It is possible to get a virus through an HTML e-mail message. The HTML code itself is just text and is harmless. The concern is the use of Java, JavaScript and ActiveX applets. Most e-mail programs understand only very basic HTML tags and do not run these types of programs. However, if e-mail packages do begin to add this functionality, viruses through HTML may become more of a consideration.
Viruses are usually specific to particular operating systems.
This means that a virus written for a Macintosh computer will probably not run on a Windows computer. There is one significant exception the Microsoft Word Macro Virus. This virus infects the Microsoft Word documents themselves, but not the Microsoft Word program. As the use of cross operating system platforms such as Java and ActiveX increases, this tip may become obsolete. How to protect yourself Here are some simple points to remember that will help your computer and its data stay intact.