[Mimedefang] Re: Unsafe file types

Jim McCullars jim at info.uah.edu
Mon Dec 1 17:23:57 EST 2003



On Mon, 1 Dec 2003, Lee Dilkie wrote:

> help that. Blocking perfectly legitimate email that's carrying a "dangerous"
> attachment extension is a bit silly. "Dangerous" is in the eyes of the
> beholder.

   This beholder's eyes have watched corrupted computers due to email
bombs drop to almost nil since we began the silly practice of refusing
certain attachments.  When Melissa first happened, our techs spend days
cleaning up infected computers.  Now, that rarely happens.

> I'm willing to do virus scanning of attachments on the server but
> after that, as far as I'm concerned, it's up to the user to have an up to
> date virus scanner and to use the wetware between the ears when opening file
> attachments. If they screw up their computer after all that, well, it's not
> my problem.

   Not everyone can take such a user-be-damned attitude.  If my Provost or
Vice-President got an email attachment that corrupted his computer and our
Help Desk told him it wasn't our problem, someone would be looking for a
job.

Jim




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