Blocked Extensions
Avoid a Virus
Lately, there seems to be a race between computer virus writers to see who can take the newest virus to the next level.
You may have received an e-mail, from an on-campus e-mail address warning you that your account is about to expire, or that your e-mail account has been detected sending out a large amount of viruses. They also provide a bogus "Password Number" and for the coup-de-Gras, the viral e-mail places a link to the NKU website at the bottom.
Alas, all of this is an ingenious attempt by the virus writers to dictate your behavior. While the e-mail's contents lead you to believe you would be doing the right thing by clicking on the attachment, they are tricking you - hoping you will open their virus, and infect your computer.
Furthermore, once a system is infected, these new viruses steal e-mail identities from address books and text files on your computer. This is confusing to most users, because in the past, viruses came from unknown or obscure usernames from off-campus.
The NKU Office of Information Technology is proactively trying to help alleviate issues associated with these viruses. Virus writers have taken little-used file types and written virus codes into them. Users typically do not use these files types so emails that have attachments containing these files are usually viruses. Our email server removes attachments from such e-mail before it reaches your inbox.
Extension types on the e-mail server that have been removed
- .exe - executable files for Windows based machines
- .cmd - NT based command files, can be used to execute code
- .com - DOS based command files, can be used to execute code
- .pif - old program information file used in the Windows 3.1 days for DOS instances within Windows 3.1 windows, can be used to execute code.
- .scr - Screen Saver files, can be used to execute code
- .vbs - Visual Basic Script that can execute commands
- .js - JavaScript that can execute commands
- .reg - Registry Entry files, can insert code into registry
- .bat - batch file, used to execute commands
The only extensions not blocked at the email server that frequently may carry viruses
- .zip - most common type of compressed file
Unfortunately, it would make some forms of e-mailing attachments extremely difficult if NKU blocked .zip files. Please take caution when receiving .zipped files.
During high virus times
- Do not assume that because the "From" e-mail address is someone you know, the attachment is safe.
- Do not open attachments concerning account maintenance. NKU IT follows the same type of security policies many companies have developed. Unless an IT representative is engaged in an active dialogue with you, or you are expecting files to be sent to you from an NKU IT representative, NKU Information Technology will NEVER directly send files to the NKU community through e-mail.
- If you have questions concerning the content of such e-mail, please contact the NKU IT Service Center at (859) 572-6911.