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Microsoft to secure e-mail
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June 8, 2000: 6:40 p.m. ET
Maker of Outlook unveils security 'patch' to limit spread of e-mail virus
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SEATTLE (CNN) - Microsoft Thursday released its latest Outlook security "patch" designed to protect against viruses spread through e-mail, like the recent Love Bug and its variants that disrupted e-mail services to millions worldwide.
The security patch for Outlook 98 and Outlook 2000 e-mail programs was made available free of charge for download at Microsoft's Web site: officeupdate.microsoft.com.
Once downloaded, the security fix can restrict the type of e-mail attachments a user can open.
According to Steve Sinofsky, senior vice president of Microsoft Office, the goal of this update is "to provide a very significant security update that would help guard against virus attacks."
He also claimed that "with this update, Outlook will be substantially more secure."
 Microsoft's security update works by making four changes in the Outlook e-mail program.
First, Outlook users who have installed this update will no longer be able to open certain attachments unless e-mail system administrators on the receiving end set certain settings.
The second and third fixes are designed to diminish the spread of worm viruses by notifying Outlook e-mail users with a dialog box that a program is trying to access or send an e-mail from the user's Outlook address book.
Worm viruses, like the Melissa virus or the Love Bug virus, typically spread rapidly by e-mailing themselves out to people listed in a user's address book without the user's knowledge.
The fourth way this update tightens security is by disabling all automatic scripting programs. This feature aims to stop Outlook from running any malicious code that might be contained in an e-mail attachment.
While Microsoft (MSFT: Research, Estimates) officials admit that this fix will limit some of the ease of use and functionality of Outlook's e-mail programs, it claims that the most impact most consumers will notice is having to answer "Yes" or "No" to more warning dialog boxes.
Sinofsky said that "even though it will limit some functionality in Outlook, we believe it's necessary to provide additional security options to help out customers protect their data."
Microsoft has issued at least 15 security updates to its Outlook 97/98 and Outlook 2000 programs since January, 1999. 
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Microsoft Corp.
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