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Scanning e-Mail Attachments: Do
you even think twice before you download a picture, music file or video clip that
comes attached in an e-mail from a trusted family member or friend? Im guessing
you don't, but I'm sure you'll start after you hear what I have to say next. Brace
yourself! Malicious software can easily hide itself in documents and media files
and if you happen to open one of those on your computer, it could become infected
as well. Yikes! Because
of that, its very important to scan the attachments before you open them.
Now, most e-mail programs do a preliminary check, but as Im sure you know,
no system is fool proof. So, that's why Im bringing you a free service today
called www.VirusTotal.com
that allows you to scan your e-mails for complete safety! 1.)
The next time you get an e-mail containing a file that looks suspicious, here's
what you should do.

2.)
First, forward the e-mail to this address: scan@virustotal.com 3.)
Now, clear out the body of the message and on the subject line, type in SCAN. 4.)
Send the e-mail and within a short while, you will receive a message that looks
similar to this:

5.)
As you can see, the report lists several antivirus scanners and it shows whether
or not the scanner detected any threats. In my sample file, nothing was found,
so I knew it was safe to download it. Note:
www.VirusTotal.com
is a very trustworthy and reliable service, but I don't recommend using it for
any documents you receive from a known contact that contain sensitive information.
Instead, download the file and scan it using your regular antivirus software.
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WorldStart.com.
All unauthorized reproduction strictly prohibited.
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