Wierd E-mail

[Wizard-WO]

Getting about 1 e-mail a day like this:


"This is an encrypted OpenPGP message.
In order to decrypt this mail, you need to install an OpenPGP add-on."


From this address on the last one; [email protected]


Never opened one, anybody know what this is.

 

[Seilerbird]

It is not a legitimate web site so I would assume it is malware.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

OpenPGP is an free encryption system that is popular with some people wishing to encrypt their emails (for whatever reason).  However, that encryption also defeats any malware detection/scanning in your email client or your mail service.  For that reason, the same basic rule still applies: Do NOT open mail or attachments from source you do not know.  If the encrypted mail is not from a person or company you know and trust, just trash it.  Any legitimate sender would surely have notified you that they were sending encrypted mail to you.

 

[Willandgiselarv]

You will need to know the person so you can get the correct hash keys...just delete if you don't know who.

 

[DanKearney1]

To add to Gary's reply, as a professional I.T. person I urge you to not open ANY message of that type even if you already know the sender.  I've seen more than one virus/trojan propagate through my organization because a valid and known email address was hijacked and used as the vector.


If you ever receive such a message from someone you know, before you try to decrypt, contact to the sender and ensure it is legitimate.  If such a message comes from an unknown sender, then just delete it.


Cheers,


Dan K.

 

[John From Detroit]

Best guess is that it is porn. So I'd not decrypt it. I'd mark it spam and delete it.