Reply comes with attachments, recommended virus scanner?

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Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 2:36 pm

Any recommended virus scanners that are Email attachment aware?

I haven't opened the attachments yet, They are .PDF files..

Using Gmail, can I just click on "View"? or is that just as bad as "Download"?

I guess I should mention the "unemployed carpenter in california" part,
and add that "Free" would be a good thing...

edit: I am sorry, I think I should have put this in the "Help, Hints and Tips" section.

Baiting Guru Joined: 27 Mar 2011 Posts: 21158

Is it possible to forward those to a Yahell addy and use their scanner?

Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 2:45 pm

Excellent free online scanner - upload a file and it tells you what's inside: http://virusscan.jotti.org/

Good free (but may occasionally prompt you to buy the commercial version) antivirus stuff: Avira, Avast, Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware.

Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 3:52 pm

I'm using AVG and I'm satisfied with the results so far.

But I'm a techie and I can always download an attachment and check it out with HexEditor or something like that before opening.

Viewing in Gmail is safe because Google opens the file for you and shows the content in HTML with some java that I guess we can trust because it's Google...
Word docs for example won't run scripts if you use Gmail's view feature. Same for Powerpoint but in this case there's a better option... DELETE! We all have seen enough puppies.
PDF I'm not sure if they're supported. But if you have the View option, it should be safe.

I want to clarify that one thing is the View link in Gmail's page and a different thing is to opt for View in your OS download window.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 03 Apr 2011 Posts: 70

^^--- I've used AVG, and I agree it's very good for free!
Now I use Linux, so I have no need for anit-virus soft ware. Very Happy

Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 5:13 pm

Tell your lad you cant open the documents because your virus scanner keeps deleting them - get them retyped into the body of an email instead Wink

Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 5:41 pm

No Puppies,

Quote:

please find the attached letter that you are to transcribe to your company letter head as well as a form for you to complete and fax back to me. This will enable the Bank look at your claim/application and start processing the transfer.

Anticipating your speedy response
Many thanks,

johnson

But wtf? I don't fill out the form's!, THEY fill out the form's...

Anyway, I could have been more precise with the design criteria,
I am using windows XP, on an ancient HP pavilion,
I mainly use it for programing robots, so I often download code snippets,
Those sights are safe enough for Me,
But since My good laptop has gone down, I am using this one to do everything with.
sort of occured to Me that I did not have a Virus Scanner Just before I almost
clicked on a known scammers "Claim Application". Embarassed

edit:
I gave the return reply, "I can't open pdf file" to buy some time...
but thanks to manbiteslion, I now have an even better reason to be ignorant... Smile

Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 5:49 pm

It's all about *who* has to do some work...if it looks like you may have to, then pass it back over Wink

Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 6:33 pm

Bankster, thanks for the link, do I have to download the file, in order to upload it?
I thought that just downloading the file was all it takes for the bad stuff to happen?

Togawa, thanks for confirming Gmail view, is safe to look at attachments.

The two forms are just that, forms...
forms they expect Me to fill out, in black ink no less... wtf is this world coming to??

Is Microsoft Security Essentials a bad thing? good thing?
what I really would like is somthing like IEspell, so all I have to do, is right click.
And instead of check spelling, I could check Virus...

Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 6:46 pm

I know everyone has a reason for this and all, but personally I never open documents, I just tell them to print it and scan it in because my GIBSON 9000 PC doesnt read .whatever, this also wastes time and money.

Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 7:59 pm

Personally I open only image file types from my lads (.jpg,.bmp and so on) .pdf files I read by google docs as I remember huge bug in older Adobe reader version which allowed to implement viruses into .pdf .
Also never hurts to check lad given websites with http://www.urlvoid.com , there's usually no intention for lad to harm your computer, but trust me I have a little blackhat experience myself it's not a huge deal for someone to infect you with a keylogger if you won't secure yourself while being on internet.

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 4:57 pm

Trophies are good, I like to get form's and pictures from the lad's,
It would be nice to be able to open any thing they try to send Me.

I have allways had some type of "paid $$$" Virus checking software.
The problem with paid subscriptions, is the subscription runs out. not a problem in most years...
This year(and probably the next two), it's gonna be a problem...

I know the saying: "You get what You pay for.", but sometimes, choices are limited.
I tried Malwarebytes, it works to scan manually, but is not "real time" unless You Pay.

