NOT OPEN or CLICK ON ATTACHMENTS FROM ANY EMAIL MESSAGE
Unless you are expecting something, and know exactly what it is!
If it is from someone you know, write a separate new message
(do not use the reply key from original message)
to your friend, and ask them to tell you what the attachment is.
If you don't know if it is OK, just delete the entire message.
Read also Computer Viruses Demystified - from SOPHOS
**PDF File**
www.sophos.com/sophos/docs/eng/comviru/viru_ben.pdf

See too:
Virus Bulletin - Hoaxes
Virus Information Library from McAfee
The about.com page for antivirus software resources
The AVP Virus Encyclopedia

Email scams, hoaxes, chain mail: 

Hoaxbusters
http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/

Truth or Fiction
http://www.truthorfiction.com/

Centers for Disease Control
Health Related Hoaxes and Rumors
http://www.cdc.gov/hoax_rumors.htm

Vmyths.com
Quoted from site:
Learn about computer virus myths, hoaxes, urban legends, hysteria, 
and the implications if you believe in them. 
You can also search a list of computer virus hoaxes & virus hysteria from A to Z. 
http://www.vmyths.com/

Snopes Urban legends reference page
http://www.snopes2.com/

Break the Chain
Quoted from site:
Stop Junk email and misinformation
Break the Chain, your source for common-sense 
evaluations of e-mail chain letters. 
http://www.breakthechain.org/

Email Virus Safety Precautions 
provides ways to protect  from email virsues and email hoaxes. 
http://admin.soe.purdue.edu/support/emailstuff/email_virus/

Remember:
Chain letters are a waste of time.
http://www.cs.rutgers.edu/~watrous/chain-letters.html
They also take up email server diskspace, and may actually shut 
entire servers down, in certain instances,
when letter recipients are requested to send replies
to one particular email address.

Urban Legends: Don't Believe Everything You Read
http://www.scambusters.org/legends.html 

Urban Legends
http://urbanlegends.about.com/

Hoax Warnings
http://www.datafellows.com/news/hoax.htm

Hoax kill Service
http://www.hoaxkill.com/

Don't spread that hoax!
http://www.nonprofit.net/hoax/

FTC Names Its Dirty Dozen describes the 
"12 Scams Most Likely to Arrive Via Bulk Email."
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/doznalrt.htm

also see:
PFISHING is a term denoting "spoofed" emails and fraudulent Websites
designed to fool recipients into divulging personal financial data such as
credit card numbers, account usernames and passwords, social security
numbers, etc. By hijacking the trusted brands of well-known banks, online
retailers and credit card companies, phishers are able to convince up to 5%
of recipients to respond to them. 
Visit http://www.antiphishing.org to find out more

SPAM, SPAM and More SPAM
Excerpt quoted from website
Field guide to spam
Sophos provides information about the latest tricks used by spammers in the "Field guide to spam", 
compiled by members of the Sophos anti-spam task force.
and
Spam glossary
Do you know what a Denial of Service attack is? Or what obfuscation has to do with spammers' tricks?
Or what a spambot does? If not, then our glossary of spam terms has the answers, 
defining a host of terms that have evolved as a result of spamming and other forms of electronic intrusion.
Spam explained : http://www.sophos.com/spaminfo/explained/

Stop Spam!
The editors of Internet ScamBusters present the best resources and tips for stopping -- 
or at least reducing -- the amount of junk email (spam and bulk email) you get. 
http://www.scambusters.org/stopspam/

Excerpts quoted from website

Minimising exposure: simple steps to combat spam:
Implementing a best practice policy regarding email account usage can be 
an effective tool for minimising the amount of spam that end users receive. 
While having such a policy should not be considered a complete solution,
it can serve as a significant line of defence against unwanted email.
Read complete information
http://www.sophos.com/spaminfo/bestpractice/

Spam Recycling Center
http://www.spamrecycle.com/

Winning the War on Spam -  January 2005 CNet Newsletter response to questions on Spam
FREE online Course offered by CNet
Combating Spam and Spyware
excerpt quoted from Cnet
What you'll Learn

