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Pegasus Mail
Securing your mail client is just one of the steps necessary to achieve optimum security against email threats. If you have not already done so, visit the Email Help Center for tips on spotting malicious attachments and the do's and dont's of email security.

If everyone used Pegasus Mail, email viruses would be a rare threat - if they even existed. Pegasus Mail is offered free (no ads, no gimmicks) with just a small charge for those who wish to receive a manual (worthwhile). According to the Pegasus Mail developer, David Harris, Pegasus Mail is script-immune out of the box. David notes that the Pegasus Mail HTML handler does not action scripts, Java applets, ActiveX controls. Conversely, mail clients such as Outlook, Outlook Express, Eudora, and Netscape Mail rely on the browser for HTML handling, which in turn can allow active content to run and lead to vulnerabilities. An extra perk with Pegasus Mail is that it does not download graphics when displaying HTML, thereby making it immune to web bugs and does not force the user online when reading an HTML email that contains graphics. While David notes that the price of this extra protection has resulted in "a definite reduction in the quality of the HTML display in the program", he's obviously made the right choice - choosing security over cosmetics.

Pegasus Mail v4.01 ships with a viewer control file that, by default, makes it very difficult for users to execute anything that could be dangerous. David made an exception for the highly prevalent Microsoft Word documents, so care should be exercised when a .DOC attachment is received. Users can also add viewer control definitions that either suppress that type of file altogether, or else issues a clear warning to the user when they attempt to open the file. These settings can be changed under Tools | Options | Content Viewers. Additionally, enterprise administrators can make the additions globally by modifying a single file.

The user manuals provide full details on configuring Pegasus Mail and are a worthwhile investment for any Pegasus user.

Make sure you have all applicable critical patches and updates applied to your system. Visit the Windows Update site, choose Product Updates, and install any marked as "Critical". You should check for updates periodically, as Microsoft generally products a vast number of patches each year.

To disable scripting in other mail clients, choose from the list below:

Outlook/Outlook Express
Eudora
Netscape