securing OE

Discussion in 'other software & services' started by Bethrezen, Nov 3, 2004.

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  1. Bethrezen

    Bethrezen Registered Member

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    OE Settings ??

    hi all

    ok I have managed to glean this together from a couple of different sources and I though id get it checked before adding it to my guide make sure its ok and that its not going to cause anyone any problems


    Next we need to lock down Outlook Express

    NOTE: Outlook Express it part of Internet Explorer so the settings for one can affect the other.

    Open Outlook Express Select Tools/Options

    Select The Read Tab

    Check Read all messages in plaintext

    Select the Security Tab

    Place a dot in Restricted Zone
    Check Warn Me When Other Applications Try To Send Mail As Me
    Check Do Not Allow Attachments To Be Saved Or Opened That Could Potentially Be A Virus

    Select The Maintenance Tab

    Check Purge deleted messages when leaving IMAP folders
    Check Empty Messages From The Deleted Items Folder On Exit

    [Edit] Ok I have added the OE instructions and them to my guide and removed the incorrect note and have moved the IE settings to there own thread to save confusion on my part
     
    Last edited: Nov 5, 2004
  2. Cochise

    Cochise A missed friend

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    Hi Bethrezen,

    Everything you say with regard to Security is spot-on good advice.....but the bit about the check mark in 'Do not allow attachments to be opened or saved etc'., doesn't stop you 'Receiving' attachments it just stops you opening them by accident etc., after you receive them. :D

    Excellent advice by you helps us all......Thanks..



    Cochise, :cool: (Sticking his nose in :D )
     
  3. Bethrezen

    Bethrezen Registered Member

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    hi

    thanks for the heads upon that ill be sure to remove that note
     
  4. HandsOff

    HandsOff Registered Member

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    I'm not trying to be negative, I honestly don't know...

    Why does anyone even use Outlook Express?

    -HandsOff
     
  5. iceni60

    iceni60 ( ^o^)

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  6. Bethrezen

    Bethrezen Registered Member

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    I'm not trying to be negative, I honestly don't know...

    Why does anyone even use Outlook Express?

    -HandsOff

    i dont know either OE was the first thing to go on my comp but undoutabley there are people that will use it so better try to make it as safe as possable
     
  7. iceni60

    iceni60 ( ^o^)

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  8. Cochise

    Cochise A missed friend

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    We use OE because it's warm and cuddly and it keeps us on our toes, it's also full of excitement for us, wondering were the next attack is going to come from, come into the Pool with us were the Sharks are, it's so stimulating, you'll love it..... :D :D :D

    Damn fine job there Bethrezen, don't let the Scaredy-cats put you off... :D :D ;)


    Cochise, :cool:
     
  9. Bethrezen

    Bethrezen Registered Member

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  10. Peaches4U

    Peaches4U Registered Member

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    Well, I shall shake the peach tree branch and tell u all I use OE. It is almost a year now - no viruses, no spam, no problem. Perhaps a lot of fault lies with the user no knowhow and not the software. ;) :) If one takes the time to learn it, set it up right, etc., it will work just fine.

    Hey Cochise, whatcha been smokin? I luv ur funny post. :D :D
     
  11. FanJ

    FanJ Guest

    Hi,

    Maybe slightly off topic but you might consider to set up appropriate rules in your firewall for OE.

    Have a look at the following site from CrazyM.
    Although that site was originally meant for AtGuard/NIS/NPF, you might find there hints how to do it.

    AtGuard/NIS Application Settings/Rules
    Email Clients

    http://www.gpick.com/agnisrules/pages/application/application_pg2.html


    PS:
    Maybe the Firewall-forum-section is the right place to discuss this if you would like.

    Cheers, Jan.
     
  12. Bethrezen

    Bethrezen Registered Member

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    hi

    hummmm well being that rule based firewalls are just a lil over my head and im using an old version of zaf then that may be a lil hard but addin a section about configuring fire wall to my guide defenatley isnt a bad idea and smothing ill lookin to later coz it is important coz incorrectley configured firewalls are worse then usless
     
  13. Cochise

    Cochise A missed friend

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    I agree with you Peaches and Bethrezen.....Like the Bishop said to the Dutchess...."It ain't what you got, it's what you do with it"....theres nothing wrong wih the old OE or IE.....I've had 'em for well over two years...no problems with it...just problems with me not letting it do what it does best at times, but even then, it's pretty forgiving.....as for it being vulnerable to all sorts of attacks....what isn't....if you just keep looking over your shoulder, and, best of all, take note of the priceless advise (And I mean Priceless, you couldn't afford to pay for what you get for free here) then you'll be safe and secure and Live Happy everafter............

