You Have a Virus Subject Line
The recent newsletter email subject line began with You Have a Virus. The article and short video, You have a Virus (Brain Hack #3), is a part of a series of short videos/articles: Ten Most Common Brain Hacks. A trusted colleague notified me that he had not opened up the email because the subject line said he had a virus! I went back to look at the email, and sure enough, I could understand how many may have thought they were receiving a virus warning from Sophos or another source. My artistic, clever side took note.
Opening Clever Emails
Would you have second thoughts of opening an email with You Have a Virus in the subject line? I would, as one who’s website has endured a major viral hack. Upon checking the GoDaddy ExpressMail numbers, I noticed a good number of readers had already opened and read the email.(this was actually frightening if the email really had contained a virus!) However, it wasn’t quite as many as opened the previous post, Worm Hack #2. Many regular subscribers now recognize my emails, but some new subscribers may not. I put myself in a new subscriber’s shoes and took further note.
Malicious Code-Life Principles
My website attack, containing an aggressive virus taught me some good principles in email verification. If there’s a link inside an email, make sure the email is truly from a trusted source. If not readily displayed, you can find who sent it by clicking on the dropdown arrow from the sender. What about your website? Include Captcha or another form verification tool to hinder bots (roving computerized messages) on any website form. Bots are little computerized bits of code roaming around just waiting to insert malware, or malicious code in your forms that will seep into your website. That small verification box, including a few numbers or letters, keeps them away.
There are great life principles to be drawn from malware attacks. Your hardest sell is yourself. Those repeating negative messages, acting as a virus, will continue to paralyze and stymie you, keeping you from purposeful living. Have you listened lately to a friend or colleague share the amazing results he/she is getting in her business; checked out a Facebook feed to find that everyone else but you is doing well? The amount of head-trash you accumulate from reading of other successes while feeling stuck can be disheartening and overwhelming. (see short video above!) How do you overcome those feelings? One way is to quit reading other’s posts–which are probably inflated in the first place! Another is to take the time to journal and see what’s real and working in your life.
Alarming Statistics
According to 2015 statistics, there were close to 178 million personal records exposed with over 780 breaches. (including Anthem and Target) There are also over 30,000 daily malware attacks on websites. Those numbers went up 38% in 2016 and will rise even more in 2017. It is worth doing your homework on cyber protection as odds are that you will be one of those affected this year! This also applies mentally. The odds are, you will be attacked!
I am very thankful for the email subject line insight from my friend and will hopefully solve the dilemma by changing the word order slightly–maybe even at times adding my name as a trusted source. Opening documents from a verified trusted contact is another form of authentication. I certainly don’t want to be singled out for an attempted virus scare or hacking attempt with a misleading, clever subject line!
Google Data
According to Forbes Magazine, a judge in Minnesota has signed off on a warrant allowing police to demand Google data on anyone who searched for the name of a fraud victim across a whole city. (Forbes.com Mar. 17, 2017) If this becomes common practice, even suspicious personal emails with suspicious email subject lines could entangle you in such a search. I took further note of this and plan to be a bit more careful in the future. Hopefully you will too–both with the virtual and mental attacks that come at you at an ever-intensifying rate. Be prepared and fight with solid tools that will keep you on track with purposeful living in your life!
Connect With Friends
I feel fortunate I have friends and colleagues that communicate honest feedback, as well as insights and encouragement. Doing so encourages and accelerates the learning process. Most find themselves feeling stuck at different times in their life. Find a friend or colleague to go through the Change Your Life: Get Unstuck course to help you move forward in your life and career. Check it out FREE. It could be the best investment you’ve made for yourself in a long while!
Malware is just like letting the worm of bad mental code in your life, creating chaos and destruction. Deborah Johnson
Deborah Johnson is all about using Creativity to expand your business and initiate professional momentum. Get Unstuck and get rid of Bad Code with her book Bad Code: Overcoming Bad Mental Code That Sabotages Your Life
