Opting out from an email list should be straightforward. Yet, it rarely sticks — many find themselves unsubscribing from the same list a year later.
Unfortunately, that’s not the main concern anymore. Selecting the unsubscribe option has transformed into a security hazard. Cybercriminals are exploiting the “unsubscribe” feature to entice clicks and harvest personal data.
TK Keanini, the chief technology officer at DNSFilter, mentioned to the Wall Street Journal recently that using the unsubscribe link can result in phishing attacks and security vulnerabilities. In fact, DNSFilter reports that approximately one in every 644 clicks on unsubscribe links redirects to a “potentially harmful website.”
There are several ways this can affect an unsuspecting email user. The lowest risk is that hackers now know you are an active email with a person behind it. This will most likely lead to scammers building a file on you to make you are future target for ransomware attacks, getting you to shop on fake websites, or sending you malware.
Worst case, the unsubscribe link exposes your device to malware immediately, but one expert told The Journal that it is not the best tactic, fortunately. Too many things would need to align, they said, including that the browser has a vulnerabilty.
Still, the best way to fight back, experts told The Journal, is to use Apple’s “Hide My Email” feature, if you are an Apple customer, or send the emails to spam without hitting unsubscribe.
You can also set up a free Gmail or other email account specifically for shopping, newsletters, and spam.
Hitting “unsubscribe” from an email list seems simple enough. Except, rarely does it ever fully work — we all know we’ll be unsubscribing from that same list in a year.
Too bad that’s no longer the biggest worry. Hitting the leave-me-alone box is now a security risk. Hackers are using the “unsubscribe” button as a means to get you to click and capture your personal information.
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