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Do not open unexpected PDF e-mail attachments!

Do not open any unexpected e-mail attachments!

Got that? Good. Then we can move on to an important security update from Adobe.

• If you are running Windows XP and Acrobat 8 (any version), then open Acrobat and click on Help / Check for updates. You should be offered an update to version 8.1.1. Install it!
• If you are running Windows XP and Acrobat 7 Reader, then go to the Adobe web site and update to the Acrobat 8 Reader.
• If you are running Windows XP and Acrobat 7 Standard or Professional, then check Acrobat for updates every few days. Adobe will release a similar patch for version 7 soon.
• If you are running Windows Vista, you are not vulnerable to this security issue.

Earlier this month, the bad guys discovered a way to create a PDF with a virus – a PDF that would execute malicious code on a computer when the PDF was opened. The first bad PDFs are now turning up in e-mail messages sent from Russian servers with attachments named YOUR_BILL.PDF or INVOICE.PDF. The names will undoubtedly change quickly. Adobe’s fix prevents the virus from working.

Here’s an article about the security issue and Adobe’s new fix, and here’s Adobe’s security advisory about the version 8.1.1 update.

Be safe out there!