Worm and Virus Questions

[CharlesW]

With the problems that seem to be going around constantly, I was wondering if my understanding of a virus or worm was correct.

If you do not open an attachment or click on a link in an e-mail, can the virus/worm still affect your computer?

I don`t open any attachment in an e-mail from anyone for just that reason.

Can my system still be infected?

I run AdAware and SpyBot regularly as well as Norton AV 2004.

Charles

[John Gatland]

Charles.

Install Mailwasher, you can then check emails before they get on your computer, then bounce those which are spam or you do not want.

www.snapfiles.com\freeware\email tools\antispam tools

hope this helps

John

[CharlesW]

Originally posted by John Gatland
Charles.

Install Mailwasher, you can then check emails before they get on your computer, then bounce those which are spam or you do not want.

www.snapfiles.com\freeware\email tools\antispam tools

hope this helps

John

All information helps.

And welcome to DC. We have a few other members from your side of the Atlantic, but not a large number. (Yet)

Charles

[Boss_429]

Originally posted by CharlesW

If you do not open an attachment or click on a link in an e-mail, can the virus/worm still affect your computer?

Charles

No Charles............... you can`t get the worm/virus unless you open the attachment................ at least no yet.

When these clowns figure out a way to spread viruses/worms by simply opening an email.................. the world is going to come to a complete stop!

[groebuck]

Sorry Boss - you can infact get it -without opening an attachment (depending on the version/maker of your mail client). Microsoft is the target - most mail clients are just that - mail readers with the ability to get attachments. Outlook and Outlook express are more than that. They are linked to the Microsoft office suite (outlook) and the Operating System (Outlook Express). Previous versions of Outlook and Express had the nifty "feature" of attemtping to run known code if it was attached. Virus writers would write the code in VBS (Visual Basic Scripting) which was known to the OS and is the engine behind the Macros and what not in Office. Just by opening mail, not the attachment, but the mail itself you can get infected.

Microsoft has since gotten tighter on their security but it`s still easy to get a virus in the a Microsoft OS with mail as the delivery agent. The best defense is a good offense, if you don`t use Microsoft office, get another mail client like Eudora or Pegasus Mail (both free versions) they know nothing about launching attachments - better yet to to www.mozilla.org and get thunderbird .06 - it`s free and it`s awesome!

that and keep your virus scanner up to date and make sure it is set to scan your incoming email!

[CharlesW]

Originally posted by groebuck
Sorry Boss - you can infact get it -without opening an attachment (depending on the version/maker of your mail client).

I happen to use Yahoo e-mail.
Is that good or bad?

Charles

[groebuck]

Yahoo is okay - it can let viruses through but I think they use their own scanner so you don`t have to (much like hotmail) - the good thing is it will ALWAYS ask you if you want to download an attachment so your pretty safe Charles.

[groebuck]

PS. this latest one - you can get just by not having your windows updated (affects XP and 2000 users!)