Advice: don't use Outleak.

[Myranya]

My advice against email virusses is, don't use Outleak. Since Outleak is the most used email client, and default on Windows, its security leaks are most commonly targetted by the virus writers. I wouldn't touch it with a tenfoot pole and I refuse to call it anything but OutLEAK! Try using Eudora or Pegasus mail, they're a lot safer. And still don't use the Microsoft viewer, or you'll still be allowing the same security flaws. And make sure you leave 'allow executables in HTML content' unchecked (duh ). With the right settings, I can open any message I want to, and all attachments and such just sit as a little icon at the bottom of the message, until I click on them. Even those that in Outleak would execute when the message body is viewed.

The only possible downside is that fancy mail, with pictures, briefpaper and other fancy stuff often doesn't look as nice at all. But I'm a bit old-fashioned when it comes to email, the web is for fancy stuff and I prefer email to be plain, simple text. Plus I find it an easy choice between fancy stuff or having to clean crap off my computer all the time

Oh, and whatever email client you use, it shouldn't be a reason not to have an up to date virus scanner, firewall and adware/spyware hunter. Virus makers try new stuff all the time, plus there's a lot spread by other means than email, too.

 

[blackjeep]

Another alternative is Mozilla Thunderbird. It's a great companion to Firefox.

Here's a link: http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/

Thunderbird is at the bottom of the page.

 

[shalym]

Myranya--

Do you know if Thunderbird, etc will connect to an Exchange server? I am trying to find an alternative mail client, but I need one that will connect to Exchange. I have looked through most of the documentation, and I can't find any mention of this.

I am trying to find a way to better secure the desktops for a company that I am doing contract work for. Don't say get rid of Exchange--it's not an option for them at this point, the owner of the company won't even consider it. I have gotten quite a few of the employees to start using Firefox, but they are still using Outlook, because they have no other choice.

TIA

Shari

 

[blackjeep]

I'm not familiar with Exchange server. You might try the Thunderbird forum at Mozilla.

 

[shalym]

Exchange Server is what most companies use for their email--They use it instead of regular pop3 because it allows collaboration in the form of sharing calendars, contact lists, and public folders. For a company that has most of it's employees working remotely, it's an excellent tool. I just wish that there was a more secure way for users to access it.

Shari

 

[Mr_Larry]

I love Outlook and would never give it up. In all of the years I've used Outlook I have only received 4 or 5 viruses that were quarantined before they arrived.

If you have half a brain and know what email you shouldn't open, viruses are not nearly the threat they are made out to be. Surfing the web exposes you to more bugs than email in my experience. Outlook rocks!

 

[OddOne]

Gotta disagree with Larry about Outlook to a degree and Outlook Express to a tremendous degree. On my company network Outlook and O.E. are explicitly forbidden by company policy, due to the insane number of security holes they have. Clients used instead are Eudora, Calypso, and most recently Mozilla Thunderbird. We are also using SpamBayes for enduser-level antispam filtration.

oO

 

[onetimer]

FWIW
On my company network outlook 2002 and 2003 is used exclusively and if it wasn’t for the corporate anti virus I’d be sunk. I’ve logged well over 30,000 virus laden e-mails in the last 24 months, all were blocked or quarantined. It was said before, with an updated anti virus and the correct security settings you will be fine. Outlook has caused zero problems. I’m sure someone can point out a personal example of how outlook messed them up, I can’t but I would like to hear it.

 

[shalym]

OddOne said:

Gotta disagree with Larry about Outlook to a degree and Outlook Express to a tremendous degree. On my company network Outlook and O.E. are explicitly forbidden by company policy, due to the insane number of security holes they have. Clients used instead are Eudora, Calypso, and most recently Mozilla Thunderbird. We are also using SpamBayes for enduser-level antispam filtration.

OddOne--is your company using Exchange?

Shari

 

[Myranya]

Shalym, sorry, I know nothing about Exchange. I've only worked with my own computer and helped loads of others (even done Helpdesk, but that's about 7 years ago so loads has changed), but always just folks at home, never done IT for a company.

Mr_Larry, I have to disagree. Many virusses nowadays use headers so you can't see what they are -some, like Bugbear, even use an old genuine message from the infected person's computer. Also, I was fine for a long time with my daily updated virus scanner, however my email addy is now on so many peoples' computer that I've two or three times received a brand-new virus that was only caught by my scanner after the midnight update that same evening... Luckily it was only an icon and I wasn't fooled into manually clicking on it, I do agree I have never been tempted to click the attachments, no matter what the message said!

