Microsoft software expelled by top college

Cambridge college bans Outlook and Outlook Express due to security concerns

Written by Steve Ranger

Network IT Week, 22 May 2002

Newnham women's college, Cambridge, has banned Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express because it is tired of cleaning up after virus attacks.

The college, which has around 700 users, took the decision after the latest Klez virus outbreak.

The university mail servers blocked around 200,000 copies of the mail, but the college had a number of infections that caused a huge amount of disruption.

"We have banned all users connected to the college network from using Outlook or Outlook Express on their machines," Paul McLaughlin, computer officer at the college, told Network News. "I am tired of having to allocate time and resources to clean up virus infections.

"We have taken a phased approach - Outlook is banned but not immediately to give people a chance to change over," he added.

McLaughlin said at the moment users are recommended to use Mulberry - a program which the University Computing Service helped develop. For users keen to keep a familiar interface to Outlook he said the Netscape mail module could be used.

"A few people said they didn't know how to use anything else but we explained we have to protect the security of the network.

"We are a large and prestigious university and sometimes we get targeted by people who want to disrupt things just like any large organisation."

Neil Barrett, technical director at Information Risk Management said: "It is no great surprise - but I am surprised that more people haven't already taken this step.

"I have a huge amount of sympathy for the college administrators making this change, and I guess if I were in their shoes, I would do something similar to combat the problem."

Barrett said it was the preview facility in Outlook that automatically executes Java and XML, which makes it attractive to virus writers, as well as its widespread use.

However, he also warned that if users start migrating to different mail packages, virus writers will start developing viruses for them as well. "It isn't going to do anything more than give them a short reprieve," he said.At the time we went to press Microsoft were not available for comment.