> Date: Sun, 7 May 2000 17:55:19 +0200
> To: IETF general mailing list <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> From: Jacob Palme <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: Re: VIRUS WARNING
>       [...]
> I have
> set my MS Office programs to always ask me before running a
> macro in an unkown file in it. The advantage is less risk for
> viruses, but the disadvantage is that I have to OK those
> questions from MS Office of whether to accept macros. And
> if they occur too open, there is a risk that I click "yes"
> before thinking through the risk of doing this.
>       [...]

Other disadvantages include:

o       You have very little basis upon which to make a decision.  You
        can decide based upon whether you trust the sender (which isn't
        much to go on, as shown by the recent batch of Outlook viruses),
        but you can't decide based on whether the macro might damage
        your system.

o       Once you click "yes", there is apparently little limit to the
        damage that the macro can do, (if it isn't executing in a well-
        constructed sandbox).

-tjs

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