An e-mail question -

[mac56]

I've always been told it's not possible to get a computer virus simply by opening an e-mail message; rather, that you need to open an attachment to become exposed to a virus. Now I'm reading some scary websites that say it is possible. Just moments ago I opened an unexpected message from a friend with an attachment I knew she wouldn't send: a sales pitch for a digital camera. I deleted the message and the unopened attachment, but now I fear the damage has already been done. Any feedback?

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. Sadly, if you are using Outlook, it can happen

Lots of holes in Outlook,and I would never, ever suggest anyone use it.

If you are using a good email program, you should be okay if you don't open the attachments.

[mac56]

2. It came in on Earthlink, on my home account.

I opened it on my office computer. I've run Norton since, and it came up clean.

Do you think I'm okay?

[MaineDem]

4. What is considered a good email program?

I'm having trouble with Netscape and have to use Explorer and Outlook is sort of the default email program. Any suggestions?

Thanks, I appreciate any advice. :)

[Kellanved]

6. no easy answer

I've heard a few good things about YAMC http://www.borg-kindberg.ac.at/yamc/ ; the mozilla mailclient www.mozilla.org isn't bad either, but virtually identical to netscape.

Eudora http://www.eudora.com/ and Pegasus http://www.pmail.com/ ; those aren't free though.

[MaineDem]

9. Thanks

I'll check those out. :)

[TreasonousBastard]

11. Beg to differ...

Eudora has two non-paying modes, and Pegasus has always been free.

Then, there's Calypso, Foxmail and Popcorn:

http://www.pricelessware.org/2003/PL2003INTERNET.htm#eMailandNewsClient


I'm satisfied with Eudora in Adware mode. It's a bit of a resource hog and has a few small bugs, but it does the job very well.

Opera is my preferred browser, and it has a decent mail client, but I prefer some of the features in Eudora.

Mozilla.org has lots of good stuff. The stand-alone mail client isn't up to some, but it's getting better.

[Kellanved]

15. Sorry about Pegasus

Somehow I thought it was a full-price product - thanks for the correction. I think I mixed up the manual thing.

However: Eudora is Adware and the better features are mssing - that isn't free in my book.

[Rabrrrrrr]

17. I use The Bat! which is, IMO, bar none, the best thing out there

It's SOOOOOOOO powerful, totally bulletproof, and yet, if you don't want to do all the supercool things with filters and macros and all that jazz, it's also just easy use. It's like $20 or $30, but I am a total prophet for this email program. I think it's one of the best programs, of any sort, produced. The support is phenomenal, and there's a huge army of people who use it and a couple excellent email discussion lists.

if not the Bat!, I also really liked Eudora when I was using it. But Bat! was way better, so I switched.

The bat! here: http://www.ritlabs.com

I can't recommend it enough.

[trof]

3. piggyback question

Is there any way to delete an email without opening it?
I can't find any.

[TreasonousBastard]

14. Eudora lets you...

just click the trashcan or hit the delete key without opening it.

I usually have the preview pane open, but whether I do or not, I can use the CNTRL key and select all the obvious spam and junk and delete it with one click.

I thought all mail programs did that.

[Kellanved]

5. yes

Trendmicro has a fairly decent online scan: housecall.trendmicro.com

A few versions of Outlook (Express) can be infected by simply reading a mail. The (unpatched; the patched isn't secure either though) Internet Explorer can be infected by simply reading a page and Blaster etc. can infect your PC by merely being online.

[Maine-i-acs]

7. Outlook and IE both have vulnerabilities BUT -

Micro$$$oft continually puts out patches for every security hole that is identified.

If you have an older PC that was powered up out-of-the-box and hasn't been updated, you can count on a dozen or so potential infection routes present. One of them allows embedding of viruses in the 'header' of the message - your PC can launch it inadvertently.

The clean Norton scan is a little bit of good news though.

Go to www.microsoft.com and look for critical updates and downloads for your version of Windows and Outlook.

I have used Outlook for about 6 years without any incidents.

[BritishHuman]

12. That's true, however...

Why not use an e-mail program and browser that don't have security holes in the first place?

:-)

[OKNancy]

8. I've got the perfect little program

and it's free. I use Outlook with no problems. I preview all mail with Mailwasher. www.mailwasher.net
You can set blacklists and friends lists if you want.

[izzie]

10. No time to answer as I am reading how to get out of debt this week

It is not as good as making my lips fuller but they got sick of sending that.

[TreasonousBastard]

13. There's some tricky coding involved...

but you can get some nasties from just viewing an email if your security settings aren't too tight. Even viewing in the preview pane has caused problems with the slicker trojans.

One is by embedding a graphic in an email with some html code embedded in it. Just viewing the graphic could execute the code, or send you off to a website without your knowing it. The graphic can even be invisible. Active-X and Direct-X can be used in Microsoft stuff to execute all sorts of nasties.

Eudora, which I use, has an option to "use Microsoft's viewer" which I turned off. It also has an option to "run executables" which I also turned off.

That, and decent firewalls and antivirus, should keep you reasonably safe, even using Outhouse.

My usual recommendation is to dump Outhouse for a better mail client-- there's little it has that better and safer programs don't have.

[geniph]

16. One of the best ways to delete an email

without opening, or in fact, downloading, it at all is to use Mailwasher. With Mailwasher, you view your email headers without downloading the emails to your computer at all. You can select to delete and bounce emails without ever having them on your computer. I highly recommend it.