    * Locate and safely remove spyware installed on a computer
    * Understand the mechanisms behind spyware, and how to prevent infection
    * Understand how anti-spyware and anti-virus researchers combat spyware
    * Manage and reduce the amount of spam e-mail you receive
    * Understand the techniques spammers use to distribute their spam e-mail
Find complete details and latest dates course will be offered
http://courses.help.com/courses/overview.jsp?courseId=2351

See also:
Spam Laws of the  United States, European Union, & other countries
http://www.spamlaws.com/
Information on the: United States CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 (S. 877) 
which takes affect January 1, 2004

Slamming Spamming 
http://www.uic.edu/depts/accc/newsletter/adn29/spam.html

CNets SPAM buster links
http://home.cnet.com/internet/0-3793.html

Info on Reading Email Headers and Spam 
http://www.uic.edu/depts/accc/newsletter/adn29/related.html

Visit Spamotomy - reviews anti-spam tools
http://www.spamotomy.com

Read:
Busting the Biggest PC Myths 
We expose the bad advice that wastes your time and money.
Gregg Keizer
From the August 2004 issue of PC World magazine
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,116572,00.asp
or
http://www.pcworld.com/resource/printable/article/0,aid,116572,00.asp

Information and Resource Links regarding Computer Viruses:

PLEASE BE AWARE! I DO NOT ENDORSE & AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY SOFTWARE OR ONLINE SERVICES
That you may link to from this page!! 
Use, Download Software or Link to Individual websites at Your Own Risk.

Read this article on How Viruses Work
and how they can flood email boxes
with so much mail as to shut entire networks down.
REMEMBER - DO NOT OPEN or CLICK ON ATTACHMENTS FROM ANY EMAIL MESSAGE
Unless you are expecting something, and know exactly what it is!
If it is from someone you know, write a separate new message
(do not use the reply key from original message)
to your friend, and ask them to tell you what the attachment is.
If you don't know if it is OK, just delete the entire message.

Microsoft seems to take the brunt of most attacks on computers,
and systems, email (Microsoft Outlook, and Outlook Express). 
So it is very important to stay current with the latest security updates & patches
available from Microsoft.
Visit: www.microsoft.com/security/default.asp

REMEMBER!! Microsoft DOES NOT EMAIL ANYONE! Not individuals, or corporations
telling them about a virus or attach files to messages, etc.
Microsoft announces security issues, and has updates, news, and downloads
available from their website. If you are a subscriber to a Microsoft newsletter,
always check with the Microsofts official website, to see further news on topics
about viruses, patches, updates, etc., that are mentioned in any communications.
News from Microsoft also makes the national news - in print and online.
No matter what your friends, bosses, or corporate email says, if they tell you
"Microsoft" mailed them the information, just delete it.
If you work for a corporation, or business, let your IT dept take care
of these issues. Don't pass emails around warning others!

See too:
CERT® Coordination Center Computer Virus Resources
Virus Bulletin - Hoaxes
Virus Information Library from McAfee
The about.com page for antivirus software resources
The AVP Virus Encyclopedia

Email Virus Safety Precautions - from Perdue University

FREE SOFTWARE DOWNLOAD!

Download FREE Anti-virus Software
AVG Antivirus
Quoted from website
http://www.grisoft.com/ Free Anti-Virus Protection! 
Use our unique offer - AVG 6.0 Free Edition.
Download, install and use AVG 6.0 Anti-Virus system to reliably protect your computer and data free of charge.

Free Online Virus Scan for Your PC
housecall.antivirus.com/housecall/start_corp.asp
Quoted from website http://housecall.antivirus.com
What information is collected?
The following information is sent back to the Virus Tracking Center server from your computer: country of origin and number of files scanned. If any viruses are found during the scan, HouseCall will also send the name of the virus, the number of infected files found and the number of files cleaned by HouseCall. 

Another Free Scan of your PC for viruses site:
Panda Active Scan
Quoted from website:
www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/ Free online disinfection
Now, ridding your computer of viruses is even easier, with Panda ActiveScan, the online antivirus: 
Because you don't need to install any programs, just connect to the Internet and simply click whenever you want to clean your computer. 

