Re: blocking .ZIP attachments

[Jenny Gluck <Jsgluck () SYR EDU>]

We do not block attachments. We use Trend Micro's Interscan VirusWall
engine on our SMTP mail router to handle viruses. VirusWall uncompresses
and scans: PKZIP, ZIP TO EXE, ARJ, ARJ TO EXE, LHA, LHA TO EXE, BINHEX,
UUENCODE, BASE64, TAR, GZIP(.GZ), LZEXE, PKLITE, DIET, MSCOMPRESS,
CABINET(.CAB), UNIX LZW, COMPRESS(.Z), UNIX PACK(.Z) files. It isn't
perfect, because when a new virus occurs we have to wait for the
automated pattern update. - Jenny

Jenny Sara Gluck
Director, Network and Communication Services
Syracuse University
201 Machinery Hall
Syracuse, New York
13244

Voice: 315.443.5772
Email: jsgluck () syr edu

> > > 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/.