Turn off Outlook Express preview
Q:I USE Outlook Express for e-mail. Does that window at the bottom that shows the selected message make me more vulnerable to computer viruses?
A: Outlook Express has had its share of security problems over the years, and there have been malicious threats that take advantage of its preview pane, which displays the contents of a message without your having to open the file. Internet security experts have often recommended turning off the preview pane to prevent such instant virus and worm infections when you go through your e-mail.
You can turn off the preview pane by going to the Views menu in Outlook Express, selecting the Layout option and unchecking the box next to “Show preview pane.”
Outlook Express 6.0 has more security features than previous versions; you can find these settings by going to the Tools menu, to Options, and clicking on the Security tab. Here, among other settings, you can have Outlook Express block images and attachments that might contain viruses.
And no matter what version of Windows or Outlook Express you use, installing an antivirus program can help protect your…
