Computer Hope
Software => Computer software => Topic started by: Wombat on September 28, 2005, 08:32:17 PM
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This is my first time so be patient :)
How secure is Outlook Contacts?
I have heard if you receive an email in Outlook with an attachment and even though you may have very good anti virus software, the virus could infect the whole of your contacts list.
Has this ever happened to anyone?
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This has happened to many. Many viruses are designed to replicate themselves by e-mailing themselves to all the addresses in your contact list. These viruses come in the form of attachments, often from someone you know who has been infected.
The good news is that these viruses can't cause any harm unless they are opened. A good virus program will scan the attachment before it gets deposited in your Inbox, and will also allow you to scan it manually before you open it if you want to be doubly sure.
AVG Free is a reliable antivirus program and is available for download here (http:////free.grisoft.com/doc/Get+AVG+FREE/lng/us/tpl/v5) at no charge. Keep this regularly updated and you should be well protected.
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Thanks Hopester Doofus - still not convinced its the way to go using Outlook Contacts but I will heed your advice.
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Your trepidation is actually healthy, wombat. If you read through some of the other threads on this site, the first question we often ask the user is whether they've scanned for viruses and spyware. It's an all too common problem, and it happens mostly to those who don't know enough to protect themselves.
There are three things you must have on your system if you plan on being a member of the online community (and emails count in this regard).
1. Antivirus software. You have my recommendation on that.
2. A firewall. Sygate (http://smb.sygate.com/products/spf_standard.htm) seems to be the popular choice for this. A firewall detects unauthorized attempts by others to access your system.
3. An anti-spyware program. Microsoft AntiSpyware (http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx) is what you want in this category, and will reduce the ability of spammers and online marketers to watch what you're doing while on-line, and target you for spam and unwanted advertisements.
With all of these programs, updates are made available on a regular basis, often weekly, which equip you to ward off the latest strains. Updating is easy even for inexperienced users, and can be performed manually or set to happen automatically at regular intervals.
Follow these rules and you should have little to fear.