alien8
join:2004-03-03
UK | reply to TR8
Re: Safe way to read suspicious emails?
Poptray get my vote...
»www.poptray.org/
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Tired of spam? Grab www.spampal.org |
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Kiwifan
join:2003-09-28
New Zealand
| reply to Mele20
I have been using Mailwasher and for the last two years the Pro version. For a novice like me I feel that it's an excellent program to sort the mail before it's downloaded.
My ISP (xtra.co.nz) scans incoming mail for viruses so, touch wood, we have been *lucky* to have been virus free for the last 6 years.
Our motto is, if in doubt, Delete.
Rusty. |
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Mele20
Premium
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI
| reply to TR8
Yes, I agree that richtig  solution is an elegant one. I too read all mail in plain text and even though my ISP scans all incoming and outgoing email and would strip an infected attachment, I still want to scan it before opening. I use only an on demand scanner so I have always saved the attachment to disk and then scanned like andyv420 does. I like this idea of dragging it to the desktop and renaming it. Neat.
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The first and foremost function of our jurors is to protect private citizens from a tyrannical and intrusive government...Jurors are the last line of defense for liberty. Thomas Jefferson 1789 |
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andyv420
join:2005-02-06
1 edit | reply to richtig
Thats what I do...sort of.
You see, I read all emails only in plain text, but, since I do not run the real-time scanning, I take the attachment and download it onto my desktop and then manually use the "Scan with AVG" or whatever AV with it and then open the file.
But your idea is much more superb... |
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richtig
Music Is Emotion
Premium
join:2003-02-19
Australia
clubs:
| reply to TR8
A simple and safe way to look at an email is to export it (or perhaps drag it) to the desktop, then rename it as a .txt file. Ignore any warning about changing file types.
Now, you can open it in Notepad, and search around all you like. As long as the file remains as pure non-executable text it can not harm anything.
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We are the music makers,We are the dreamers of dreams.Arthur William Edgar O'Shaugnessy |
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andyv420
join:2005-02-06 | reply to Mele20
I have used Kerio Mail Server 6 for my Exchange mail server. It works just great. It filters all infected messages before it even gets through my PC workstations. |
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Mele20
Premium
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI
| reply to TR8
That's obviously not coming from Symantec rather the address is spoofed. Just delete any future ones immediately. Too bad your ISP doesn't scan all incoming email as their scanner would catch this and strip the attachment before forwarding the now harmless email to you.
Like others here, I have OE set to plain text only. Even then any suspicious email gets read by my right clicking on the highlighted email in the inbox and choosing properties. My ISP uses Symantec corporate to scan all incoming and outgoing email so I probably don't need to take these extra precautions, but you can't be too safe.
You could also get an email account here. All incoming mail is scanned by Kaspersky and the infected attachments are stripped.
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The first and foremost function of our jurors is to protect private citizens from a tyrannical and intrusive government...Jurors are the last line of defense for liberty. Thomas Jefferson 1789 |
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bcool
Premium
join:2000-08-25
The Ozarks
| reply to TR8
For several years now I've used Popcorn
»www.ultrafunk.com/products/popcorn/
I preview all my e-mail on my ISP's server and only a select few get to ever touch down on my hard drive. Consequently, OE tends to gather dust in my house.
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"in flagrante delicto" |
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Daniel
Premium,MVM
join:2000-06-26
Pleasanton, CA
clubs:
1 edit | reply to TR8
I suggest using a Linux machine to pull down your email from your ISP. From there, use IMAP to pull your mail from said machine. For maximum security, SSH into the machine and use a mail client such as Mutt or Pine to view your mail with no chance of your local Windows machine being tainted.
Cheers,
-Daniel
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grep understanding knowledge |
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TR8
join:2002-12-15
USA
| reply to keith2468
said by keith2468 :With MSOE (Outlook Express), you go to the mail selection panel, right click the mail concerned, select Properties, select Details, and select Message Source. Maximize the window that appears. You will now be looking at the raw text that makes up the email. - What does Kaspersky say that these emails from Symantec contain? - And do the emails have attachments? In Outlook 2002 when I right click there is no Properties, just Options. After updating and a registry patch I can now look at the plain text. This is a quote:
"The sample file you sent contains a new virus version of buppa.k. Please update your virus scanner with the attached dat file."
Best Regards,
Keria Reynolds
I never sent them a sample file. I have never had a subscription to Norton or Symantec. The email had an attachment and Kaspersky said it was infected with a virus email worm Win32.Netsky.q |
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TR8
join:2002-12-15
USA
| reply to andyv420
I use Outlook 2002 and the only way I could read an email in plain text was to open it first and then switch. This link took me to a microsoft Service pack and then a registry patch so now when I open an email it automatically is in plain text. thanks, Andy. |
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keith2468
Premium,MVM
join:2001-02-03
Winnipeg, MB
| reply to TR8
With MSOE (Outlook Express), you go to the mail selection panel, right click the mail concerned, select Properties, select Details, and select Message Source. Maximize the window that appears.
You will now be looking at the raw text that makes up the email.
- What does Kaspersky say that these emails from Symantec contain?
- And do the emails have attachments?
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(Virus&Hijacking FAQ + Submit suspected malware + Backups FAQ + Security FAQ TOC) |
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jackal9er
join:2005-03-05
50016
3 edits | reply to TR8
said by TR8 :Sometimes I get emails that Kaspersky AV disinfects. I get them regularly from Symantec.com. I kind of doubt they would be sending me viruses. Is there a safe way to read suspicious emails? Make sure you disable the return recipt option in your e-mail program otherwise a malicious attacker will know your address works he'll send you many virus/trojan in hopes that one of them will make it through your security screens or he might send you a flood of spam then you'll never get rid of him and his friends.
Just delete the message if somebody wants to talk to you
there is the telephone or fax which is just as good..... |
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andyv420
join:2005-02-06 | reply to madylarian
Did you guys the read the Black Viper article link?
Also, I rather much prefer to use Groupwise from Novell. I use it at work, and its more powerful and stable than Outlook series. |
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madylarian
The curmudgeonly
Premium
join:2002-01-03
Parkville, MD | reply to TR8
Besides opening all mail in plain text only, Pegasus has a nice little "drag and drop" feature that lets me put email in edit mode in notepad without "opening" it.
mady
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Honi soit qui mal y pense |
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Curiosity
join:2001-10-01
Dawson Creek, BC | reply to TR8
I read email only as plain text. That way, no scripts or binary files can be executed. I also scan email with Mailwasher. The most effective spam filter I have seen is one that filters by content-type. Most spam is text/html or multipart/*. |
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garys_2k
join:2004-05-07
Farmington, MI | reply to TR8
I put Outclass on my Outlook at work, it has a "safe view" button that lets you view the source (including all headers) in notepad. Outlook never notices, as it remains classed as Unread. |
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andyv420
join:2005-02-06
2 edits | reply to TR8
Here is a simple way: use your Message Source option.
»www.blackviper.com/Articles/OS/E···ter1.htm |
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TR8
join:2002-12-15
USA | reply to TR8
Mailwasher looks good. Thanks for suggestions. |
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jbob
Reach Out and Touch Someone
Premium
join:2004-04-26
Little Rock, AR | reply to TR8
I just screen all my mail using MailWasher. I can read text and see all the headers and decide whether I need or want it or not. And extra step I know but ah what the heck. Like they say and ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. |
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