Codezwiz >> Forums >> The Board >> Virus query

out of interest, is it possible to release a virus/trojan onto ur system just by opening an email? If you can... i might have to do a quick scan

Yes it is. If you view your email in HTML format, the sender can include Active X controls that will automatically download their trojans to your computer. You wouldn't necessarily even know that it had been downloaded.

That's why I use Chilton Preview in my Outlook and keep the preview pane turned off. Aside from helping me protect my computer from viruses, Chilton Preview allows you to view the contents of the email without actually opening the email. Many spammers write code into their pages that send information back to the spammer once the message is opened (or viewed in the Preview Pane). That's how they know they got a live address and they can continue spamming you.

Kelly

This is on a hotmail account...

Ive checked the process on the task manager, nothing suspicious. Surely Norton Anti Virus would start buzzing and bleeping if that happened though?

Not necessarily. I've found trojans on my computer that neither Norton or AVG would pick up. I never trust any one software in particular. In addition to anti-virus, I'd recommend a firewall, scanning programs like AdAware and Spybot, and high security levels on your computer. Of course, none of these programs are any good if you don't keep the definitions updated. With the rate of viruses and trojans coming out these days, you need to check for updates at least once a week. I'd also recommend setting up these programs to scan your computer once a week. Better safe than sorry!

I don't know about Hotmail. I have several Hotmail addresses that I check through Outlook, so I'm covered. I don't use the Hotmail website. I would imagine they have some sort of scanning software once the email hits their servers though.

Kelly

Thanks for the answers kelly.