 

[night driver]

Myranya, i'd LOVE to ditch Outlook, but I haven't found a suite that handles contacts etc the same way that Outlook does which also interfaces seamlessly with my PalmOS PDA....

Um Lotus Notes is just a BIT to expensive for me to pop it up on my machine....

 

[OddOne]

OddOne--is your company using Exchange?

Negative - our servers are running Linux (well, OpenBSD with all and I do mean ALL nonessential processes and services disabled) and thus there's no MS server software at work. Since the company's product line centers around security software, we're more manic about security than is the norm.

oO

 

[WFK]

Oh, and whatever email client you use, it shouldn't be a reason not to have an up to date virus scanner, firewall and adware/spyware hunter

.

In the order of defenses, that is FIRST!
I have in- and outgoing e-mail scanned for viruses. (Outgoing scan is a defense about a seriously hacked PC- won't happen here. If they didn't get in they can't go out.)
Thats where the defense begins. My Outlook Express, which I still use, doesn't even see the virusses; they are blocked before they get into the door.

 

[Myranya]

.
Thats where the defense begins. My Outlook Express, which I still use, doesn't even see the virusses; they are blocked before they get into the door.

Again; I've had instances where I got a virusmail before the daily update came in. While I'm pretty happy about AVG -I haven't ever had one that was not included in the very next update- virusses are *always* a little bit ahead of the protection. Even if it's only hours. Sure, it's a small window of vulnerability, and the actual risk also depends strongly on how widely your email address is spread -my mom, who learned to use Outlook at a computer course for older women and resists learning another client is probably pretty safe with a once-daily update & only a couple friends she mails with, who only mail with a couple friends too.. little chance she will actually get a new virus within that short time. However if you're a big company or otherwise have your email address all over the 'net, it's something to think of. (Mine -or at least the alias these came in on- is on a big Dutch Harry Potter site, with loads of teenagers. Looking at the number of virus mails I get on that address compared to what comes in on my main addy, it's obvious they're less concerned about virus security than most adults )

Btw, on a related note -does anyone know how to set AVG to check for updates more often than once in 24 hrs? I'm online most of the time anyways. Even with my Eudora, I'm usually surfing the 'net too, and I wouldn't mind to have it check more frequently.

 

[Prairie Lady]

Does AVG update it's own databases more than once a week? I've not known it to update more than that, at least for the free version. There's no point in seeking an update more often than that if they are only made available once a week.

I've not used AVG for about a year, but at that time, yes, you could ask it to update more often.

pl

 

[Prairie Lady]

I use OE. I have the security set for restricted zone, and absolutely everything in my restricted zone is set for zero. I have preview plane shut off. I will not open attachements no matter who sends them UNLESS it's an important document and there is prior arrangements made so that I expect them. And then, they are scanned before I receive/open them. I don't open mail coming from anyone I don't recognize. Most people who email me use certain phrases so if something comes in with an odd phrase, I'll dump the email and use a different program to access the email at the server, then look at the headders first.

On one hand, one can wipe the pc using various tools to clean/evict a virus should you inadvertantly get one. But on the other hand, who wants to trust ANY file on the pc once a virus gets in? Good backups are important yes, but what a PITA to have to reload a pc unless you happen to have an emergency harddrive on the side fully loaded and ready to go? You can clone a spare drive and begin fresh, but good - by personal files!

Sheesh!

pl

 

[troglodyte]

Yes, AVG can update as often you want. In the Control Center, click the Update Manager tab; it should be clear.

I despise OE and think it is one horrid buggy email program, which I would not recommend to anyone above any other email program out there. I'd use Unix text-based mail programs before ever considering OE.

Outlook, however, is completely different and works quite well. But most people have to pay for it (a free license for Outlook comes with the CD included with any Windows CE/Pocket Windows device). Despite this, I recently switched to Thunderbird and am glad I did; it works incredibly well, even CORRECTLY imported all of Outlook's email, something other email programs have trouble with.

The drawbacks to my switching to Thunderbird? I lose the contacts, to do list, and notes features that Outlook had. To compensate, I started using the Palm Desktop software that comes with any Palm OS device; that has these 3 missing features, although I still wish it was integrated with the email so that the contacts can be used to remember people's email addresses.

 

[Myranya]

Yes, AVG can update as often you want. In the Control Center, click the Update Manager tab; it should be clear.

The most frequent possibility still seems to be 1 day -I can't find any way to set it to check more often than that. And perhaps it won't bring out more than one update daily, however, as I said I'm online anyways, and I'd rather get that one update as soon as it's out instead of perhaps having to wait 23 hrs if I just missed it. Ah well, as long as they don't find out anything that gets activated automatically in Eudora it won't hurt