E-mail so easily becomes a natural part of daily communication that it's easy to be lulled into a false sense of privacy and security. Keep the following caveats in mind as you read and send e-mail:

• Forging e-mail return addresses is not very hard, so if you get a totally off-the-wall message that seems out of character coming from that person, somebody else may have forged the message as a prank.
• E-mail is not very private. As your mail passes from site to site, it can be read not only by hackers but also by your system administrator. Your employer may even have a legal right to read your e-mail at work.
• Mass distribution of unsolicited e-mail, known as spam, is becoming more and more of a problem. Because most spammers use phony return addresses, replying with a complaint is usually a waste of time. In fact, your reply proves that your address is good and may result in your receiving even more spam.
• Unless you're using versions of Outlook Express and Windows 98 or XP without the latest security updates, your computer cannot get a virus by reading a text e-mail message. However, you can infect your computer by opening files attached to e-mail. Don't ever open any file attached to messages from strangers or people you don't trust -- or even from people you do know if you're not expecting a file from them. Some viruses distribute themselves by sending messages to everyone in the unsuspecting victim's e-mail address book, so the messages appear to be from a friend.