Seems the answer is "maybe" as to whether a virus can attach itself when an email is opened. This is the US Gov't site, so I would think it is pretty trustworthy as to the information. It has a lot to do with weather your email allows scripting. Well, you can read it to get the gist.

http://www.us-cert.gov/reading_room/virus.html#email

My own practice is to wait 24 hours before opening any mail with an attachment. This gives Norton a chance to catch up on a new virus.

In one case, that saved me. I opened an e mail from a very trusted friend. It had an attachment, and Norton did not alarm. I let it sit for a day, and the next time I opened it, Norton alarmed. Never did open the attachment.

I called my friend, and he learned his computer had been hacked. Cost him a lot of money to undo the damage.

I had my address list hacked once, but it was just a Chinese electronics company sending spam to everyone on my list.

I'm still not convinced that Norton and McAfee aren't secretly funding the hackers

Symantec (Norton) has been hit with a class-action suit because it always tells a user there's danger on his HDD, when there's not.

SchoolFeed (Facebook App - AVOID)

See here.

I'd take it one step further, delete Facebook.

I can't. I never used it.

Mac Malware!

Go here to learn about the Flashback infection.

More Mac Malware

Here.

re Rusty's link:

"The developers of SabPub, by contrast, are highly selective about those they target, since the malware is designed to download confidential documents relating to pro-Tibetan activities. Indeed, shortly after Kaspersky researchers infected a lab machine with SabPub, they witnessed someone manually checking it for material of interest. Researchers with antivirus provider ESET also witnessed manual intruders in their discovery last month."

Perhaps this MalWare was created by China to monitor and curtail any internal dissent regarding Tibet and the Free Tibet Movement?

rb

The problem with malware like this is that other hackers get their hands on it and adapt it for other purposes, or the malware gets out of hand and gets loose.

System Mechanic Pro

I found System Mechanic Pro at Sam's Club for $32.98. Like other versions, the license covers all computers in the household.

Windows Vista and Later: VITAL BUG FIX!

KillsGadgets temporarily until a fix can be designed.

However: A user would have to be signed in as an Admin, and and attacker would have to convince that user to install a malware gadget

Avast! Antivirus - A Couple of Notes on v7.0.x

The latest version of Avast! features "AutoSandbox". A "sandbox" is an isolated section of memory set aside to run programs safely, without exposing the rest of the system to malware.

Avast!'s auto feature scans each executable that's not in its database as it opens the first time, asks you to confirm, then remembers the safe ones. However, this feature sometimes stumbles on unique or legacy software. The usual symptom is that, while the Windows desktop will appear, not all startup programs will load properly, and the boot sequence will stall.

I've experienced this only with the management app for my RAID controller. The symptom was a popup screen with the app in the title bar (similar to the command.com popup, which is normal).

The AutoSandbox has a facility to manually enter the executables (xxx.exe) for known safe apps. Right click the avast! icon on the toolbar, Click "Open avast! user interface". The AutoSandbox can be accessed under "Additional Protection". Then, under "Settings" are options and at the bottom, a list of executables to ignore.

Adobe Acrobat and Reader Critical Flaws

Adobe has disclosed the presence of critical flaws in the two apps.

Patches are expected tomorrow; grab them!