    Thanks for the compliment Darlin' Peaches.....Don't smoke anymore tho'...Paying the Piper for all the enjoyment and satisfaction it gave me, but I'd still do it all again tomorrow.... :D :D :D



    Cochise, :cool:
     
  14. Peaches4U

    Peaches4U Registered Member

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    To save me a lot of typing, the following will give u some insight on securing ur OE.

    http://www.blackviper.com/Articles/OS/Email/filter1.htm
    Introduction to E-mail Filtering:
    Spam and virus's has been a problem for many years but only until recently
    has people started to become disgusted with it. Performance could also be a
    concern for many people. One of those people is me. I do not like to use an
    additional program to combat something that should not be there from the
    start.

    This guide explains how I fight spam and gives a few pointers as to what you
    can do without downloading an additional program. I also have included
    information on how to spot an E-Mail virus without any additional software.
    Only thing it takes is a little knowledge and the ability to refrain from
    opening every E-Mail you get, regardless of where it came from. What people
    do not understand is that the user must do something to get a virus. It is
    not magic. That something, a very high percentage of the time, is click and
    open an infected E-Mail. DO NOT DO THIS!

    Something to consider is the fact that the E-Mail filters and spam filtering
    do NOT work with HTTP E-Mail accounts, such as hotmail and yahoo. Most of
    those kind of services offer filtering of their own. Use it.

    This guide also offers a sneak peek inside Black Viper's inbox.

    As of this writing, I use Outlook Express 6, but most "newer" E-Mail clients
    have the same or similar type of features. In reality, the E-Mail client you
    chose could be much better than OE in many respects. I would love to use a
    more "feature rich" E-Mail client, but, sometimes I am rather hard set in my
    ways.

    You also need to note two very important things:

    a.. I DO NOT EVER display the "Preview Pane". This is a HUGE security
    issue.
    a.. In OE 6, select View --> Layout --> Layout Tab --> uncheck "Show
    preview pane".
    b.. I DO NOT view "html stationary" (or any other inlined images) as the
    sender intended. I view ALL E-Mail as "plain text". This also reduces the
    chance of executing "malicious" html spam and makes for easier reading of
    high volumes of E-Mail from many different people.
    a.. In OE 6, select Tools --> Options --> Read Tab --> check "Read all
    messages in plain text".
     
  15. HandsOff

    HandsOff Registered Member

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    "No offense, really..."

    I guess I didn't make myself clear...I meant to say: "I don't understand why people even use Outlook Express"

    First of all, I began life with netscape. I lived and worked in Palo Alto, and Mountain View, California, where Netscape originated. Everyone used Netscape, and people who used Internet Explorer had "MS-Bot" branded on their forheads and were run out of town on a rail.

    The first time I used Internet Explorer was when I worked for a real estate company that revolutionized the industry by incorporating a huge internal computer network that tapped into every conceivable resource. It was loathsome for me. I could not even figure out how to get my Email (And I'm a genius). Then I was instructed to use Outlook Express. And I was able to get my Email, but I still could not figure out what OE was, and why didn't you just click mail on the browser somewhere?

    Now I have comcast cable for internet. Once you disable all of the spyware it is extremely fast. And it uses IE, but there is a button to get to your mail. So...I never once have used OE at home. The only thing I remember from using it at work was that it seemed to add steps to the otherwise straightforward process of using Email.

    Yet in the small hours of the night I sometimes ask myself: "Was there some great aspect of OE that I have never grasped? Does it allow one to, as Microsoft is fond of saying, '...easily accomplish..."

    Future enlightment, notwithstanding, I require a program to actually d o s o m e t h i n g in a better way than I do it now before this

    "one takes the time to learn it, set it up right, etc."
    -PfU

    So, you see, I am freely admitting that I don't have a clue what it does and why people use it.

    - Scaredy Cats
     
  16. Bethrezen

    Bethrezen Registered Member

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    hi

    I knew I'd missed something but for the life of me I couldn't remember what it was thanks for reminding me

    Question have i missed anything else o_O here is what i have so far so you can check

    Also I was just looking over OE options some more and I'm wondering if the following options would also help OEs Security ??

    not only so you don't get some nasty but also so your friends don't get some nasty in case you get infected with an emailing worm or virus like love bug for instance

    Read tab

    Un-Check automatically download messages when viewing in preview pain

    send tab

    send in plain text

    security tab

    check encrypt contents and attachments for all out going messages

    digitally sign all out going message
     
    Last edited: Nov 13, 2004
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