Outlook 2003 - Attachment Blocking

[Martin Ibbotson]

This is not a problem more of an observation and a hope of a change...

I had purchased a price of software from a well-known company which was
sent to me by e-mail. The software was sent as an ".exe" file and was
wholly valid and virus-free. As you have probably guessed, Outlook
blocked the attachment.

Now, I have been able to get the software by other means so I don't have
a problem in this instance, but I was concerned at the unilateral way
that Microsoft handles decisions on behalf of the users of their
software ("nothing new", I hear some of you cry). I would have expected
Outlook to have stored the blocked attachments in a quarantine folder
(or the like) and allow the user to take the final decision as to
whether to delete it or open it at their own risk. However, as far as I
can see, this doesn't happen.

The only other option would be for me to prevent Outlook from blocking
".exe" files, which would lead to my PC being opened to potential
attack - the very act that they are trying to avoid.

I don't think that MS should take decisions on behalf of users in this
way and I would hope that they would review this blocking policy to one
of placing attachments into a secure (password protected, if necessary)
folder for the user to choose to delete on mass, delete files
individually or to save to another location (with all the risks that
suggests).

I think we've grown up with MS taking inappropriate decisions on our
behalf....

Martin

 

[Chuck Davis]

-----Original Message-----
This is not a problem more of an observation and a hope of a change...

I had purchased a price of software from a well-known company which was
sent to me by e-mail. The software was sent as an ".exe" file and was
wholly valid and virus-free. As you have probably guessed, Outlook
blocked the attachment.

Now, I have been able to get the software by other means so I don't have
a problem in this instance, but I was concerned at the unilateral way
that Microsoft handles decisions on behalf of the users of their
software ("nothing new", I hear some of you cry). I would have expected
Outlook to have stored the blocked attachments in a quarantine folder
(or the like) and allow the user to take the final decision as to
whether to delete it or open it at their own risk. However, as far as I
can see, this doesn't happen.

The only other option would be for me to prevent Outlook from blocking
".exe" files, which would lead to my PC being opened to potential
attack - the very act that they are trying to avoid.

I don't think that MS should take decisions on behalf of users in this
way and I would hope that they would review this blocking policy to one
of placing attachments into a secure (password protected, if necessary)
folder for the user to choose to delete on mass, delete files
individually or to save to another location (with all the risks that
suggests).

I think we've grown up with MS taking inappropriate decisions on our
behalf....

Martin



.

Martin,
Microsoft may have provided you with the option. Tools>
Options> Click on the Security tab. Under Download
Pictures, click on Change Automatic download settings.
Change the options to suit your needs.

 

[nwyllie]

We have the same problem here at work but as far as I know it's done at
the mail server. I don't think I have a problem at home where there is
no mail server. Could this be the issue for you? That there is a mail
server involved?

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

See http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/esecup/getexe.htm for ways to get the
attachments off.

For more information on the security features, see
http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/esecup.htm

If you use OE, hit forward on a message or disable it in tools | options |
security.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Coauthor, OneNote 2003 for Windows (Visual QuickStart Guide)
Author, Google and Other Search Engines (Visual QuickStart Guide)



Join OneNote Tips mailing list: http://www.onenote-tips.net/

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

Some corporate antivirus program do quarantine messages containing
attachments. home users would only have the option of turning blocking off
and on for specific file types.

Frankly, if the user is smart enough to disable it, I expect them to be
smart enough to know the difference between good ones and bad or smart
enough to turn blocking back on, until they need it again... and an
up-to-date antivirus scanner running on autoprotect will offer additional
protection on all but the most recent viruses.


--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Coauthor, OneNote 2003 for Windows (Visual QuickStart Guide)
Author, Google and Other Search Engines (Visual QuickStart Guide)



Join OneNote Tips mailing list: http://www.onenote-tips.net/

 

[Allen M]

I keep mine on for obvious reasons. If a user needs to send or receive an
..exe file they need to rename the extension to send or have the sender
rename at their end and rename back when received. Very simple and
efficient.

 

[Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]]

Wrong - that setting only works for Outlook Express, which this group does
not support. Learn the difference.

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. Due to
the (insert latest virus name here) virus, all mail sent to my personal
account will be deleted without reading.

After furious head scratching, Chuck Davis asked:

