Email Scanning For Viruses

A few days ago I bought BD Antivirus plus after looking at the the excellent reviews it was getting on the net. This link http://anti-spyware-review.toptenreviews.com/ shows it as the number one product out there. As you can see it shows one of the features to be Email Scanning. I naturally assumed it was email scanning for viruses since it was an antivirus product. After installing it and talking with support I found that this product did not scan emails for viruses and that I needed the Antispam feature which came with the Internet Security version of the product. So after a little negotiation BD agreed to upgrade me to the IS version. I tried to explain to them that Antispam is not the same as scanning emails for viruses but they insisted that the IS version would do what I needed it to do.

After installing the IS version I find that BD is still not scanning my incoming and outgoing emails for viruses but I can manage my friends and spammers list which is good but not what I was asking for.

CAN BD scan emails for Viruses or not? If not I will have to go with another product that can. I tried to get hold of top 10 reviews to tell them that they are misrepresenting BD but we will see if they take scanning emails off of their list that says BD Antivirus Plus can scan emails or not. I know its not BD's fault that top 10 reviews has incorrect information but it has caused me a little grief. :wacko:

I am using Outlook for my email so it should not be a problem to scan emails. Many antivirus products scan emails.

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Comments

LittleLion

Okay, I found where the settings are for email scanning. On this product (BD Internet Security - Build 17.15.0.682) under Antivirus Settings - Custom - Modify - Traffic Scan, you can tell it to scan your incoming and outgoing emails. But, it is just a click box, how does it know what email client I am using if there are no settings for it? Was this same setting on my previous version of BD Antivirus Plus? If so, I guess there needs to be people in support that know the difference between email scanning and email Anti-spam.

There is no indication that scanning is taking place which does not give me a warm fuzzy feeling! :unsure:

antikythera

Okay, I found where the settings are for email scanning. On this product (BD Internet Security - Build 17.15.0.682) under Antivirus Settings - Custom - Modify - Traffic Scan, you can tell it to scan your incoming and outgoing emails. But, it is just a click box, how does it know what email client I am using if there are no settings for it? Was this same setting on my previous version of BD Antivirus Plus? If so, I guess there needs to be people in support that know the difference between email scanning and email Anti-spam.

There is no indication that scanning is taking place which does not give me a warm fuzzy feeling!

doesn't matter what client, it monitors port activity and scans incoming files (traffic) for viruses.

LittleLion

doesn't matter what client, it monitors port activity and scans incoming files (traffic) for viruses.

Okay understood. But because the online chat support did not know this I gave up some time on my subscription to upgrade to a client I did not need. Since you say all clients do email scanning, or more correctly port scanning, which would mean port 110 and port 25 for emails. Also the users guide PDF that online chat support directed me to did not explain what you so simply did. The next version of this product needs to address the fact that there is no indication that this is happening. Most antivirus products insert something in the email to say it has been scanned and by what version of the database it used. This gives customers a nice warm fuzzy feeling.

Also, Online chat support needs to be better versed in the product they are supporting. :blink:

antikythera

Antivirus plus can scan emails for viruses/malware. The only additional benefit with Internet Security would be the spam filtering. The live chat agent obviously misunderstood you unfortunately.

By client I mean email program (i.e. Outlook, Thunderbird etc.) not which version of security package. Email programs are referred to as clients in the industry so sorry for any confusion that may have caused.

The exception to the rule for email scanning via port traffic is of course webmail accounts but anything from those should be picked up by realtime antivirus scanning.

sirstrider

Antivirus plus can scan emails for viruses/malware. The only additional benefit with Internet Security would be the spam filtering. The live chat agent obviously misunderstood you unfortunately.

By client I mean email program (i.e. Outlook, Thunderbird etc.) not which version of security package. Email programs are referred to as clients in the industry so sorry for any confusion that may have caused.

The exception to the rule for email scanning via port traffic is of course webmail accounts but anything from those should be picked up by realtime antivirus scanning.

[hmmmm, meant to hit Reply, not Quote]

I am running Total Security 2013, Windows 7 Pro, Outlook 2013. I have NEVER had an email caught coming in that had a virus (that I know of), so I doubt the port scanning. Perhaps I could increase the severity of the settings, but right now running in "Autopilot".

However, an Antivirus "System" scan initiated manually does find viruses in my PST files - and I have 4 very large PST files. It then tells me it could do nothing with them, so I have to then manually delete the offending emails - twice - once to move it to the "Deleted" folder, and once to permanently delete it. Each can be difficult to do because of the limitations of Windows 7, the Search Indexer, and Outlook - with very large systems and large PST files (multi-gigabyte each) - well, that's another story. Windows 7 search on very large systems, well, ###### (can I even say that here? guess not, well, think of black holes and what they do), and interferes with Outlook and Explorer when manipulating emails or files, respectively.

The point is, a manual scan does find emails with viruses, but they have obviously entered without being detected. I have not yet found out what BD is supposed to do with infected incoming email under Outlook - can someone point me to that answer? I know it says BD will mark SPAM with "SPAM" in the subject - it does not.

And as to SPAM - a whole different topic as someone mentioned - I have found that antiSPAM works about 10% of the time, has many bugs, and is missing several basic features - for a different post.

