Re: blocking .ZIP attachments

[Jim Bollinger <JBollinger () WLU EDU>]

Those who replied that they are not blocking those zip attachments which
are "scannable"- I hope your software has a limit to how big the
expanded attachment can be. We experienced a denial of service when we
received ZIPs whose expanded size was 2 GB, when their compressed size
was < 10MB (our attachment size limit). The expansion of the attachment
on disk to allow scanning can fill disk partitions.

We're blocking at this time and don't plan to go back.

Jim Bollinger
Systems and Network Engineer
Washington and Lee University
Lexington, VA 24450
540-458-8743

> > > jcb () LSU EDU 8/19/2004 5:53:20 PM >>>
I apologize if this topic has been discussed before, but I couldn't
find
any direct mention of this specific issue recently.

We have a problem with viruses penetrating the campus "under the radar"
so
to speak. Before a new virus is detected and the anti-virus update is
written, received, and distributed, we have a window of vulnerability.
In
the past we have lost a considerable amount of time repairing these
outbreaks. The vector for many of these infections has been through
attachments especially .ZIP's. At first we were intermittently
blocking
.zip and other attachments; going back and forth between blocking and
accepting as each new virus appeared. We found that keeping the zip's
blocked had a big impact on minimizing the impact of new virii.

We've gotten to the point where we cringe at the thought of unblocking
.zip's and would like to make it permanent. Before I propose this to
the
administration, I wanted to see if anyone could comment on whether
they
are, or are not, blocking zip's and other attachments and if not, what
other solutions they have considered.

Thanks.

John Borne
Asst Dir for System Support
Computing Services
Louisiana State University

**********
Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Discussion
Group discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/cg/.

**********
Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Discussion Group discussion list can be found at 
http://www.educause.edu/cg/.