Working Safely With Email Attachments

Avoiding Computer Viruses Receiving Attachments Opening and Saving Attachments Sending Attachments

Avoiding Computer Viruses in Email Attachments

An email attachment is a file attached to and sent with an email message. The attachment can be any type of file, such as an image, a text document, or a software program.

Computer viruses can enter your computer in many ways, but they are often spread through email attachments. Viruses can range from minor annoyances to very destructive software programs that can wipe out all the files on a computer’s hard drive. You can minimise your chances of falling victim to these malicious programs by following these guidelines:

  • Install up-to-date anti-virus software on your computer, and download the latest virus definitions frequently.

  • Back up important files on your computer.

  • Never send, click, open, save, or run email attachments that you are not expecting. (Be particularly cautious about executable files, which end with these extensions: .exe, .com, .vbs, .lnk, .pif, .scr, .bat.)

  • If you receive an email attachment from someone you do not know and trust, delete the message immediately without opening the attachment. If you know and trust the sender, email the person to verify that they meant to send the attachment.

  • Make sure any attachments you send are virus-free. BT Yahoo! Mail automatically scans your outgoing attachments for viruses. Include a description of the attachment in the body of the message.

To learn more about safeguarding your computer, please visit the Yahoo! Security Center.

Tip: With BT Yahoo! Mail, you need not do anything to have effective email virus protection. Antivirus software in BT Yahoo! Mail automatically detects and removes viruses in incoming and outgoing email and attachments.

Please be aware, however, that not all viruses can be detected and cleaned. There is a risk involved whenever you download email attachments to your computer or send email attachments to others. As provided in the Terms of Service, neither BT Yahoo! nor its licensors are responsible for any damages caused by your decision to do so.

 

What’s Next

After you take the necessary precautions, you can work with the attachments you receive.

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Words to Know

  • Attachment: a separate file included as part of an email message; for example, a multimedia or document file.
  • Extension: a file name suffix of the form .xxx, which indicates the file’s format so that users and programs can quickly recognise the type of file.
  • Virus: a computer program that attaches itself to other programs and causes harm to computer software, data, and/or hardware, often undetected until it’s too late.