LittleLion

I am running Total Security 2013, Windows 7 Pro, Outlook 2013. I have NEVER had an email caught coming in that had a virus (that I know of), so I doubt the port scanning. Perhaps I could increase the severity of the settings, but right now running in "Autopilot".

That is terrible. I mean any basic Antivirus program should scan everything coming into your computer including emails. antikythera said that it scans the ports real time so theoretically if a virus is in an email it should find it. But you said you have viruses in your Outlook pst which means that the virus evaded the port traffic which is not good at all. Also theoretically if you open an email attachment with any version of BD it should catch a virus real time. Since the online chat support did not know what I was even talking about I don't get a good feeling about this product. :huh:

I really don't know if I should keep using this product or try another product. The research I did said this was the best but I'm wondering now. :blink:

bitter150

That is terrible. I mean any basic Antivirus program should scan everything coming into your computer including emails.

Maybe it depends of mail technique used?

Is BD scanning emails received over secured connection too (SSL/TLS)?

LittleLion

Maybe it depends of mail technique used?

Is BD scanning emails received over secured connection too (SSL/TLS)?

From what I gather it does not scan emails through a secured connection. I have not received an answer from an engineer as of yet so I have nothing definitive. But I would assume that since sirstrider found viruses in his outlook pst running a manual scan, and generally anyone using Oulook does not use SSL/TLS, that the virus made it past the email port checking of BD. I understand without knowing all the details it is hard to say. I am generally very impressed with BD and there are "issues" with all software be it security or what have you.

I am just concerned when I cannot get an answer from a tech or an engineer that knows the software inside and out. Online chat support could not help me. I have not tried toll free support as of yet. These guys have been around since before 2001 and have had success in commercial enterprises. It seems like the home user gets the short end of the stick. I know I know I complain. I just want to talk with someone that knows the product. I don't think that is too much to ask.

bitter150

Additional hint:

If editing received mail's header, there are some Bitdefender entries shown, if mail has been processed through BD:

X-BitdefenderWKS-SpamStamp: Build: [Engines: 2.14.1.17132, Dats:

253051, Stamp: 3], Multi: [Enabled], BW: [Enabled], RBL DNSBL: [Not

found], APM: [Not found], SGN: [Not found], URL: [Not found], URI

DNSBL: [Not found], SQMD: [Not found], RTDA: [Enabled, Hit: No,

Details: v1.6.3; Id: 2m3khcd.182f3qrsk.oj1rt], total: 0(775)

X-BitdefenderWKS-Spam: No - 0

(From BD-IS-2014)

antikythera

yeah that is the antispam adding the header info.

okay, just tested it by sending myself the eicar test from my hotmail. this is what I got instead in my inbox. hotmail address blanked out on here by me but was shown in outlook 2007 SP3. I use pop/smtp.

Bitdefender detected and blocked an infected message addressed to you. Your computer has NOT been infected.

E-mail subject:

From: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

VirusName: Trojan.******.3678

Virus Description: http://www.bitdefender.com/vfind/?q=Trojan.******.3678

Action taken: blocked and deleted

This message was generated by the Bitdefender Scanner running on your computer. Please do not reply to this e-mail.

Kind regards,

The Bitdefender Team

LittleLion

Additional hint: If editing received mail's header, there are some Bitdefender entries shown, if mail has been processed through BD:

Very nice, Thank you.

okay, just tested it by sending myself the eicar test from my hotmail. this is what I got instead in my inbox. hotmail address blanked out on here by me but was shown in outlook 2007 SP3. I use pop/smtp.

Very Very Nice, Thank you much.

I appreciate both of you taking the time to do this. BD could make things a little more plain so people do not need to take the time to prove out the software. On the other hand it is nice to prove it yourself I suppose. Thanks again.

antikythera

On the other hand it is nice to prove it yourself I suppose

partly why I did it, for own sanity

LittleLion

partly why I did it, for own sanity

10-4 I understand. What I don't understand is why support did not know the difference between scanning emails for critters and spam. I still don't know if I actually had to upgrade to Internet Security to get email scanning or not. I'm guessing not. I'm thinking Antivirus Plus had it all along. :blink:

columbo

10-4 I understand. What I don't understand is why support did not know the difference between scanning emails for critters and spam. I still don't know if I actually had to upgrade to Internet Security to get email scanning or not. I'm guessing not. I'm thinking Antivirus Plus had it all along.

I wanted to interject what an excellent thread this has been between the 4 of you, very insightful and good detective work, and your above assumption gave me the chance to post and mention it

Your right, the AV scanner does scan incoming and outgoing emails with the AV+, the Suite and Total security having the Antispam Toolbar and its features.

LittleLion

Your right, the AV scanner does scan incoming and outgoing emails with the AV+, the Suite and Total security having the Antispam Toolbar and its features.

<img class= " /> That's what I figured. Oh well, live and learn. After researching I know that this is one of the best AV engines out there. I just didn't know that It would be so difficult to find out about email scanning. I have used Spyware Doctor with AV for the past 5 years but PCTools is discontinuing their security suite so I had to go looking for a replacement. I am glad that I picked BD! Thanks to antikythera, bitter150 and you columbo for the help.