Is there a difference?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bill & Debbie
  • Start date Start date
B

Bill & Debbie

I use Outlook Express and I wonder if there is a difference between opening
an email in my reader and clicking FILE, Clicking PROPERTIES and looking at
the contents of the message in that fashion. In other words, if the email
contained a virus, would it be safer to look at (open?) the message by using
PROPERTIES?

Thanks in advance for your help,
Bill
 
Bill & Debbie said:
I use Outlook Express and I wonder if there is a difference between opening
an email in my reader and clicking FILE, Clicking PROPERTIES and looking at
the contents of the message in that fashion. In other words, if the email
contained a virus, would it be safer to look at (open?) the message by using
PROPERTIES?
Click to expand...

File ~ Properties ~ Message Source ~ Details (or simply hitting
CTRL+F3 when the message is highlighted) is much safer. It is
a "text only" method as far as I can tell.
 
Bill & Debbie wrote:
| I use Outlook Express and I wonder if there is a difference between
| opening an email in my reader and clicking FILE, Clicking PROPERTIES
| and looking at the contents of the message in that fashion. In other
| words, if the email contained a virus, would it be safer to look at
| (open?) the message by using PROPERTIES?
|
| Thanks in advance for your help,
| Bill

Hi,
The best way is:
tools/options/read and check the *Read All Messages In Plain Text*

Safest way is never use HTML email.
 
StarScripter said:
Bill & Debbie wrote:
| I use Outlook Express and I wonder if there is a difference between
| opening an email in my reader and clicking FILE, Clicking PROPERTIES
| and looking at the contents of the message in that fashion. In other
| words, if the email contained a virus, would it be safer to look at
| (open?) the message by using PROPERTIES?
|
| Thanks in advance for your help,
| Bill

Hi,
The best way is:
tools/options/read and check the *Read All Messages In Plain Text*
Click to expand...

Would this also stop the digital signature exploit(s), or is Microsoft's
idea of "plain text" not the same as everyone elses?
 
StarScripter said:
Bill & Debbie wrote:
| I use Outlook Express and I wonder if there is a difference between
| opening an email in my reader and clicking FILE, Clicking PROPERTIES
| and looking at the contents of the message in that fashion. In other
| words, if the email contained a virus, would it be safer to look at
| (open?) the message by using PROPERTIES?
|
| Thanks in advance for your help,
| Bill

Hi,
The best way is:
tools/options/read and check the *Read All Messages In Plain Text*

Safest way is never use HTML email.
Click to expand...
Will opening an email in "plain text" prevent a virus from invading your
system?

Thanks for you help,
Bill
 
Bill & Debbie wrote:
<snip>
| Will opening an email in "plain text" prevent a virus from invading
| your system?
|
| Thanks for you help,
| Bill

Hi,
Yes. Plain text can't do anything.
Now if there's an attachment and you open it then that another story.
HTML email can have codes imbedded in the body that can cause havoc but
HTML codes don't execute/run in plain text.
 
FromTheRafters wrote:
| || Bill & Debbie wrote:
||| I use Outlook Express and I wonder if there is a difference between
||| opening an email in my reader and clicking FILE, Clicking PROPERTIES
||| and looking at the contents of the message in that fashion. In
||| other words, if the email contained a virus, would it be safer to
||| look at (open?) the message by using PROPERTIES?
|||
||| Thanks in advance for your help,
||| Bill
||
|| Hi,
|| The best way is:
|| tools/options/read and check the *Read All Messages In Plain Text*
|
| Would this also stop the digital signature exploit(s), or is
| Microsoft's
| idea of "plain text" not the same as everyone elses?

Hi,
I don't know, I don't use digital signature.
What is the digital signature exploit(s)?
 
StarScripter said:
FromTheRafters wrote:
| || Bill & Debbie wrote:
||| I use Outlook Express and I wonder if there is a difference between
||| opening an email in my reader and clicking FILE, Clicking PROPERTIES
||| and looking at the contents of the message in that fashion. In
||| other words, if the email contained a virus, would it be safer to
||| look at (open?) the message by using PROPERTIES?
|||
||| Thanks in advance for your help,
||| Bill
||
|| Hi,
|| The best way is:
|| tools/options/read and check the *Read All Messages In Plain Text*
|
| Would this also stop the digital signature exploit(s), or is
| Microsoft's
| idea of "plain text" not the same as everyone elses?

Hi,
I don't know, I don't use digital signature.
Click to expand...

That doesn't mean that malware doesn't (or won't). Microsoft's
idea of "Plain Text" may just mean 'don't render HTML'. I was
just wondering if "Digital Signatures" would still be processed if
"Plain Text" was selected as you suggested.

Having read some of your other posts, I thought that you might
know this. You seem pretty knowledgeable.
What is the digital signature exploit(s)?
Click to expand...

http://www.ciac.org/ciac/bulletins/n-007.shtml

I read some things about this, but never was quite sure about
how it relates to the "Plain Text" setting in OE 6.00.2800.
 
FromTheRafters said:
That doesn't mean that malware doesn't (or won't). Microsoft's
idea of "Plain Text" may just mean 'don't render HTML'. I was
just wondering if "Digital Signatures" would still be processed if
"Plain Text" was selected as you suggested.

Having read some of your other posts, I thought that you might
know this. You seem pretty knowledgeable.




http://www.ciac.org/ciac/bulletins/n-007.shtml

I read some things about this, but never was quite sure about
how it relates to the "Plain Text" setting in OE 6.00.2800.
Click to expand...
Thanks for info.It states that just opening the message will
cause the infection.Plain-text will not stop it.It further
states "apply patch".To be safer use another e-mail program.
-max

--
Programs that I use and recommend:

Spybot Search and Destroy 1.3
http://www.safer-networking.org/

Spyware Blaster
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

Spyware Guard
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareguard.html

Ad-Aware
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/

Sygate Personal Firewall
http://soho.sygate.com/products/spf_standard.htm

Avast! For Home
http://www.avast.com/i_idt_1016.html

Eraser 5.3
http://www.tolvanen.com/eraser/

CwShredder
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4086.html

HijackThis
http://www.spychecker.com/program/hijackthis.html

This message is virus free as far I can tell
Change nomail.afraid.org to neo.rr.com so you can reply
(nomail.afraid.org has been set up specifically for
Use in Usenet. Feel free to use it yourself.)
 
madmax said:
Thanks for info.It states that just opening the message will
cause the infection.
Click to expand...

Yes, and doesn't mention anything about the effect of the "plain text"
setting that many people assume is equivalent to a plain text e-mail
client.
Plain-text will not stop it.
Click to expand...

Nowhere is this specifically stated, but I suspect that Microsoft's
idea of plain text is to not render the HTML - yet still parse the
MIME (which is where this particular fault apparently lies). I think
that the OE version that offers "plain text" as an option is not one that
is vulnerable to this exploit anyway, so it might not matter nuch, but
I was just curious about what Microsoft's idea of plain text was.

....we already know what their idea of security is.
It further states "apply patch".
Click to expand...

Yes, and most of their other vulnerability information does state mitigating
factors conspicuously absent from this one.
To be safer use another e-mail program.
Click to expand...

Indeed, but I'll just stick with what I have for now.
 
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