> 1. The most important thing you can do is
> TURN OFF THE PREVIEW PANE in Outlook (or
> Outlook Express). The Badtrans virus isn't
> carried in an attachment - it's actually
> embedded in the message, and automatically
> executes when you open the message. The
> preview pane opens the message.
Slight correction, the virus IS in the attachemnt, BUT there is code in the message that autmatically executes the attachemnt (so it ammounts the the same thing.)
The trick about BadtransII is that it extracts valid e-mail adresses and subject lines (not necessarily matched) from your Inbox and uses them to generate its mail messages, then sends them with its own mail client. So, to echo some other posts here:
5) Turn off the OE preview pane
4) Set OE security to "Restricted Sites"
(or skip the last two and get rid of OE)
3) Have anti-virus software
2) Update it's definition EVERY DAY
1) If you don't know for sure what an attachment is, don't open it (or allow it to be opened).
These are the basic rules I mandate to my users, but that does not protect them from themselves. Three infected themselves by neglecting these rules and three more tried only to be saved by #2 and #3. The best security against virusses is your own better judgement.
The East Broad Top Railroad Homepage
ebtrr@spikesys.com