That's the warning from a couple of scientists at the University of Hawaii and Sonneberg Observatory in Germany.
Michael Hippke and John Learned wrote that it might be impossible to discern the danger of a message without opening it--and by then it could be too late.
An alien message could unleash a virus that would wreak havoc with human life and/or allow aliens to assume control of our systems.
So...if it's your job to decide: Do you open the alien message and potentially learn great things at the risk of annihilation OR play it safe?