How To Change Your Email Security Settings

Outlook Express, Outlook

The most effective method to stop viruses and malicious code is very simple:
Don't Open Attachments.
According to a Digital Marketing Services survey, 12% of Internet users open every attachment they receive, including those from sources they do not recognize. If you receive an attachment from an unknown source, don't open it.

Before trying the following security steps for different Microsoft email clients, you may want to familiarize yourself with the different security zones that are included in Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser and its popular email clients (Outlook and Outlook Express).

Outlook Express

G4TV.com suggests the following steps in setting your Outlook Express Security settings.

One way is to make Outlook Express a "Restricted Zone".

  1. Go to the Tools menu
  2. Select Options
  3. Click on the Security tab
  4. Under Security Zones, choose "Restricted Sites"
  5. Press OK

The second way is by changing your Internet settings. This is done by disabling Java and Active X.

  1. Go to the Tools menu
  2. Select Options
  3. Click on the Connection tab
  4. Under Internet Connection Settings, press the Change button. This will take you to Windows Internet settings.
  5. Click on the Security tab
  6. Select the Restricted Sites icon
  7. Under Security Level for This Zone, press the Custom Level button
  8. Select Disable or Prompt for all Active X, Java, and Scripting options. You can disable everything if you like, but remember, if Internet Explorer uses the restricted zone, these settings will apply to it as well. However, if IE uses the Internet zone, these settings won't affect it.
  9. Press OK, Yes, OK, OK

It is possible that disabling Active X, Java, and Scripting options in your Outlook Express email client will cause certain emails not to open properly. As some non-malicious emails may be sent with these options enabled you will need to use discretion when disabling these items.

Outlook

Similar to Outlook Express, there are two options to change your security settings in Microsoft Outlook.

The first option is to set Outlook as a "Restricted Zone," similar to Outlook Express.

  1. Go to the Tools menu
  2. Select Options
  3. Click on the Security tab
  4. Under Secure Content, choose "Restricted Sites"
  5. Press OK

Again, here is a well-written description of Microsoft's security zones.

The second method is to change your Internet settings by customizing the "Zone Settings."

  1. Go to the Tools menu
  2. Select Options
  3. Click on the Security tab
  4. Under Secure Content, click Zone Settings...
  5. Press OK
  6. Click Custom Level...
  7. Select Disable or Prompt for all Active X, Java, and Scripting options. You can disable everything if you like, but remember, if Internet Explorer uses the restricted zone, these settings will apply to it as well. However, if IE uses the Internet zone, these settings won't affect it.
  8. Press OK, Yes, OK, OK

It is possible that disabling Active X, Java, and Scripting options in your Microsoft Outlook email client will cause certain emails not to open properly. As some non-malicious emails may be sent with these options enabled, you will need to use discretion when disabling these items.

Secure Florida advocates the use of anti-virus software for safe emailing.