> > The latest Outlook security patches make it practically impossible > > for a "e-mail worm virus" to invade your system. > >Want to bet? >Isn't that what they claimed the last 5 times?
Woop, there it is! Microsoft has to hold the world record for overhyped product claims. The bottom line is, Outlook is in the hands of tens of millions of unsophisticated users b/c it comes whether you like it or not in the Microsoft Antitrust Bundle preloaded into consumer PCs, and as such it is the #1 target of virus authors, who like easy targets whose ignorance will facilitate the spread of their payload. MS can try all they want to improve its security, but their product will probably always be the #1 target BECAUSE it's MS, and the malicious hackers can always stay a couple of steps ahead of the behemoth. For the tech inclined Linux does appear to be a great solution for the opposite reasons - small market share and what there is is mostly techie users, so why target them when there are all those MS users for easy pickin's. (And all the other good reasons for trying Linux if you know what you're doing, not to start that debate). But for the less tech-adventurous average Winblows user, Eudora in 'sponsored' (free, tiny inconspicuous ads in a corner window) mode coupled with good antivirus software is a good, simple solution. I believe it'll import your Outlook address book entries and in/out box contents, too, though I'd consider rebuilding the address book from scratch b/c I'm not sure that importing it wouldn't bring along the structural vulnerabilities of the Outlook addy book that the viruses are looking for. Most important of all, on any platform and with any email client, is really good virus software and constantly updated virus definition files. The whole Norton 2002 Antivuris & Utilities software suite can be found at $30-35 these days, and while others may be *as good,* I still haven't read that anything is markedly *better.* I don't understand why people mess around with shareware/cheapo/outdated antivirusware when the best is that cheap. Not to rank on 'avg,' i don't know anything about that program, but *any* antivirus program (as compared to 'none') would "make outlook more secure." The secret is to catch and kill the virus on arrival before it can infect anything, which Norton seems to do very effectively for me, at least one catch a week, and I have yet to actually get infected and forward a bug to anyone. My $.02, YMMV, w wilbur _______________________________________________ etree mailing list <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://mail.etree.org/mailman/listinfo/etree
