E-mail messages are in the simple text format. Hence it is impossible to get a virus into your system by simply reading your e-mail. Viruses are usually transmitted as attachments to e-mail. Exercise caution while launching these attachments. If you get an email from an unsolicited source along with an attachment, it is better to delete it. In case you are suspicious about an attachment, check it's authenticity with the sender of the message.

A As of this writing it is very unlikely that a virus can be transmitted in this way. In our opinion normal anti-virus precautions are adequate. Popular software includes McAfee, Norton Anti-Virus, or Thunderbyte. Evaluation copies are available on the Web; please visit TUCOWS for anti-virus software. Another way that your computer can catch a virus is through an e-mail attachment. In this case, you would have to run the file in order for it to infect anything.

In the days before E-mail, most viruses were transmitted by floppy disks passed from computer to computer. Now, most viruses are transmitted by E-mail in attachments. You can protect yourself from viruses by opening E-mail attachments only if you can answer yes to all four of the following questions:

It is now possible to get a virus just by reading a plain-text e-mail message. This is a property of the KAK Worm virus. What you also have to watch out for are messages that include an executable file attachment. In order to activate a virus or a Trojan horse program, your computer has to execute some type of code. This could be a program attached to an e-mail, a word document that you download from the internet, or something received on a floppy disk.

Yes. Some viruses are designed to be transmitted through e-mail. Viruses transmitted through e-mail usually come in the form of an attachment. You actually have to open the attachment before the virus can infect your system. If an attachment looks suspicious, then do not open it until you can confirm that it is not a virus.

No. You are identified in USAJOBS and HireMe by your Social Security Number, your USAJOBS user ID and password which you enter at registration. USAJOBS Recruitment One Stop will not allow you to create more than one account using the same e-mail address or Social Security Number. It is not likely that someone else is using your Social Security Number. You may have logged out of My USAJOBS before you finished registering. Go to the USAJOBS home page: www.usajobs.opm.

Sure. If you have a question that isn't here or in the long version of the FAQ, or if you just want to send along a comment, feel free. If I know the answer and/or have the time and energy, I'll write back.

We format the digest strictly and deliberately as plain text, because we want the digest to be readable everywhere on any system. Only plain text does that. The software which assembles the digests has several walls that bar anything but plain text from getting through. (1) It accepts no posts except those in plain text, and (2) It has no capacity to produce anything but plain text in the digest mail piece.

No, e-mail is just one of several virus and worm delivery methods, and probably the most popular. Other routes of infection include direct downloads from websites, newsgroups, instant messages, ftp servers or elsewhere. This is just one reason why relying on virus warning e-mails provides no real protection.

Yes, a commercial virus scanner is used for all incoming e-mail. The virus identity files are updated every 24 hours automatically to insure the most up to date viruses are caught. Please note that many ISP's charge extra for this service while we do this for you at no extra cost.

If you are using Windows 95 or Windows 98 and Outlook Express 5.0-6.0, you can receive an e-mail with a hidden script worm that will write a file to your Windows Startup folder. To prevent this from happening, you can turn off the Windows scripting option. Unfortunately, many new viruses are created each month. The best way to protect yourself from new computer viruses is to regularly update your anti-virus software.

No, because WebTV isn't a computer and can't download or run a virus (which is a small program). Most viruses you hear about are hoaxes, you can find out more about hoaxes, rumors, and chain letters here. What can I do about all the spam (unsolicited e-mail advertisements) I've been getting? Either discard them without replying to them, or (much better) report them. To learn how and who to report it to, visit Death of a Spammer.

You may wish to add the suggestion to the SBI! WishList forum which Ken monitors closely... http://forums.sitesell.com/viewforum.php?f=57 In the meantime, you may find this recent article in the SBI! Tips & Techniques HQ helpful as it describes two possible solutions for your situation... http://sbitips.sitesell.com/multiple-pop-gmail-pobox.html

Yes. Just phone, e-mail or write to us to request it, and let us know your e-mail address. We'll e-mail TrendWatch as a .pdf file attachment after the close of business on Wednesday evening. To read it, you'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader version 4 or 5 installed on your system (downloadable free from www.adobe.com/acrobat). If you'd then like to print it, you can. If you wish, we'll send you a test transmission of the previous issue before you commit yourself.

NEVER open an attachment from a stranger and be highly suspicious of attachments from friends. The worm-type viruses utilize personal Internet address files to distribute the virus among unsuspecting acquaintances of the infected sender. Penn State has a site-license for Symantec Anti-Virus for students, staff, and faculty. We urge you to install an Anti-Virus program OR if you already own one, please update the virus definition files.

Paradise.net spam and virus filtering is performed on a per mailbox basis. Mail delivered to a paradise.net mailbox is protected. Not protected are MailBagging, DIA and MX hosting addresses.

E-mail viruses can delete your hard drive, steal private information, including user names and passwords, credit card and banking data and social security numbers. Moreover, they can implant themselves on your machine causing programs to work improperly. Hackers can use your computer to attack Web sites or businesses in your name. That means you could be implicated for a crime you did not commit!

Our e-mail software scans all e-mail for file types likely to contain viruses, such as .exe, .pif, etc. In addition, our control panel allows you to set various restrictions on e-mail that you receive, reducing the chance receiving a virus via e-mail from an unknown sender.

On our LBDSL.net, and LBTech.us domains we use a spam, and virus filtration system that filters emails before they hit our users' inbox. This allows our servers to work more efficiently, verses checking mail at every single inbox. This means there are no per user settings you need to set, or adjust. We have run many test, and have very few false positive on spam filtration.