EUBANKS-L Archives

Archiver > EUBANKS > 1999-02 > 0918503713


From: "J. William Cupp" <>
Subject: [EUBANKS-L] Re: EUBANKS-D Digest V99 #10
Date: Mon, 08 Feb 1999 14:55:13 -0500


wrote:
> Subject: [EUBANKS-L] Virus Alerts!!!
> Date: Sun, 7 Feb 1999 15:31:34 -0800
> From: "Marlene Pointer" <>
> To:
[SNIP]
>
> Here's some info you can pass on to your friends.
>
> 1. a virus can not be passed on to your computer via e-mail it takes a
> program only, that you download.( that's why you should always check all
> downloads before dumping it on your hard drive

Well, sort of ....

Generally, what's said is true: you cannot get a virus passed to you in
a text file. It must be a program file to transport a virus. However,
mis-understanding what is said in this could lead to some unwise
choices.

E-mail *can* deliver program files through various encoding schemes.
So, if you receive an e-mail and it has an attachment -- you might want
to think about it before you 'save' or 'open' the attachment. You not
only have to ask yourself, "do I know and trust the sender of this
e-mail," you must also consider "what are the chances this person, who
is a dear friend of mine, has also been duped?" Remember, a virus may
not be immediately apparent ... they can be made to hide for awhile
before springing on the unsuspecting.

Also, it "used to be" that use of the Internet involved only transfer of
text file -- hence, virus free. However, in today's World Wide Web,
more and more web sites make use of fancy video and audio files which
entail delivering a program to your computer which will run after it
downloads. In general, you cannot know ahead of time whether any of
these program files will contain a virus. Most browser software
provides a way to reject all transmistted programs ("text only" or some
other such setting) but -- naturally -- use of these settings reduces
the quality of the multimedia web sites you may visit.

Concerning viruses, it's best to be as well-informed as you reasonably
can, then make choices depending on what it is you wish to accomplish.
And, of course ... back up all your files.

- Bill Cupp

--
J. William Cupp Asst Professor, Computer Information Systems
(765)677-2292 Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion, Indiana
dock at my homeport:
http://www.indwes.edu/Faculty/bcupp | | /
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