See also:

BitDefender's Free Removal Tools
Information quoted from website
Free Removal Tools
SOFTWIN provides you with a powerful set of Virus Cleaning Tools, designed to detect and remove viruses that infected your system. These applications are also valuable because of their size, making them easily downloadable even with a slow Internet connection. They can also be readily transferred by e-mail to clients, friends or partners.
www.bitdefender.com/html/free_tools.php

Freebyte's Guide to Free anti-virus software

Virus Encyclopedia
http://www.avp.ch/avpve/

Virus Information Center
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/

Symantec - Virus Security information
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/

McAfee Anitvirus information
http://www.mcafee.com/anti-virus/
Virus Information Library
http://vil.nai.com/vil/default.asp

Newly Discovered Threats
Quoted from site:
http://vil.nai.com/VIL/newly-discovered-viruses.asp
McAfee AVERT (Anti-Virus Emergency Response Team),
the leading anti-virus research organization,
tracks the latest viruses and trojan horses to 
keep you up-to-date with the many new, 
and altered, viruses emerging every day. 
Each profile gives you comprehensive details on
virus characteristics and indications of infections. 
http://vil.nai.com/VIL/newly-discovered-viruses.asp

SOPHOS.com
Quoted excerpts
Hoaxes
Virus hoaxes are false reports about non-existent viruses, often claiming to do impossible things.
Unfortunately some recipients occasionally believe a hoax to be a true virus warning 
and may take drastic action (such as shutting down their network).

Sophos provides information about virus hoaxes to assist companies and individuals. Although we do provide information about some non-virus-related hoaxes, chain letters, scams and misunderstandings, the primary aim of this section of the website is to provide information about hoaxes which are virus-related.
Read all about them
http://www.sophos.com/virusinfo/hoaxes/

Virus white papers
All anti-virus is not created equal 
This paper provides a comprehensive summary of the seven factors that should 
be considered when evaluating current or new virus protection as all anti-virus products are not the same.
http://www.sophos.com/virusinfo/whitepapers/

Related: Current SOPHOS product line | http://www.sophos.com/products/

Virus Hoaxes & Netlore
http://hoaxinfo.com/

F-Secure Computer Virus Info Center
http://www.datafellows.com/v-descs/

Virus Bulletin
http://www.virusbtn.com/

HouseCall
Quoted from site:
http://housecall.antivirus.com/
Trend Micro's free online virus scanner 
In order to better serve our customers, we ask HouseCall users to register
before scanning their computer. 
By registering, you will receive virus alerts from our team of Virus Doctors. 
You will be able to unsubscribe when you receive your first email. 
You can also scan without registering. 

Internet National Fraud Information Center
http://www.fraud.org/welcome.htm

Fraud Bureau.com
www.fraudbureau.com
Provides consumer scam & virus alerts.

Federal Consumer Information Center
www.pueblo.gsa.gov/scamsdesc.htm
Latest Scams, Frauds, and Consumer Abuse items in the news.
Example of current Email Spam noted on Federal Consumer Information Center:

"You've Just Won a Playstation 2!" - or Maybe Not, Says FTC in Complaint Filed Against Internet Spammers
"Spam" e-mail messages claiming that consumers had won a free Sony PlayStation 2 or Other Prize
through a promotion purportedly sponsored by Yahoo, Inc.,
instead routed consumers to an adult Internet site via a 900-number modem 
connection that charged them up to $3.99 a minute, 
according to a complaint filed under seal by the Federal Trade Commission.

Please remember - NO ONE IS SENDING YOU OR AWARDING YOU VALUABLE PRIZES
via an email message. If you register or enter for a legitimate contest
please print out all rules, etc. In it there will be "notification" methods
of notifying potential winners.
Please also be aware of Subject Lines in Emails, that Plead for Help
or that Seem to know you and or your name or family
if you do NOT recognize
the senders return mail - just delete the message
if something is really important, people will find another way to contact you.
Spammers love to entice you with "Catchy Subject Lines"
The Bottom Line - if you don't recognize the senders email
or don't understand why someone might be contacting you with certain
information or enticements - JUST DELETE IT WITHOUT OPENING!
And that includes emails, that proclaim to send you helpful information
about viruses and/or software
or info on how to stop spam, or to save you from constant deleteing of email.
Spam is Spam is Spam!

