Advisory: change to Sophos email virus alert headers
The mail headers of Sophos virus alerts will shortly change because of upgrades to improve mail performance. This will not affect most users.
It will only affect the few people who use a script to check the format of the notification alert emails, e.g. to trigger a download of the latest virus identity files (IDEs) from the Sophos website, if that script makes use of the text following these headers:
Return-Path:Delivered-To:Received:
In addition, the envelope sender text will change.
Note:
- If you need to automate your product updates then there are much better ways. Use Sophos small business solutions, EM Library, or the automatic updating features of Sophos
Anti-Virus versions 4.5 and 5.0. Or, if none of those is applicable, use scripts which regularly poll the IDEs digest file, rather than relying on the arrival of an email. - Our mailing list configuration, servers and mail structure are not guaranteed to remain consistent, as the emails are intended as information messages for human readers. We do not undertake to inform customers each time they change.
- Email is subject to 'best endeavours' delivery. Attempts at delivery may be made over a period of days, and mail is not guaranteed to arrive. No security updates should be based on mail arrivals.
The new format virus alerts will contain uniquely identifiable trailers which will facilitate unsubscribing from the alerts list.
If you need more information or guidance, then please contact technical support.
- Article ID: 12984
- Created: 6 Apr 2005
- Last updated: 3 Feb 2006