Does anyone think Microsoft Security Essentials is a good/bad idea?

Baiting Guru Joined: 27 Mar 2011 Posts: 21158

I have the MSE installed on my PC, but I must say I don't trust it. It used to update on a fairly regular basis, but I cannot say I've seen that happen in the last few months.

Take this from a person who is not well versed in that stuff!

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 7:08 pm

No, MSE ain't the best choice, It's better than nothing and it's pretty average for home use, but I recommend you to install free version of AVG, it's one of the best free antiviruses for home usage out there in market right now, if you won't like AVG for some reason (Which I don't think will happen) second choice Avast, also free and also good for home usage. Never have 2 antiviruses on your computer, it won't give more security at all it could actually do vice versa. And opening lad files ain't a scary thing, just Before opening check file format on google, NEVER open ".exe .scr .com .bat" files as they're one of the most used for viruses, (Even if you scan them don't open, trust me anyone could easily make file undetectable for 3 days with no hassle) watch .pdf on google reader, use Gmail to hide ip and you should be fine Wink

Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 3:14 pm

Thanks for the Tip BartRazor,
I will give AVG a tryout...

Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 2:39 am

Greed Feed wrote:

^^--- I've used AVG, and I agree it's very good for free!
Now I use Linux, so I have no need for anit-virus soft ware. Very Happy

Why didn't I think of that? A small disk partition with Ubuntu and away we go.

Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 2:53 pm

Well, I tried to use AVG, I really did, It's not for Me..
If I have to go to the help forum just to restart My computer, it's not good.
It is even worse if the help forum is full of other unanswered posts about the same thing...

So I tried MSE, and what a difference, I always thought virus protection,
was Microsoft's problem anyway.

The reason You don't see them updating anymore is because MSE doesn't brag about it,
They don't interrupt You with "Look, Look at us doing what we should be doing"
It is all done in the back ground, and no interaction required on my part.
I think I am going to like this, I will run it for a few weeks and see what happens.

Thanks for all the tips and pointers from everyone.

Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 3:36 pm

AVG blocks many relevant ports, I get so many programs complaining about it.

MSE is more along the lines of a Microsoft vulnerability plugger-upper than full on dedicated AV.

The best advice in my opinion is the same kind of advice I'd give any one in any situation, know the risks and avoid the ones you can, who cares what they send you? Unless it's a picture of them tattooing your name on their forehead, is it relevant? It's just more crap that they send to victims to make things look 'legit' we already know they're liars.

Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:53 pm

Thats just it, how could I open My brand new forehead tattoo trophy?
I could care less about the lad's forms and badly faked ID's.

I also like to run some of the form's thru gimp, and make them into what I want.

So for Me, alot of the fun of baiting is the trophies, no matter how small really...

Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 5:46 pm

A jpeg wouldn't contain a virus, if he sends it in a .doc slap him and make him send a jpeg, you're a busy guy and your netbook can't open .doc.

Look yeah I mean feel free to do what you want, my advice is you wouldn't click a link a stranger sent you in a mail (well I'd hope you wouldn't) so why risk it with a lad? Just remove the risk all together.

Yeah sure, I'm with you, trophies are cool, but what trophies are you going to get in .doc or .pdf form? If you send them forms to fill in, make them print them and scan them in to jpegs.

Anyways I guess it's a subjective point in regards to technique, I just personally don't understand why you would risk something when there is away around it.

There was someone who got sent a virus from a scammer in their catcher account a couple weeks back, so the whole argument over why would a scammer a virus to me is null, they use pcs that are cheap sluts, who knows what they have on them.

*edit I mean we all advocate IP stripping freemail, but you hear over and over that it doesn't matter if a lad gets your IP because what are they going to do with it? So then why do we use IP stripping freemail? To take out the risk...so why shouldn't we do the same here. You'd be surprised how quickly they'll copy paste the document or scan it into a jpeg for you, as I said I do this all the time, even on my first reply or ASEM.

Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 5:54 pm

What i do when they send me forms...rename a junk file the same as theirs and send it back. I don't even open their crap. Then we move on to MBL's make them painstakingly copy it to a the body on an email. Errors happen due to lad's lack of keeping their OS updated or programs updated. It may be that their memory needs to be debugged in the microwave (25 seconds always seems to make mine work better).

Boris, safety first.

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