Author Topic: Are My Emails Still Encrypted?  (Read 8489 times)

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YoKenny

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Re: Are My Emails Still Encrypted?
« Reply #15 on: September 09, 2010, 11:33:06 PM »
As a Jr. Member you have a lot to learn from DavidR who has his system information in his signature.  ;)

Bub12

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Re: Are My Emails Still Encrypted?
« Reply #16 on: September 09, 2010, 11:49:36 PM »
Not sure I understand your point YoKenny. Obviously I have something to learn. I actually said "I may have learned something new..." & then asked a question, which implies that I did not know the answer. Why not help out & answer my questions instead of instigating a problem? Sorry, don't see the point.

Look, I am just trying to get some basic answers here, that's all. Don't want to get into a high school pissing contest. We were all doing just fine here from what I can tell. The info you are requesting is irrelevant, which is why I see no reason to dig it up.

So, back to my original questions...if anyone would like to help out, I would appreciate it. If not, that's ok too  :)


Offline DavidR

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Re: Are My Emails Still Encrypted?
« Reply #17 on: September 09, 2010, 11:51:04 PM »
However, seems to be a bit of a contradiction here, unless I am misunderstanding  ???

Quote
So, are attachments scanned if they are not opened?
Pondus said: yes if you use avast mail scan

Yet it sounds as though DavidR might be saying otherwise.

Also, I may have learned something new...DavidR, are you saying that if I save an attachment w/o opening it, that an infected attachment will not released on my system? That I would actually need to open the attachment, whether from the email or the HDD for it to actually run?

Thanks!!

I'm not saying anything of the sort, all I'm saying is it is unwise to run/open an attachment directly from the email. Whilst avast should scan email attachments upon receipt, but I am a trusting sort (NOT) and you never know what it is that you are trying to open (attempts can be made to try and mask what it is in the attachment.

By saving the attachment to the HDD you aren't opening/running it, it is inert until it is run, but you still have to exercise care. If there is any sort of weird file name, two extensions, etc. (attachment_file_name.exe.txt) or lots of spaces (attachment_file_name.txt                          .exe), avast may alert on these spaces.

But you are a) able to scan it using avast and or upload it to virus total if there is any doubt about the email origin (easy to fake the from email address). For me if there is any doubt about the origin (I would have deleted it in my anti-spam program), or if it came from a mate I would confirm they had sent it and what the attachment was. A healthy dose of suspicion will protect you against a lot of the tricks/scams out there.
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Bub12

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Re: Are My Emails Still Encrypted?
« Reply #18 on: September 10, 2010, 12:04:31 AM »
THANKS DAVIDR! Much appreciated.

I have long been extremely weary of attachments, even from people I know & I agree with everything you said.

Maybe I am slow but I am still a bit confused...

I always thought that if an attachment was in fact malware of sort, that saving it , WITHOUT opening it could also allow it to run. Do you agree or disagree with that?

I still do scan all attachments after saving them however.

Also, Pondus said that Avast scans all attachments, even without opening them.

So, if I am understanding all of the opinions correctly,

-AVAST will scan all attachments
-Just in case AVAST misses something, save it, scan it, then open it
-And, even if the above is happens, you never know



Offline DavidR

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Re: Are My Emails Still Encrypted?
« Reply #19 on: September 10, 2010, 12:28:49 AM »
You're welcome.

1. No simply saving an attachment doesn't run it. Malware has to have either a command to run; usually the registry or another file which knows where it is (and it won't know where 'you' decide to save them). Or they have to trick the user into running/opening it, called social engineering, curiosity. Something like returned email failed delivery (people open the attachment to see why) or the very familiar UPS Invoice or unable to deliver, etc. etc. Without that happening it would sit there like a lump of concrete, inert, until someone/thing opens/runs it.

How do you think avast runs a scan like the right click scan, you right click on the file and select Scan, there is a bit of user and a bit of registry command avast to scan that file. The file that does the scanning is ashQuick.exe which sits inert, until something commands it to scan, malware isn't too much different.

2. I always scan attachments (use the right click scan on them) after I have saved them.

3. Your summation is on the money.
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Offline Pondus

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Re: Are My Emails Still Encrypted?
« Reply #20 on: September 10, 2010, 12:44:35 AM »
Quote
-AVAST will scan all attachments
-Just in case AVAST misses something, save it, scan it, then open it
-And, even if the above is happens, you never know
If the mail shield is on, it will scan incomming/outgoing mails and attachment
- Mail Shield  — Scans messages and attachments in E-mail/Microsoft Outlook/Exchange for viruses.

