Who has not heard of the Microsoft Outlook?
Outlook is one of the most commonly used email programs in the world. Unfortunately, there are A LOT of computer attacks that depend upon weaknesses in Outlook.
However, the Paladin has a somewhat different problem with Outlook (and indeed, with most Microsoft software). Have you ever noticed that when you go to upgrade one of the Microsoft products such as Outlook, you frequently get an update to your entire operating system as well?
As a long-time computer professional, the Paladin can tell you that there is no good technical reason for this to be so! This exists only because Microsoft wills it so.
The Paladin prefers to have an email program be just that…an email program. In addition, he prefers to use an email program that is not the target of so many computer attacks. Fortunately, you are not without options…
Thunderbird
The same people who brought you the free web browser Firefox (the Mozilla Foundation) bring you a free email program called Thunderbird.
Thunderbird can be installed and uninstalled at will (something Outlook does not like to do…be uninstalled). In addition, the nature of the way Thunderbird has been developed means that if you should ever move to a different operating system (Mac, Linux, etc.) the odds are extremely good that there will be a version of Thunderbird that will run on that system.
