E-Mail Security Question

[mattp]

Over the past week or so, I've been getting e-mail from screen names I don't know but whose name is similar to or might even be someone I know but who has never contacted me by e-mail before. These messages have an RE: line that indicates I might want to look at the mail, but no content appears in the "preview" window of my browser. They have attachments.

 

I have noticed that sometimes when people forward messages to me they come as attachments rather than as a message I can view in the normal read message window.

 

I have always routinely just deleted any suspect e-mail. I figure if somebody really wants to get in touch with me they can call. However, more and more I find some of my clients and friends seem to think E-Mail is the only way to communicate and they are angry (or worse) if I do not answer their messages -- even where they sent something under some screen name they could have no reason to think I'd recognize and their message came as an attachment. Is there a safe way to open suspicious attachments?

[JayB]

This isn't a software fix, but if it were me I'd send a mass e-mail to all of your clients asking them to include their names and a short description of the attachment in the business e-mails that they send to you, along with a brief description of why it is that you are asking them to do so.

 

I think that there are a few commercial programs that scan attachments for malicious code as well, but I'll leave that part to the IT wizzes that frequent this site.

[counterfeitfake]

What email client do you use?

[mattp]

I use Firefox to browse the web, but out of laziness I still use outlook express to read e-mail - though I bet there is a better option.

[counterfeitfake]

I think OE is more likely to be a pathway for some virus to get you, although MS has really cleaned things up in the last few years.

 

Get it set up so you can see the full name of the attachments, including the extension. Then just don't open anything that isn't text or HTML (or .msg maybe?) and you're safe.

 

The real problems occur when you open a .exe or .com or .bat or .scr, or when you get tricked into thinking that one of those is something benign through some filename exploit trickery.

[ClimbingPanther]

Is there a safe way to open suspicious attachments?

 

Of course, silly. It's called "on someone else's computer."

[olyclimber]

The safest way to open attachments is by ensuring that good, up to date AV is in place to scan all email (and attachements before you read them). Even this is no guarantee in the event of a zero-day that the AV vendors haven't caught yet (thankfully they move pretty fast). Also having your system patched with the most current patches helps too.

 

Most webmail clients these days no have virus scanning built in (such as Yahoo! mail, etc).

[olyclimber]

Many attachments these days are spammers working around spam filters by delivering their text via an image rather than text that can be parsed and dealt with by the spam filter.

[olyclimber]

Also, another thing you can do is use an OS that is not impacted by %90 of the crap floating around out there

[high_on_rock]

tough issue Matt, I often email the person who "sent" it and ask what it is. time consuming, but safer. I would personally have an irritated client than a screwed up computer; the computer is often harder to repair.

eric

[sk]

The safest way to open attachments is by ensuring that good, up to date AV is in place to scan all email (and attachements before you read them). Even this is no guarantee in the event of a zero-day that the AV vendors haven't caught yet (thankfully they move pretty fast). Also having your system patched with the most current patches helps too.

 

Most webmail clients these days no have virus scanning built in (such as Yahoo! mail, etc).

 

This is very sound advice. there is no way to be 100% sure you will always be safe, but you can keep yourself as protected as possible. The only other thing i would suggest is to make sure you are backing up your entire system on a regular basis. at least then if you blue screen because of some baby hacker you have a recent image to go back to. depending on the number of machines you need to cover there are several options. If you want to send me a PM i can give some recommendations.

[cj001f]

tough issue Matt, I often email the person who "sent" it and ask what it is. time consuming, but safer. I would personally have an irritated client than a screwed up computer; the computer is often harder to repair.

eric

 

not much is more irritating than virus laden spam

[olyclimber]

YOU ARE CARL!

[cj001f]

YOU ARE CARL!

 

where is the love?

[olyclimber]

yeah, that was low. but it needed to happen.

[cj001f]

yeah, that was low. but it needed to happen.

 

had to get your daily cockknocking in?

[olyclimber]

its for your own good. you'll thank me later.

[snoboy]

This is very sound advice. there is no way to be 100% sure you will always be safe, but you can keep yourself as protected as possible. The only other thing i would suggest is to make sure you are backing up your entire system on a regular basis. at least then if you blue screen because of some baby hacker you have a recent image to go back to. depending on the number of machines you need to cover there are several options. If you want to send me a PM i can give some recommendations.

 

MSPPPS (MUFFY SPELLS PERFECTLY POST PRESERVATION SERVICE!)

[sk]

This is very sound advice. there is no way to be 100% sure you will always be safe, but you can keep yourself as protected as possible. The only other thing i would suggest is to make sure you are backing up your entire system on a regular basis. at least then if you blue screen because of some baby hacker you have a recent image to go back to. depending on the number of machines you need to cover there are several options. If you want to send me a PM i can give some recommendations.

 

MSPPPS (MUFFY SPELLS PERFECTLY POST PRESERVATION SERVICE!)

 

i can't help it when i talk about business