Email Viruses – Be Paranoid!

The latest breed of viruses is more dangerous if you use Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express or the mail program in Internet Explorer. Amongst other things, these programs automatically open and view attachments. We recommend you use Eudora* – which is less "clever" and less vulnerable. Just viewing an email (without opening an attachment) is safe in Eudora, but may not be safe if you use Microsoft. If you still insist on using Outlook you should remove active scripting. Microsoft also have a security patch called eyeDog.

Treat ALL email attachments with suspicion

Do NOT open any Word or DOC file unless you are using Word Viewer*

NEVER open an attachment with the ending .vbs (visual basic script), or .reg (registry), or .pif (program information file) – such a file is almost certainly a virus. Note: Zone Alarm has a feature called MailSafe that quarantines dangerous email attachments like these. Three-part file names are nearly always viruses eg: readme.doc.scr, fun.mp3.pif

Common types of attachments:

• Pictures – GIF, JPG, BMP -usually OK
• Movies - AVI, MPG, MOV, MP3 – usually OK
• RTF – usually OK – can contain imbedded Macro viruses, open in Word Viewer
• DOC, DOT- frequently contain Macro viruses, open only in Word Viewer
• HTM - be wary these could contain script viruses
• EML - Email previously saved by Outlook- could contain viral code
• XLS, XLT- could contain Macro viruses, open only in Excel Viewer
• EXE, COM, BAT– Program files can contain viruses - consider these as very dangerous
• SCR – Screensavers are in fact programs (see EXE) – they can contain viruses
• VBS, PIF– never open – see note above
• PPS- Powerpoint Presentation, usually OK, open with Powerpoint Viewer
• ZIP – compressed files are dangerous because they can self-launch a virus contained in the zip

Run a virus checker over your attachments directory before opening any attachment. Want a free anti-virus checker? Try Trend Micro Housecall. Virus checkers do NOT guarantee the attachment is safe (only that any virus is not an older detectable one)

There is no such thing as a safe source. Do not trust anyone, no matter how "safe" you think they are. The new viruses can automatically send themselves to everyone in an address list without the user even knowing.

*Word Viewer, Excel Viewer, PowerPoint Viewer and Eudora are free and can be downloaded from the Internet. They can also be found on the CDs that come on most computer magazines. If you are an existing customer of Command Computers, ask us to install them for you next time we have your computer.

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