Avast and Pegasus Mail -- am I protected?

[pattorngren]

Hello, I am using Avast (free version) to protect my computer.  However I recently found a lot of malware had got onto my computer, including two Trojans.  Doing a complete system scan with Avast showed my computer to be clean.  However when I used another program to scan, it found 11 serious threats, including the two Trojans (all of which I have removed).  My computer helper (I am an end-user) said I should make sure that Avast is protecting me from any malware coming on via attachments to emails.  My email client is Pegasus Mail (latest version) and I am running windows XP (thinking of upgrading to Windows 7).  I did find an old discussion here (2004) but was advised to start a new thread as that info could be out of date.  Any help would be much appreciated.

[magna86]

Hi pattorngren, welcome here.

Follow the instruction from here. Run MBAM as it will scan and remove the known threats.

If something else is remain active or inactive in the system, diagnostic tools like OTL and aswMBR shall tell us that.
http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=53253.0

Post the results here (mbam's log, OTL and aswMBR logfile).

[pattorngren]

Hi Magna, Thanks for the welcome.  I am afraid I am very much an "end user" so I don't really understand what you are recommending, though as you suggested, I did clean my computer off with another malware program.  And I can always do that regularly.  But what I am wanting is assurance that more malware won't land on my computer without me knowing it.

So to go back to my question, which was, "Avast and Pegasus Mail -- am I protected?" I am hoping that someone from Avast will reply to me with a yes or no answer, like, "Yes, Avast scans incoming mails via Pegasus" or "Sorry, no it doesn't."

[pattorngren]

One further point -- about ten years ago a thread went through here on this topic and it seemed that you had to set up your Pegasus mail in a certain way in order to get protection.  Here is a link to that older thread and I am wondering if what was discussed there would still work with later operating systems. 

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=7092.new

Another question -- I am running Windows XP and thinking of upgrading to Windows 7 -- I am wondering if doing that will give me more protection.  One of the reasons for the possible upgrade (I love XP) is that I have been told that it offers less virus protection than Windows 7.

[Pondus]

dont know Pegasus mail client or if it is compatible with lates avast.... but you can test your mail accounst here  http://www.emailsecuritycheck.net/   /   http://www.aleph-tec.com/eicar/
many (most) mail providers have visus / spam scanning on the mail server...you may ask your mail povider


magna86 is a malware removal expert and want to check your computer for malware
to do so, follow instructions here  http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=53253.0   and attach (not copy and paste) logs from Malwarebytes / OTL / aswMBR

[pattorngren]

Hi Pondus,  Thanks for your help.  I did both the tests.  The results from the first one are that none of the seven emails came through, though I am not sure what that means as my ISP has spam filters.  The EICAR did get through, but I am not sure what that means either, except that it got through my ISP's spam filters. 

My Avast didn't react to it in any way -- by which I mean it didn't go "pling" or give me a pop up warning, but then it hasn't done that in the past either and I have needed to go into where it said "history" to see what viruses it had stopped from getting onto my computer.  But the latest version of Avast doesn't seem to have a "history" feature anymore, so I am sadly still none the wiser.

To your understanding, would the fact that the EICAR got through without any reaction mean that I am not protected?

[pattorngren]

Hi All, I see that this thread has got 68 views.  Does that mean that other people are running Pegasus Mail and wondering about their security?  If so I would like to hear from you.

[Pondus]

The EICAR did get through, but I am not sure what that means either, except that it got through my ISP's spam filters. 

it is sending out two mails (default selection on website) .the first one is just a confirmstion that the test have started, this you should recive

the second containe the EICAR virus test file....this you should not recive if your ISP have virus scan on the mailserver.....if you recive it, avast mailshield should detect it if it scan your mail

[pattorngren]

Hi Pondus, Thanks for your help so far.  All the things came through, so it looks like I'm not protected.  One small problem, I see that the email protection package you are promoting is not freeware, it's something you have to buy.  Just to put you in the picture, I live in South Africa.  In the past one ZAR (South African Rand) bought USD $1.50 -- today one ZAR buys nine American cents (the exchange rate with the Euro, Sterling, and all other currencies has gone the same way).  So sadly, here in SA we have to depend on freeware now.

So I am going to have to look for another solution. In the past, someone from Avast replied to an email by someone here telling them how to configure their POP and STMP settings so that Avast did protect them, so reaching someone from inside Avast who is an expert on this is my next priority.  Maybe I need to start a new thread being more specific.  Meanwhile thanks for your attempt to help anyway!

[pattorngren]

CALLING MAGNA 86, I hope you see this.  I coudn't quite follow your instructions (end user) but I have just discovered that you are on the list of "anti-malware helpers" in a sticky post that looks like it is coming from Avast.  Are you part of Avast or "Avast approved?"  The package you recommended (if I understand right) didn't seem to apply to me -- it said it was for removable drives, but a Google search brought me out here http://www.top5freeware.com/malwarebytes-anti-malware-free-review -- that was the program that found the malware I found on my computer last week and cleaned it off (stuff that Avast freeware, which is what I use, didn't pick up).  Do you have any idea if running that one regularly, full system scan, say once a week would be sufficient to protect me from whatever Avast free antivirus is not picking up?  It's called "Malwarebytes".

[pattorngren]

P.S. When I ran "Antimalware" and removed the viruses from my computer, it saved them in a "quarantine" area where I can see them, and by the look of them, they couldn't all have come in through Pegasus (I could trace where some of them did come from) so it seems that Avast freeware protection is not protecting me against things coming in from sources other than Pegasus Mail, as well as not scanning my Pegasus Mail (which is now proven).  Since I am limited to freeware, could you recommend what other programs I should be running to keep my computer clean?  I was told that you should not run more than one main antivirus program on your computer because they clash with each other.

[Michael (alan1998)]

Some free programs you can use.

Unchecky will keep your computer from being loaded with crapware or from MBAM (PUP).

MCShield will prevent any USB Infections being transferred.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware cleans most Trojans/Adware/ToolBars etc.

AdwCleaner targets only toolbars and adware. Malwarebytes can usually take care of it, so not needed, but can be useful if Malwarebytes doesn't detect it.

[pattorngren]

Thanks Michael, I used that Malwarebytes program and it cleaned off a lot of stuff including mostly "PUP" (whatever that is) and some toolbars and Trojans.  Last night I left it running overnight doing a complete scan and it didn't pick up anything.  I am also running Spyware Blaster and Spybot Search and Destroy, but they don't tell me if they have found anything.  Are they something you recommend?