Better Business Bureau
http://www.bbb.org/

Stay Safe Online
http://www.staysafeonline.info/index.adp

US Postoffice Guide
Preventing Mail Fraud
***NOTE*** this is A PDF fle** you will need adobe acrobat reader to open.
http://new.usps.com/cpim/ftp/pubs/pub300a.pdf

FirstGov for Consumers
http://www.consumer.gov/
Related:
U.S. government's central website for information about identity theft.
http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/

Consumer Protection
http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/consumer.htm

National Infrastructure Protection Center
http://www.nipc.gov/

Public Interest Research Groups
www.pirg.org/consumer/index.htm

Federal Bureau of Investigation /FBI
http://www.fbi.gov/
Related site:
Freedom of Information Act
http://foia.fbi.gov/

Federal Trade Commission
http://www.ftc.gov/
If You Get Spammed By A Email Scam.
The FTC maintains an e-mailbox -- uce@ftc.gov -- 
where consumers can forward unsolicited commercial e-mail that they 
believe may be fraudulent or deceptive. 
The electronic address receives approximately 500 e-mails a day. 
Consumers also forward large volumes of unsolicited commercial e-mail to the U.S. Postal Service. 
The agencies review these collections for e-mail that appears to be deceptive or fraudulent, 
in violation of the FTC Act or the Postal Lottery Statute. 
Letters are then sent to the e-mailers warning them about
participating in schemes that may violate the law. 

EFF's [Electronic Frontier Foundation]
Top 12 Ways to Protect Your Online Privacy
http://www.eff.org/Privacy/eff_privacy_top_12.html

Electronic Privacy  Information Center
http://www.epic.org/

Kidz Privacy from the FTC
Information about protecting children's privacy online / sections for children to use, 
and sections for parents.
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/kidzprivacy/index.html

Visit the Internet Safety website
With Guides, Glossary, and Tips for Safe Surfing
http://www.internet-safety.org

To top of page

NOTE: Excerpts quoted directly from individual web site pages

From Learn The Net.com
Managing Your E-Mail
http://www.learnthenet.com/english/html/66manage.htm
Harness E-Mail: 
http://www.learnthenet.com/english/section/email.html
How It Works:
http://www.learnthenet.com/english/html/20how.htm

Organizing Your Email
written by Kathy Burns - Jul 10, 2002
[Excerpt from "Don't Put Into Email Today What You Do Not Want to See On Headline News Tomorrow" - A Guide to Effective and Professional Communication via Email] Keeping your email organized is imperative, especially in corporate or small business settings. When you use email for business purposes, you are essentially handling customer files. Because of the importance of this for even the smallest of businesses, those files should stay as organized as possible. You wouldn't just lump all of your paper customer files into a corner would you? Most of us wouldn't, so here are some ways to keep the email files (correspondence) organized as well. 
http://www.insideoffice.com/insideoffice-20-20021007Organizing-Your-Email-.html

Organizing Your Email
by Jennifer Fulton 
http://www.ivillage.com/click/experts/computingcoach/articles/0,,167262_55434,00.html

Time Management - Manage Your Email
www.etenerife.com/Manage%20Your%20Email.htm

Managing Your Email
By Matt Mickiewicz | December 21st 1999
http://www.sitepoint.com/article/14

Denison Memorial Library (info pertains to students of Denison, but contains useful information for all MS Outlook users)
Managing your e-mail
http://denison.uchsc.edu/help/ManagingYourMail.htm

Managing Your E-Mail
copyright Jan Jasper 2002
http://www.businessknowhow.com/growth/manemail.htm

Book:
Managing Your Email
by Christina Cavanagh
http://www.christinacavanagh.com/book.htm
Related on this site:
http://www.christinacavanagh.com/articles.htm
Are you looking for some quick insights into workplace e-mail issues that you can share with your co-workers and friends? These articles cover a wide variety of e-mail topics and solutions that affect our daily work lives. They have been widely read and are now available to you in one convenient location. Feel free to post these articles on your corporate Intranets. This page will be updated regularly as more articles are published.
http://www.christinacavanagh.com/articles.htm

E-mail overload: 7 deadly spams at work
 March 28, 2003
IN-BOX INSIGHTS BY CHRISTINA CAVANAGH
http://www.christinacavanagh.com/articles/20030328.htm

From "Logical Tips" Computing ezine
http://www.logicaltips.comOrganize Your E-mail

