In general, I never open an attachment to an e-mail message
from a person I cannot identify. This policy is one that experts in
the computer industry have advised me to follow.
You should be safe if you maintain anti-virus software. My
university has a site license with one of the large vendors
(http://www.mcafee.com/);
my computer at home came with Norton Anti-Virus which, for a small fee,
one can keep up to date very easily.
As we have all seen in the last few hours, viruses spread very
easily. Everyone using a computer should stay on guard.
For links to anti-virus programs, see
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/article/0,aid,45984,00.asp
K. Austin Kerr
Professor of History, Ohio State University
[log in to unmask]
http://people.history.ohio-state.edu/kerr.htm