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Nasty New Virus Variants

Posted by timothy on from the must-have-windows-to-try dept.

Lucidus writes "Numerous journals, such as Mac Daily News and The Motley Fool, are reporting that the latest versions of the Beagle/Bagle virus can infect users' computers whether or not they open an attachment. Apparently, the simple act of selecting the message activates the code. Given that you have to select an E-mail to delete it, how are users supposed to protect themselves from this one?"

9 of 1,050 comments (clear)

  1. {sigh} by ScrewMaster · · Score: 1, Redundant

    Three words: Don't. Use. Outlook.

    I know this qualifies as rocket science to some people but there are numerous alternatives to Microsoft's email client. Complaining that Microsoft's product is insecure and dangerous and then continuing to use that product when there are readily available (and free!) alternatives is just foolish. Matter of fact, I'm tired of hearing about it. Their software is flawed, it will probably always be flawed, and as the computer in War Games said, "the only winning move is not to play." Go download Mozilla and be done with it.

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  2. Re:Protect yourself by LordK3nn3th · · Score: 0, Redundant

    I'm not nitpicking, but it's not virii, it's viruses. Look in the dictionary, or dictionary.com. It's viruses. Also, you can google for it as well, for more info.

    It's an understandable mistake.

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  3. Re:All you poor poor Outlook users by Neuropol · · Score: 0, Redundant

    indeed!

  4. the more elegant solution? by v1 · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Not meaning to troll, but to answer the poster's question...

    "buy a mac."

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  5. Easy by Stiletto · · Score: 0, Redundant

    how are users supposed to protect themselves from this one?

    Don't Run Outlook

    It's really really really really that simple.

  6. Oh no! by Endive4Ever · · Score: 0, Redundant

    I recently switched to Sylpheed on Linux, from Eudora on Windows. Am I still vulnerable?

    Why would anybody consider 'Outlook' to be anything but an icon that needs to occasionally be deleted from the icon tray on the toolbar? (Microsoft frickin' reinstalls it periodically with service packs, etc.)

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  7. How is it news that a new virus copies what some by Assmasher · · Score: 0, Redundant

    virii did last year, and then M$ patched the hole, and now it's alarming and new?

    Sort of pathetic that this made Slashdot's front page.

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  8. Re:Wow, people love to blame Outlook. by TwistedGreen · · Score: 0, Redundant

    How can people be responsible for themselves when they use a closed-source program?

  9. Use a plaintext mail client by bigberk · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Even if you're on Windows, you can still use something like JBMail to view emails in plaintext (it strips HTML). If the mail client has no mechanism to execute scripts etc. then obviously you can't get infected in this fashion.