Tip #4840 - Scanning E-mail Attachments
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Scanning
E-mail Attachments
Do you even think
twice before you download a picture, music file or video clip that
comes attached in an e-mail from a trusted family member or friend?
I’m guessing you don't, but I'm sure you'll start after you
hear what I have to say next. Brace yourself! Malicious software can
easily hide itself in documents and media files and if you happen
to open one of those on your computer, it could become infected as
well. Yikes!
Because of that,
it’s very important to scan the attachments before you open
them. Now, most e-mail programs do a preliminary check, but as I’m
sure you know, no system is fool proof. So, that's why I’m bringing
you a free service today called VirusTotal that allows you to scan
your e-mails for complete safety!
1.) The next time
you get an e-mail containing a file that looks suspicious, here's
what you should do.
2.) First, forward
the e-mail to this address: scan@virustotal.com
3.) Now, clear
out the body of the message and on the subject line, type in SCAN.
4.) Send the e-mail
and within a short while, you will receive a message that looks similar
to this:
5.) As you can
see, the report lists several antivirus scanners and it shows whether
or not the scanner detected any threats. In my sample file, nothing
was found, so I knew it was safe to download it.
Note:
VirusTotal is a very trustworthy and reliable service, but
I don't recommend using it for any documents you receive from a known
contact that contain sensitive information. Instead, download the
file and scan it using your regular antivirus software.
I hope you enjoy
this invaluable tool!
~ Neil Patel
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