Email Attachment Security?

Does a Microsoft Word document attached to Yahoo email have any security at all ?
Email Attachment Security?
Yahoo scans attachments once you click on the attachment in your email. Then it gives you an option to download or open the file. You could always download it and then scan it with whatever virus scanner you have on your computer in case you want to double check Yahoo's scanning.





There really isn't a threat from Word or Excel documents in terms of viruses. The only problem you may have with them is if they have malicious macros embedded in them. Word and Excel (and the other programs in the Office suite) have an option to not allow macros to be run, so if you get a Word file from someone you don't know and you don't want to run the risk if it having a macro virus in it, turn off macros in Word before you open it (hopefully you'll have scanned it before deciding to open it with Word).





Now, if you're talking about "security" as in "can anyone else read this Word document," then no, there isn't any encryption involved. The MIME standards don't have a provision for encryption of attachments, but you could password protect the Word document before you send it. At least it's something to protect the contents of your document.