If you save the attchment to disk, it will be scanned again
- File System Shield — Real-time protection against viruses and other malware threats. Scans files as they run on your computer to keep viruses from being able to execute.

If you open the attachment it will be scanned again
- File System Shield — Real-time protection against viruses and other malware threats. Scans files as they run on your computer to keep viruses from being able to execute.

you see the orange ball turning so avast is watching every move you make  ;) 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avast

Bub12

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Re: Are My Emails Still Encrypted?
« Reply #21 on: September 10, 2010, 04:10:50 AM »
Thank you both very much for you time & detailed replies. It is very much appreciated. Not sure if it was intentional Pondus, but yours had me laughing as well, which is always good!

Never can be too sure with malware  ;)

Take care guys!


Offline DavidR

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Re: Are My Emails Still Encrypted?
« Reply #22 on: September 10, 2010, 04:18:14 AM »
You're welcome.
Windows 10 Home 64bit/ Acer Aspire F15/ Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5GHz, 8GB DDR4 memory, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD/ avast! free 24.2.6105 (build 24.2.8918.824) UI 1.0.799/ Firefox, uBlock Origin, uMatrix/ MailWasher Pro/ Avast! Mobile Security

Bub12

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Re: Are My Emails Still Encrypted?
« Reply #23 on: September 10, 2010, 02:56:39 PM »
DavidR,

Just a couple more questions, if I may...

What's your opinion on the following...

I send attached Word & PDF docs to clients. They intern fill-out & need to return those docs to me. I have always encouraged them to print, & return by fax or in the body of an email so as to avoid opening their attachments. My logic being that if their machines are infected, then that infection MAY corrupt my originally attached docs & when I open them after they are returned to me, my system may be compromised.

Am I being paranoid or practicing safe computing?  :-\

And what would you recommend considering my situation? I have always opened such attachments on my Ubuntu machine but printing then becomes a problem with my set-up & using two machines makes organization more complicated.

Would love to hear your take! Thanks!

Offline DavidR

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Re: Are My Emails Still Encrypted?
« Reply #24 on: September 10, 2010, 04:21:49 PM »
I would say that is possibly a step too far as a) everything out there is potentially infected (don't use the internet) and b) I would have thought that some customers might not be to happy about this practice.

e.g. You email them the document, you didn't fax it, yet you are asking to fax it back rather than use the same communication medium. They have to a) trust your email attachment is clean, b) input their details, c) print the document, d). fax the document (not free, like email). So you are effectively asking them to trust you but not giving them the same consideration backed up by caution.

I don't use Linux/Unix and I don't use Virtualisation or sandboxing. Linux OS for opening attachments doesn't seem of much use as if said documents are word docs, or windows based program files, etc. then any payload couldn't activate so you couldn't be sure one way or an other how it might react under windows.

So you may be best to have some form of VM (Virtual Machine) product or Sandboxing might be better, but I have zero practical experience in either area.

For me a healthy dose of caution and pro-active measures have been enough. The one thing for sure if you haven't got a robust backup and recovery strategy, just in case you get bit and this isn't just for viruses but computer issues in general.
Windows 10 Home 64bit/ Acer Aspire F15/ Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5GHz, 8GB DDR4 memory, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD/ avast! free 24.2.6105 (build 24.2.8918.824) UI 1.0.799/ Firefox, uBlock Origin, uMatrix/ MailWasher Pro/ Avast! Mobile Security

Bub12

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Re: Are My Emails Still Encrypted?
« Reply #25 on: September 10, 2010, 06:18:03 PM »
Thanks!

Quote
So you are effectively asking them to trust you but not giving them the same consideration backed up by caution.

Yes & no...it's not about me not trusting their motives or their character, but rather their computing abilities, as most of the planet doesn't hang out in a AV forums & do not understand & implement internet & pc security to a level that I would find acceptable.

Quote
Linux OS for opening attachments doesn't seem of much use as if said documents are word docs, or windows based program files, etc. then any payload couldn't activate so you couldn't be sure one way or an other how it might react under windows.

Works great when I use Open Source software on Ubuntu & never open the attachments on my Windows machine!  ;)

Thanks again for your 2 cents!

Offline DavidR

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Re: Are My Emails Still Encrypted?
« Reply #26 on: September 10, 2010, 06:26:41 PM »
You're welcome.
Windows 10 Home 64bit/ Acer Aspire F15/ Intel Core i5 7200U 2.5GHz, 8GB DDR4 memory, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD/ avast! free 24.2.6105 (build 24.2.8918.824) UI 1.0.799/ Firefox, uBlock Origin, uMatrix/ MailWasher Pro/ Avast! Mobile Security