|| -----Original Message-----
|| This is not a problem more of an observation and a hope of
| a change...
||
|| I had purchased a price of software from a well-known company which
|| was sent to me by e-mail. The software was sent as an ".exe" file
|| and was wholly valid and virus-free. As you have probably guessed,
|| Outlook blocked the attachment.
||
|| Now, I have been able to get the software by other means
| so I don't have
|| a problem in this instance, but I was concerned at the unilateral way
|| that Microsoft handles decisions on behalf of the users of their
|| software ("nothing new", I hear some of you cry). I would have
|| expected Outlook to have stored the blocked attachments in a
|| quarantine folder (or the like) and allow the user to take the final
| decision as to
|| whether to delete it or open it at their own risk.
| However, as far as I
|| can see, this doesn't happen.
||
|| The only other option would be for me to prevent Outlook from
|| blocking ".exe" files, which would lead to my PC being opened to
|| potential attack - the very act that they are trying to avoid.
||
|| I don't think that MS should take decisions on behalf of users in
|| this way and I would hope that they would review this blocking
|| policy to one of placing attachments into a secure (password
|| protected,
| if necessary)
|| folder for the user to choose to delete on mass, delete files
|| individually or to save to another location (with all the risks that
|| suggests).
||
|| I think we've grown up with MS taking inappropriate decisions on our
|| behalf....
||
|| Martin
||
||
||
|| .
||
| Martin,
| Microsoft may have provided you with the option. Tools>
| Options> Click on the Security tab. Under Download
| Pictures, click on Change Automatic download settings.
| Change the options to suit your needs.

 

[Martin Ibbotson]

I didn't expect to generate this level of response, but all the reponses
seem to confirm that when it comes to blocking attachments by file type,
it's an "all or nothing" situation.

I still think that the quarrantine of dubious attachemnts to a password
protected folder for the user to take the final decision is a far better
option (all my security software use this sort of option).

I don't want to make light of virus issues and hacking (both of which
can be devastating when they happen), but we seem to have developed
paranoia about security such that sometimes the protective measures are
worse than the threat. By that I mean that the virus threat level that I
experience (which may well be different for others) is very low as to be
next to nothing, but it seems that every day I have issues or
difficulties with the overhead and/or security controls of "protective"
software. It leads me to the concusion that the evil creatures that
generate viruses have won, in a benign way....

Regards,
Martin

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

The only problem with a password protected folder for securing viruses and
allowing the user to pick and choose is that many won't and we're back where
we were four years ago. Frankly, I get 99.99% virus attachments and .01%
real - so blocking all is fine and I unblock when I need one, then reblock.
I suspect the vast majority of users are in the same boat - we'd spend too
much time cleaning out a password protected folder (after trying to remember
the password).

Corporations have different protections in place and can unblock per user
and should remove viruses from the mail stream as they arrive - so it
password protected folder is not necessary.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Coauthor, OneNote 2003 for Windows (Visual QuickStart Guide)
Author, Google and Other Search Engines (Visual QuickStart Guide)



Join OneNote Tips mailing list: http://www.onenote-tips.net/

 

[Martin Ibbotson]

Diane,

I'm a home user (desktop and a laptop on a home wireless network) not a
corporate user, but I'm interested in a comment you made - "so blocking
all is fine and I unblock when I need one, then reblock". This sounds
like what I want to do....

I am of the understanding that all files of a type (say, ".exe") will be
blocked and that once a file of that type has been received by Outlook,
it will have been blocked and you cannot unblock it.

I cannot necessarily be predictive about when I might receive such an
attachment within an e-mail in order to switch off the blocking of all
such files prior to receiving such an e-mail, so that I can receive the
e-mail and the attachment and once I have done so, to switch the
blocking back on again.

Your comment suggests that once you have received an e-mail with a
blocked attachment, that you can switch off the blocking to get at the
"blocked" attachment and then switch on the blocking again. If this is
correct, how do you do this?

Many thanks,

Martin

The only problem with a password protected folder for securing viruses
and allowing the user to pick and choose is that many won't and we're
back where we were four years ago. Frankly, I get 99.99% virus
attachments and .01% real - so blocking all is fine and I unblock when
I need one, then reblock. I suspect the vast majority of users are in
the same boat - we'd spend too much time cleaning out a password
protected folder (after trying to remember the password).

Corporations have different protections in place and can unblock per
user and should remove viruses from the mail stream as they arrive -
so it password protected folder is not necessary.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Coauthor, OneNote 2003 for Windows (Visual QuickStart Guide)
Author, Google and Other Search Engines (Visual QuickStart Guide)



Join OneNote Tips mailing list: http://www.onenote-tips.net/

I didn't expect to generate this level of response, but all the
reponses seem to confirm that when it comes to blocking attachments by
file type, it's an "all or nothing" situation.

I still think that the quarrantine of dubious attachemnts to a
password protected folder for the user to take the final decision is
a far better option (all my security software use this sort of
option).

I don't want to make light of virus issues and hacking (both of which
can be devastating when they happen), but we seem to have developed
paranoia about security such that sometimes the protective measures
are worse than the threat. By that I mean that the virus threat level
that I experience (which may well be different for others) is very
low as to be next to nothing, but it seems that every day I have
issues or difficulties with the overhead and/or security controls of
"protective" software. It leads me to the concusion that the evil
creatures that generate viruses have won, in a benign way....

Regards,
Martin

 

[Brian Tillman]

Your comment suggests that once you have received an e-mail with a
blocked attachment, that you can switch off the blocking to get at the
"blocked" attachment and then switch on the blocking again. If this is
correct, how do you do this?

The easiest way is to use something like
http://www.slovaktech.com/attachmentoptions.htm .