Whats the best way to protect myself against viruses and worms?
Don’t open attached files from email messages. It’s only safe to do so if you know the sender, are certain that he meant to send you the file, and are also certain that he himself (and anyone else who uses his computer) is also extremely careful. This is a tough set of conditions to meet. If you aren’t really sure that the sender is very careful about safe computing, at least run the file through an up-to-date virus scanner before you open it. Some virus scanners can work with some email programs to do this automatically. Some email programs can be configured to open attachments automatically. Don’t let yours do that. Check the documentation or the author’s web site for information on how to use your email program safely. You might even need to install some patches or upgrade your email software in order to be safe. Some attachments are pretty benign. It’s probably safe to open a JPEG or GIF picture, for instance.
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