jaylach wrote:
Now, if you are talking about links to such places as You Tube you are most likely OK. Still only click a link if you recognize the destination site as being mostly safe such as You Tube.
The only thing i'd add to what Jay said is to make sure your browser (and email client) have their Status Bar's enabled, :
Using your browser’s status bar:
https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/internet-tips/using-your-browsers-status-bar/1/While a Browser Status Bar is important it is agruably even more important in an Email client because most phishing attacks come via Email, think of all those spam emails you've had that appear to come from your bank and you'll know what i'm talking about.
e.g. If you know for a fact you bank with The Bank of Jay and the url for Bank of Jay is boj.com, hovering the mouse over a spoofed boj.com link in an email or a link in a browser might show helloimnnigerianandimgoingtostealallyourmoney.com.... would you click on it?
That said a lot will come down to how much you trust the friend that sent the file, personally if it came unannounced i'd contact them to make sure they intended to send me the file, even if they did i'd still scan it with my anti-virus software and MBAM before i opened/clicked on it.
Friends of friends i'd be very wary of opening anything from.