[ale] OT: Is MS Outbreak really this dangerous?

[Robert L. Harris]

It depends what your previewer is.  I believe the default is MS Word.
As a result if the previewer is vulnerable to macro viruses it'll
auto-execute them when you click the message to delete it anyway.

Yes it's real, alot of virus's like melissa get spread this way even.

And the "as long as the AV SW knew about them" is the problem.  How many
people actively keep the software up to date and how many times are the
updates out fast enough to keep people from getting it?  It's common for
a virus to be in the wild a few days if not weeks before a good AV
definition hits the streets.


Thus spake hbbs at attbi.com (hbbs at attbi.com):

> A company-wide e-mail just came down the pike stating:
> 
> "Due to viruses that can infect your computer simply by being previewed in your
> e-mail program, it is company policy that the preview pane (the window at the
> bottom of Outlook and Outlook Express that shows messages without opening them)
> be turned off on your inbox folder."
> 
> Is it really this dangerous to use Outlook or is this an
> aluminum-foil-on-the-head/paint-inside-of-CD-player-green thing?
> 
> How susceptible are other Windows mail clients (e.g., Mozilla)?  Wouldn't
> run-of-the-mill Windows AV software catch such "preview viruses" as long as the
> AV SW knew about them?
> 
> - Jeff
> _______________________________________________
> Ale mailing list
> Ale at ale.org
> http://www.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale

:wq!
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Robert L. Harris                     | PGP Key ID: E344DA3B
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Diagnosis: witzelsucht  	

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