Why is Outlook not safe? How can they hack a program that only connects to your provider?!..

[Dance123]

Hi,

First of all, how come that people say that Outlook is not safe? Which hacking, etc.. problems can you have? I mean, isn't it so that an email program only connects to your provider, so what's the risk?

Second, which is the safest email client to use? Thunderbird? What about Firefox, Eudora, etc.. I would like one that has the Netscape mail interface (I like that 3-pane view where the folders are top left, messages top right, and the actual message full width bottom which is not possible with Outlook I believe where you can't have the message full width of screen cause folders are always on the left from top to bottom, am I right?) and that can import Nescape 4.79 mail?! Is Thunderbird safe as I think I would prefer that one, unless you recommend some other?..

Thanks very much for all usefull feedback!!

 

[KB]

Outlook is not safe because IE is not safe. Outlook uses the same html rendering engine as IE, which supports ActiveX, and ActiveX has a history of security problems. You get "hacked" using Outlook by a user who sends you a specially formatted html mail message which takes advantage of a flaw in the IE rendering engine or by running a malicious attachment to an email.

The most secure programs tend to be the ones the fewest people use, since they are targeted less. This means command line based utilities like pine and mutt. For graphical clients Thunderbird is pretty secure; however mozilla firefox has had many security problems recently too.

Really just use any client you want and use common sense. Install spyware removers and Anti-Virus and don't open strange attachments.