Avast and Webmail

[WarHorseXJ]

Hello,
I searched the forums and found some topics on this but I just wanted to be clear on this.  My university uses webmail and I've been using Thunderbird to get my email, however recently I've decided to just switch back to using the browser.  I read that the on-access scanner set to high will scan the webmail, however when I check the web shield's last scanned and total scanned after opening an email, there is no change.  It appears that the scanner did scan the main webmail inbox page but not the email.  I just want to know that I'm protected because I have had avast find emails with viruses when I was using Thunderbird.  If Avast finds a virus in a webmail email, what will it do?  Will it just prevent the page from opening?  Does it scan the page as it opens or does it scan all the emails in the inbox when the man webmail page opens?  Thanks.

I also wanted to add that this webmail site is secure.  I thought I had read something about HTTPS and the on-access scanner.

[DavidR]

You say you are using Thunderbird to collect your webmail, so you aren't using a browser to get your webmail, so the Web Shield won't be scanning it because it isn't using the http protocol nor using port 80.

I assume you are using the thunderbird webmail extension (converts webmail to pop3 email) to collect your email ?
If so then the avast Internet mails I believe should be scanning it, I say I believe, because I don't use thunderbird.

Sorry missed the bit about you switching back to using your browser, which one, I suspect firefox ?
In which case because firefox uses extensionless browser cache you may need to have the the Scan all Files option enabled in the Web Shield, Customize, Web  Scanning tab.

[WarHorseXJ]

What I meant was that I am currently using Thunderbird to get email, and Avast is scanning the downloaded emails.  However, I want to uninstall thunderbird and go back to the browser-based webmail.  I don't have an extension for thunderbird-the school just gave me the smtp and pop3 settings to enter into thunderbird.  The reason I say that that it is webmail is that the website has the word webmail in it.  I don't know if that makes a difference.  Anyway, I wanted to know if I am protected while using the browser to get my email.  Sorry for the confusion.

[WarHorseXJ]

Yes I do use firefox.  I checked on the scan all files option, and it is enabled already.  Is it standard shield or web shield that would do the scan?

[DavidR]

Then if the web shield currently scans content for browsing (?) then it should be no different for webmail, unless of course your Uni's webmail isn't using standard ports and protocols. You would have to check that out with them.

It should primarily be the web shield that scans http port 80 traffic and that should alert before the file, etc. gets on to your system. The standard shield only scans files that are on your system, typically newly created or modified files, plus scanning executables before execution, etc.

What I can't understand is why you would want to go back to the webmail than use your email program.

[WarHorseXJ]

I mostly wanted to switch because I'm not sure if the login info I enter through thunderbird is secure.  At least if I go through the webmail page its a secure login.  Any way to determine this?  I've tried enabling secure connections through thunderbird but i get an error message.

[DavidR]

As I said I don't use thunderbird, but I would say it is no less secure than your webmail logon.

The real difference is you may be logging on to the web mail at an https (secure) web page and most people think that that is secure. But, it only indicates that that page is secure and doesn't say that the traffic to that page is secure. You would need to check this with your system administrators.

When I collect email from Outlook Express my server requires authentication and there is also an option to Log on using Secure Password Authentication although I haven't checked that. I don't know if these options are in thunderbird, but I would have thought so.