Task 7.5: Securing Email

Everyone loves email. It’s a fast, convenient way to communicate and send information. It is also a direct path to your computer for an attacker. If an attacker can get you to open an attachment or run an attached executable, you may be in real trouble. The Melissa virus affected 20 percent of all computers in the United States. The I Love You virus caused $15 billion worth of damage worldwide, and SQL Slammer infected more than 500,000 computers. These numbers should drive home the importance of securing email—the focus of this task.

Email security starts outside of the Outlook application. Windows systems have a nasty habit of turning off file extensions. This means that if you get an attachment titled MyVacationPhoto.jpg ...

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