How to Get Control of Your Incoming Mail in Outlook
lit.indiana.edu/kb/mail-organize.html

Sample chapter - from Microsoft® Outlook® Version 2002 Step by Step
Chapter 3: Customizing and Organizing E-mail Messages continued
www.microsoft.com/mspress/books/sampchap/5053c.asp

Managing Your Email: A Small Business Owner's Checklist
By Bradley Feld
The Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership 
http://www.score.org/om_9.html

ENCRYPT YOUR EMAIL Messages

Consumer Privacy Guide.org
Encrypt your email:
Quoted from site:
E-mail is not as secure a medium as many believe. 
E-mail can be easily rerouted and read by unintended third parties;
messages are often saved for indefinite periods of time. 
Presently, technologies exist that allow you to encrypt your messages
in order to protect their privacy. 
Some e-mail programs (i.e., Internet Explorer, Outlook, and Netscape Messenger) 
have encryption. Pretty Good Privacy (PGP), a popular encryption software,
is free for non-commercial use. 

Online Article
How to Get Pretty Good Privacy
Protect your email privacy with PGP. There's no reason not to do it -- the software is free.
http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/answerstips/story/0,24330,3316585,00.html

How to encrypt your email with PGP:
http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/answerstips/story/0,24330,3332607,00.html

Note: PGP is nolonger supported by its author
So you may want to consider this alternative
GNU Privacy Guard
Quoted from site
http://www.gnupg.org/
GnuPG is a complete and free replacement for PGP. 
Because it does not use the patented IDEA algorithm,
it can be used without any restrictions. 
GnuPG is a RFC2440 (OpenPGP) compliant application. 

Encryption Network
http://www.a-lock.com/
Quoted from site:
http://www.pc-encrypt.com/_site/alock/index.mhtml
A-Lock works with all popular email programs. 
Free trial copy never expires. 
Never again worry about someone reading your private email messages. 
Don't delay. Start now! 

Free software:
Quoted from:
http://www.simtel.net/pub/pd/17623.html
Encryptor v1.0 is a small utility that allows you to send and receive
encrypted emails to your friends or business acquaintances by
converting them to Binary numbers (1's and 0's). Copy and paste
buttons make moving the messages easy. File size has been kept to a
minimum, 65 kb zip or 100 kb exe, so you can easily send the program as
an attachment to the recipient if they don't have it. Easy one button
encrypt/decrypt process. Please note that there is no encryption
program that is un-crackable but this at least makes the message
unreadable without a converter.

Send encrypted messages 
Free, secure, and easy-to-use email encryption for everyone!
 Contains the secure Blowfish 128 Bit algorithm and SHA-1. Secure connection via SSL.
http://www.steganos.com/world/mail/web/encryptEN.php3

See other applications/software available
WinSite Encryption Tools 
http://www.winsite.com/tech/encrypt/page9.html
and
http://www.freedownloadscenter.com/Utilities/Misc__Encryption_Utilities/

Related info:
Consumer Privacy Guide Top Steps
Top Things You Can Do To Protect Your Privacy
http://www.consumerprivacyguide.org/topthings/

Top 5 Encryption Utilities
 Protect your hard drive from prying eyes with these downloads
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/article/0,aid,43322,00.asp

Mail Choose.com
Utilities 
http://portal.mailchoose.com/sn/Utilities/
Find utilities here that can help you retrieve lost files,
detect and clean viruses, back up and restore files, 
and cut files into smaller more transportable files of any size. 

Electronic Privacy  Information Center
http://www.epic.org/

Junk Email
http://www.junkemail.org/

Read:
Eliminating Inbox and Desktop Clutter 

Protecting your children online - Email & The Web
What can I do about SPAM?
and
You've Got Spam
Learn what it is, how it works, and what you can do to stop it.
http://www.nolo.com/index.cfm

Visit>> Spamotomy - reviews latest spam buster tools
http://www.spamotomy.com

Articles - The (Anti) Fraud Help & Info Center
josconNetworks
http://linz1.net/fraud.html

Visit/Join:
CAUCE, The Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email 
is an ad hoc, all volunteer organization, created by Netizens to
advocate for a legislative solution to the problem of UCE (a/k/a "spam").
http://www.cauce.org/

Windows Utilities That Stop Spam
Mail Guard
http://www.winplanet.com/winplanet/reports/608/4/

CNet's Email Spam / Stopping it and prevention links & resources
http://home.cnet.com/internet/0-3793.html

Anti-Virus, Hoax, Myth, Fraud, Chain Letter and Anti-Spam Sites
Quoted from site:
http://www.internet-101.com/hoax/
This site was designed to educate you about the latest happenings in all areas of
Anti-Virus, Hoax, Myth, Fraud, Chain Letter and Anti-Spam occurring on the Internet.

