Don't Open Unsolicited Attachments
A major method by which viruses, Trojans, worms, and backdoor
programs are propagated on the Internet is via e-mail attachments.
Although you may know not to download and open attachments with file
extensions such as .exe, .com, or .bat, you may not know that files
with extensions such as .doc and .xls (i.e., Microsoft Word and Excel
files) may also harbor “malware.”
For example, on May 23, 2006, security experts reported a series
of incidents involving Asian and U.S. government agencies that
received official-looking e-mail with attached Word files. Selecting
those documents triggered a download of software that gave hackers
control of systems, including altering or destroying information.
If you get an email attachment, unless you feel very confident
about what it is, where it came from, and why it was sent to you
– DON’T OPEN IT! At the very least, download
the file to your hard drive WITHOUT OPENING IT. Then scan the file
with your anti-virus software. After your anti-virus software
indicates that the attachment is “clean,” you may open
it.
Office of Information Technology
Ohio University
Athens, OH 45701
Service Desk: (740) 593-1222 or servicedesk@ohio.edu
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