Return of the Trojan Horse

So you heard about all the trouble with Microsoft's Outlook Express and Netscape Mail, the gaping holes in the code that might allow hackers to sneak in an attachment that screws up your PC. In desperation, you turned to the supposedly bug-free Eudora from Qualcomm. Now, on Friday, reports emerge that Eudora, too, can be transformed into a Trojan horse -- that hackers can write a nasty little Java Script program and disguise it as an HTML link. You click on the link and, in theory, bang goes your hard drive. What's a self-respecting e-mailer to do?

First of all, don't panic. If you're on a Mac, you're safe. If you're using any version of Eudora that precedes 4.0 -- including the free Eudora Light program downloadable from eudora.com -- you're also safe. Furthermore, Qualcomm promises to post a patch on that site as early as Friday afternoon (a far cry from Microsoft and Netscape, who are taking substantially longer to patch up their bugs). If their home page is too busy, or if the Eudora patch (like Microsoft's first attempt) fails to completely debug the problem, you might want to remember what your Mother should have told you: Don't go clicking on any strange links.

Finally, for PC users looking for a free alternative, TIME technology columnist Joshua Quittner recommends giving Pegasus Mail a try.