Only accept files from people that you know and trust. Never accept files from people you don't know and never accept files without knowing their full purpose. If you must accept one of the above file types, save the file to your desktop and scan it for viruses. Next, delete the email and purge your inbox. Scripts should not be accepted from others you do not know.
Automation is another factor in the distribution of viruses and trojans.
If you receive attachments through e-mail, first, note the name of the attachment. Instead delete the e-mail and purge your inbox. Neither of these file formats saves macros and formatting information, so this step will prevent a macro virus from infecting your attachments and files. Open Microsoft Office applications and make sure that the macro protection warning options are enabled with a security level of high. Write-protect all data and program diskettes.