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If you use a desktop email client and want to scan attachments for viruses, I strongly recommend installing a third-party antivirus software. Once your antivirus scan has finished, you should receive a message either informing you that the attachment is safe or that it was infected and has been securely deleted from your system or moved to a quarantine area.
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Mozilla Thunderbird users can download the file and scan it manually or use an add-on, such as SecondOpinion, which directly integrates virus scanning and runs the file against a number of different antivirus databases. If you have not installed a third-party tool and are using Windows, you can select “Scan with Microsoft Security Essentials.” Windows’ built-in virus scanner will check individual files that were attached to the email.
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If you use a desktop email client and want to know how to scan an attachment, here’s what you need to know:
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Not only can it help you avoid viruses, but by scanning your outbound messages en-route to the mail server, it can prevent spam email or corrupted attachments from going out to your professional or personal networks. This could potentially save your reputation. What’s the problem? The risk of opening cybersecurity threats is substantially higher when using them.Īntivirus software that scans attachments for viruses is essential for computer users. As a result, you’re exposing your operating system to downloads every time you open an email rather than merely viewing it online. In fact, millions of computer users around the world use desktop email software instead of browser-based tools such as Gmail. Virus-laden email attachments have been around for decades, but they’re certainly not old news. Email Scanning Is A Must for Desktop Users.Attachment Virus Scanning, Step-by-Step.
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