Re: Microsoft protects Mac but not Windows users with web bug mail firewall

[InfoSec News <isn () C4I ORG>]

Forwarded by: Steve Davis <steve () davislogic com>

Just today I got mail from Microsoft pushing acceptance of HTML mail
from them.  See exact quote below:

-----
An enhanced, HTML version of the Office News Service (ONS), with the
look and feel of a Web page, is now available.

All you need to do to begin receiving the HTML version of the ONS is
simply reply to this e-mail message, and type the letters "HTML" in
the Subject line.

If you enjoy e-mail newsletters that include clickable links and an
attractive design with graphics, you will want to receive the Office
News Service in HTML format. This version of the ONS is available for
free to any subscriber with an e-mail program that accepts HTML
format. The plain text version of the ONS will remain available as
well.

To cancel your subscription to this newsletter or stop all e-mail
newsletters from microsoft.com, please read the directions at the
bottom of this page.

Thank you.
-----

Best Regards,

Steve Davis
Principal, DavisLogic, Inc. - http://www.DavisLogic.com
--------------------------------------------------------------



> -----Original Message-----
> From: ISN Mailing List [mailto:ISN () SECURITYFOCUS COM]On Behalf Of
> InfoSec News
> Sent: February 21, 2001 5:11 AM
> To: ISN () SECURITYFOCUS COM
> Subject: [ISN] Microsoft protects Mac but not Windows users
> with web bug
> mail firewall
>
>
> http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/8/17080.html
>
> By: Andrew Orlowski in San Francisco
> Posted: 21/02/2001 at 09:32 GMT
>
> Not all Microsoft mail clients are created equal.
>
> Dan Gillmor of the San Jose Mercury has unearted an intriguing
> difference between the protection afforded to users of Microsoft
> mail clients running on Windows or the Macintosh.
>
> Mac users running Entourage, the mail client-cum-PIM that debuted
> with Office 2001 have the option of turning off HTML mail, writes
> Dan. But that's an option not available to Outlook Express users
> on Windows.
>
> As he pointed out in his weblog last week, turning off HTML mail
> is a basic security precaution, as web bugs in HTML mail messages
> can reveal information about you that you'd really not want a
> spammer to know.

[...]

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