Protecting Against Email Viruses

Computer viruses are files that can attack your system and damage your programs and documents. Most viruses are spread when someone sends you an email message with an unexpected file attachmentand then you open the file. It's just too easy to receive an email message with a file attached, click the file to open it, and then launch the virus file. Boom! Your computer is infected.

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Learn more about computer viruses in Chapter 29, "Protecting Your PC from Viruses, Spam, and Other Nuisances."

Viruses can be found in many types of files. The most common file types for viruses are .EXE, .VBS, .PIF, and.COM. Viruses can also be embedded in Word (.DOC)or Excel (.XLS) files. You can't catch a virus from a picture file, so viewing a .JPG, .GIF, .TIF, and .BMP file is completely safe.

The best way to avoid catching a virus via email is to not open any files attached to incoming email messages. Period.

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Remember, you activate a virus only when you open a file attached to an email message. You can't activate the virus just by viewing the message itself.

That includes messages where you know the sender, because some viruses are capable of taking over an email program and "spoofing" other users' addresses. An email message might look like it's coming from a friend, but it's really coming from another machine and includes a virus. (Pretty tricky, eh?)

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The Outlook Express Address Book is identical to the one included with Microsoft Works, as you learned in Chapter 12, "Working with Microsoft Works."

By default, Outlook Express is configured to automatically reject files that might contain viruses. You can verify this setting (or turn it off, if you want to receive a file), by opening the Options dialog box, selecting the Security tab, and checking both options in the Virus Protection section.