All about the Internet - History, Email, Usenet, Mailing lists, and much more
http://www.livinginternet.com/index.html

GetNetWise.org
Excerpt quoted from site:
The Internet is an increasingly important place to work, play and learn for both adults and children. 
At the same time, we are concerned about the risks we face online. 
GetNetWise can help.
http://www.getnetwise.org

Free Tools: Diagnose Your PC, Encrypt E-mails, and Clear Your Cache 
The latest releases of these favorites are free to try and free to use
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/collection/0,collid,1321,00.asp
Related resource help from PCWorld
Tips & Troubleshooting
http://www.pcworld.com/resource/browse/0,cat,1593,sortIdx,1,00.asp
System Resources Tune-Up
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/browse/0,cat,1506,sortIdx,1,00.asp
Utilities
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/browse/0,cat,1494,sortIdx,1,00.asp
Free Tools: Tweak Windows, Adjust Hidden Settings 
These utilities let you gain more control over Windows, and they're free to try and keep.
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/collection/0,collid,1320,00.asp
See also  LibrarySupportStaff.com's Computer Care page with resource links

Some people are not aware of the dangers and nuisances, of forwarding email messages. Most email messages that request that the "reader/recipient" "Forward" the message - are hoaxes, scams or just a waste of email server space.

Friendly or joke, funny stories, etc. types of emails should never be forwarded to people with work/business email addresses. Most businesses frown on such uses of their email systems. Remember too, that your business email account is NOT private, and your administration usually has the right to read what you recieve or send out. Internet based free email systems, often have limits on "space" for email messages, and by forwarding messages to friends and acqaintences using their internet based mail accounts, may overload their inbox with useless mail. Unless you know that the person checks their mail everyday and deletes messages on a regular basis - Do NOT forward these types of messages to them.

There are viruses designed to copy a persons Outlook email address book, when they are activiated (often without the recipients knowledge, until after they have opened the attachment contained in the message. Once the virus attacks the address book it chooses a document from the persons harddrive and "sends" it to everyone in the address book. And from there, others open some of these and the virus keeps going and going! Many times the documents that are "attached" are quite large, and can often overwhelm email servers.

If we all decided to practice "safe emailing" - there would be fewer chances of catching and/or speading a virus. And there also would be a halt or slowing down to the practice of scam or hoax mail, and chain letters.

Email is a wonderful form of communciation. But it should be used for communication, between others for "individual" conversation, family/friend messages to/and about family/friends, or for business communications for business purposes. 

Or if you belong to a listserv, or group mail forum -messages should be kept to the business communications that serve the list members interests and conform to the rules of the list, only. 

L-Netiquette for Mailing Lists

Mailing List Manners 101 - Tidbits

The Core Rules of Netiquette
The Core Rules of Netiquette are excerpted
from the book Netiquette by Virginia Shea.
http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=05386
See also:
Basic Mailing List Management Guidelines
for Preventing Abuse
http://www.mail-abuse.org/manage.html
Mass mailings or forwarding of messages should not be done, no matter how "noble" or convincing, or how much you agree with a point of view or message theme - If it mentions "Forward" this to everyone you know, or anyone - "DELETE" it!! Think before you FORWARD. 
Don't worry that you didn't get a chance to "warn" or "inform" someone of what you felt was something very important - If it is truly important - people will find out about an event or newsworthy information through "authorized" news outlets, such as newspapers and television.
Never send an attachment, unless you have sent a previous message, telling the recipient that it wil be coming in a separate message, and you should tell them "exactly" what you will be attaching, and what if anything (comments, etc.) you want the person to do with the attachment. Make sure the subject lines in your messages are descriptive of what the main topic of your message is.