Solutions in this chapter:

• Identifying common targets, exploits, and weaknesses
• Enabling filtering
• Choosing mail settings and options
• Installing Pretty Good Privacy (PGP)

Introduction

Microsoft Outlook 2000 (and Outlook 98) made a reputation for itself when the Love Letter virus flooded the Internet. The primary enabling factor was a number of weaknesses in Outlook. These weaknesses materialized when Microsoft incorporated a simplified messaging interface in Outlook 98/2000, which enforced already existing vulnerabilities. Microsoft is not the only one to blame for the spreading of the e-mail viruses partial blame goes to the inadequate security awareness of users and system administrators, especially to those with the awareness but not the responsibility. (If you know that an attachment can launch an attack, why would you ever open one on an unsecured system?) However, I will not advise you to not open e-mails from unknown senders after all, what if you work in Customer Support and most of your e-mail originates from unknown senders? In any case, attacks can also appear to come from known senders. Macro viruses and malicious code can replicate themselves by accessing the victim s address book and sending copies of themselves to trusting friends and colleagues.

It s a disturbing fact that you do not need to be a whiz kid to come up with an e-mail virus like Love Letter or Melissa. If you have even limited experience with Visual Basic for Applications, you will be able to create an e-mail virus.

To get a better understanding of Outlook s weaknesses and...