What are Email Virus / Worms?
Unlike an attached file that the user must execute, email viruses are actually embedded within the email itself. Attachments may also be involved and these attachments will automatically execute when the user reads, or, in certain cases, previews the email. Thus, email viruses differ from email-borne viruses, the latter which require users actually open the attachment in order to become infected. Historically, email viruses have targeted Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express users, though theoretically other mail clients could pose a risk. In any event, if an attachment is involved, the user can still choose to open it and become infected, as was the case with BadTrans.B , Nimda, Sircam, and most recently, the destructive Klez Internet Worm . For this reason, it is equally important to understand both how to prevent attachments from being automatically executed by the mail client and how to recognize potentially harmful attachment types. How do I prevent email viruses? Rule 1: Identifi
