E-MAIL VIRUS INFO URL
The #1 virus transmission method in recent years has been via exchanging Microsoft Office documents (especially MS Word documents). This happens because MS Office documents can have "macros" (Visual Basic programs) attached, and these programs can be malicious. Many of the recent spate of e-mail worms have been transmitted as MS Office documents.
To help contain such problems, users should know that MS Word has an alternate file format called "Rich Text Format" (RTF) that does not include the capability to attach macros. An RTF document contains almost all of the same formatting information as a standard Word (.DOC) file. But RTF files cannot be infected with viruses.
Organizations that want to reduce the costly overhead of virus infection may wish to mandate that Word documents are to be exchanged only in RTF form. To save a document as RTF, simply select "File -> Save as" and in the dialog box, select "Rich Text Format" from the "Save as type" field. Think of this as good hygiene: sending a .DOC file should be considered about as appealing as sharing a used handkerchief with a friend.
