How do I safely open email attachments?

Question

I cant scan my email attachments with my AVG. I can scan files that I download by right clicking but I cant scan my email. How do I do this? I received a w32beagle mm. j in an email from my ISP. I thought I knew who sent me the email and that it would be safe. I now hear from various anti-spyware sites that emails are coming from them or someone you know with spyware attached. So how do I protect myself if I know the sender? Thanks in advance.

pskelley · Answer

Using your question, and entering it into http://www.google.com/ returns a lot of information about this. You did not mention who your email provider is, and I am surprised it does not scan your attachments for problems? Outlook Express can be set to remove all attachments, and even free Hotmail scans attachments for viruses? Here are a couple of websites with information.

http://cybercoyote.org/security/av-attach.htm

http://cybercoyote.org/security/safe-attach.htm

http://www.washington.edu/computing/alerts/mydoom.html

Windows Xp Professional
5.1.2600 Service Pack Build 2600
Dimension 4550 X-86 based PC
Bios A03, 11/12/2002
Pentium 4 2.0Ghz
256MB RAM
IE 6.0

Jake02324 · Answer

Some of the freebies do not do this! Change to a antivirus app that does. Or Block the attachments period,,, like the other writer says!

xley · Answer

pskelley, Your link to Cybercoyote's 'Understanding the Hazards of Email Attachments: Parts 1., 2., and 3. is excellent. Thanks! xley

ChrisRLG · Answer

AVG does, like any other mainstream AV program, scan all in and out going email, so longs as it is set up to do so, just like norton and the others.

The free version is exactly like the paid for version, but without the scheduling facillities.

Message Edited by ChrisRLG on 03-13-2004 08:01 PM

jumpman23j · Answer

ChrisRLG, how do you make sure it is set up to do this?

ChrisRLG · Answer

Trying to remember avg6 (now have avg7) - in the icon at the botton right (running icon) double click that, on tab for email make sure it has the plug in for Outlook Express 5 installed (it also works with oe6) it is just a tick box.

Some people - like me who have email with viruses sent to them (on purpose), turn that off. LOL. I use a seperate email account for that.

melmcbee · Answer

Thanks to all of you for the very helpful info. Chris I checked my Avg and the email settings are already set with the plug-in checked. My Isp is Bellsouth.net and they do supposedly have mailguard but it obviously got through that. I feel better knowing that Avg does have an email scanner. I forgot that. I opened that certain email from my webmail page at bellsouth instead of waiting for outlook express to receive them. However outlook didnt delete it. Is that what outlook does or what? I was too scared to open the email again even though it was in outlook.

Anyway thanks for all of your helpful tips and I will go to the url's posted and do some more research.

Virus & Spyware

How do I safely open email attachments?

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