dosk wrote: > > Outlook Express users, do not despair...... > > Someone has mentioned here on this list that one can get a virus (or worm, > or trojan) just by opening e-mail. This is, I believe, one of the many > unfounded, slightly paranoid, rumors about viruses. (Virii?) I assure you that both the statements made about being able to get infected simply by opening mail were true. In fact in one case you didn't even need to explicitly open the email - Microsoft Outlook would automatically open the last email fetched from the post office. I don't spread unfounded, inaccurate rumours. > Email comes through to a Microsoft O/S system (such as Windows) as the file > extension, .eml, ONLY. Windows does nothing with .eml extensions except > designate them as words for you to look at. > There is nothing that tells it, "there is code here for the O/S to execute > and do something with". The same holds true for .jpg extensions, which are > designated as pictures for you to only look at. Much, much, misinformation. First of all ".eml" is an application- specific file type (or extension); if you don't happen to be using that specific email program you will never see .eml (Netscape Messenger, for example, stores email in a completely different way) > On the other hand, .exe extensions are very dangerous (as are some others), > as when opened they tell the Windows O/S that this is an operating program > and you should do what it says... > (There is a vast difference, within not only Microsoft but all computer > O/S's, between simple readable or viewable data, and operational code.) Unfortunately this line has got very blurred. Email can contain embedded HTML, which in turn can contain embedded JAVA or JavaScript. It's rare to see a virus with a .exe payload extension, too. The recent ones have been attacking other extensions (such as .vbs, .scr, or .pif). Add to that the habit of hiding the real extension , and what looks like an innocent file name like MeNude.jpg can really be MeNude.jpg.pif > In Outlook Express (version 5.0) there is an excellent option available. > Whenever you dbl-click on an email extension a pop-up says, "All email > extensions have the potential for danger" (or something similar to this) > "-do you want to open this now or load it to disk?" (And when this question > is asked, at this time, and only at this time, OE/5.0 then shows what the > actual file extension is...) Outlook Express is actually rather less error-prone than full Outlook. But the default install for either of them leaves some options set in a way that leaves gaping security holes that script-kiddies are only too eager to exploit. Not that Microsoft is the only culprit, by any means; default install options from Eudora, Netscape, or iPlanet all have similar weaknesses. It's just that Microsoft is particularly bad, and is most frequently targetted by virus creators (often because that's the mail system they are most familiar with, but sometimes simply because Microsoft is viewed with contempt by the hacker community). > Always answering this question with "load it to disk" takes but an extra few > seconds and allows any of the various virus killer programs (the good ones, > anyway) to check out the file. If it is not a clean file, you should > (depending upon which virus killer program you are using) get immediate (and > pronounced ) bells, whistles, warnings, not to proceed with opening this > extension, and sometimes even automatic deletions. If the file is judged > clean, you get no further messages and can then open it in relative safety. > > (Nothing is ever perfect however; on very very rare occasions a new type > virus comes along that the killer programs are not prepared for. (There was > even a virus killer once, a Norton program I think it was, that was released > with a virus in it!) But again, this kind of stuff is extremely rare. Also, > most good virus killers have constant online update options to catch up with > these occasional new things.) > I sometimes think there are more computer problems caused by virus rumors > than there are by viruses... That may be true. But you don't do anyone any favours by spreading false assurances that "this kind of thing can't happen", or by making unfounded suggestions that people better informed than you are paranoid ignorami. You could always check the claims, first, rather than simply pooh-pooing them. There are several good sites that describe the various types of virus attack, and just what weaknesses they exploit. McAfee and Norton each have a site, which would be a good starting place. Don't believe everything they tell you, of course - they always take the worst view of things (they are, after all, trying to sell you there software). But the facts (rather than their interpretation) are there if you care to look. You can also get some information from the Microsoft site, by looking at the program patches and updates they have made available. They don't tell you the whole story, either - they downplay the risks, if they even mention just why the patch is being made avaiable. > Wishing you (and me) a virus free environment. (Which is a nice way of > saying ,"down with these immature computer creeps!") > > Skip > (An ex-systems programmer) But, sadly, a rather uninformed one on the subject of viruses. -- John Francis [EMAIL PROTECTED] Silicon Graphics, Inc. (650)933-8295 2011 N. Shoreline Blvd. MS 43U-991 (650)932-0828 (Fax) Mountain View, CA 94043-1389 Hello. My name is Darth Vader. I am your father. Prepare to die. - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. 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