A Good Email client while the global malware problem is being fixed


  1. Posts : 11,247
    Windows / Linux : Arch Linux
       #1

    A Good Email client while the global malware problem is being fixed


    Hi Folks

    I'd suggest for the next few days at least to use a different EMAIL client than outlook until the whole sorry mess of the current worldwide malware thing has been fixed.

    1) APPLY all the security patches (should always be a given anyway).

    2) Set your email to IMAP rather than POP3 so it doesn't get stored on Local folders -- in any case IMAP is a good idea as you can access email from other devices such as phones, tablets, other computers etc and you can connect to Ms Exchange servers too.

    3) Thunderbird is robust and fairly "Outlook like" so people shouldn't have too much trouble using it. If you have set to IMAP then once this scare is over and you go back to Outlook the email will still be in the same folders.

    4) If you can run it on a Linux system (Host or VM) then you are extra protected from this malware even if you open a dubious email link as the executable can't run on a Linux machine (currently -- who knows what these scumbags will get up to in the future).

    5) Again treat any email you don't know about or are even slightly suspicious of with the same care as a Hand grenade with the pin removed !!!

    (BTW Thunderbird can handle multiple accounts on different servers and has calendar stuff too so it shouldn't be a real problem to use it for a while -- and of course it's FREE).

    Cheers -- and SAFE emailing.

    Jimbo
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 3,105
    W10 Pro + W10 Preview
       #2

    Whatever e-mail provider you use ditch any from unknown sources, and NEVER click on links without establishing it is bona fide, even if purportedly from a known person Company or Enterprise.
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 11,247
    Windows / Linux : Arch Linux
    Thread Starter
       #3

    dencal said:
    Whatever e-mail provider you use ditch any from unknown sources, and NEVER click on links without establishing it is bona fide, even if purportedly from a known person Company or Enterprise.
    Hi there

    Absolutely -- but if the worst does happen then you can minimize the effects and disruption to possibly other machines on a network or Home LAN even -- typically even an average house with say 2 / 3 kids has a few computers around.

    Cheers
    jimbo
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 15,441
    Windows10
       #4

    jimbo45 said:
    Hi there

    Absolutely -- but if the worst does happen then you can minimize the effects and disruption to possibly other machines on a network or Home LAN even -- typically even an average house with say 2 / 3 kids has a few computers around.

    Cheers
    jimbo
    And do not forget to make regular image backups.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 11,247
    Windows / Linux : Arch Linux
    Thread Starter
       #5

    cereberus said:
    And do not forget to make regular image backups.
    Hi there

    AND DATA too -- especially if your data is on different drives -- ransomware wants to attack ALL the HDD's not just the OS.

    Cheers
    jimbo
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 7,254
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
       #6

    I would suggest that ISP email accounts *might* be at risk because they are often secondary services that aren't important in the ISP's products.

    Having said that, I use gmail, so I would hope that Google have this under control.
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 11,247
    Windows / Linux : Arch Linux
    Thread Starter
       #7

    swarfega said:
    I would suggest that ISP email accounts *might* be at risk because they are often secondary services that aren't important in the ISP's products.

    Having said that, I use gmail, so I would hope that Google have this under control.
    Hi there

    @swarfega

    For connecting to work accounts you can't usually use things like gmail - (at least in some of my client gigs) although if you use it I would imagine Google should have sufficient resources to either deal with the problem or prevent it happening in the first place.

    Problem would definitely be worse though if you removed email from the server to local folders to use offline -- then you'd get potential problems - however a virus could still be transmitted to your PC if you clicked on an attachment if Google's AV scanning wasn't 100% OK.

    That's why currently I'm using Thunderbird on Linux -- there's no way a windows executable will run on this OS -- not to say that Linux won't be attacked in the future -- I believe APPLE Mac OS (a Linux / Unix derivative) has had some attacks in the past -- more difficult to do but not 100% impossible.

    Watch also Mobile phones -- there's huge money for these nasty people if they can really get this stuff distributed by Android phones -- most people don't think twice of syncing all their devices -- getting malware on to a computer network via mobile phones is the next target I'm sure -computer networks can be protected in some way or another - but millions of individual mobile phones especially with people as young as 4 using them -- you've NO CHANCE !!!!

    Cheers
    jimbo
      My Computer


 

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