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DoverPARon
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59 Messages

Saturday, April 23rd, 2022 12:23 AM

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Scan Email For Virus or Malware While Still On Comcast Server

I have searched thru the findings you search option provides but could not find any that answer my question.

Basically, is there a way of scanning a potentially harmful email and/or email attachment while the email is still within the Comcast email system?  For instance, if I download it to my PC email program, I can look at the properties and then run a Microsoft virus scan on "just" the file name of that email on my harddrive.  My concern though is having to download it to my PC email before being able to scan it. Am I missing this potential benefit within my account or is it simply not an option?

Thanks!

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2 years ago

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Expert

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31K Messages

3 years ago

@DoverPARon 

Comcast scans all incoming email for viruses.

What email program are you using and what is your AV?

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DoverPARon

Contributor

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59 Messages

3 years ago

I use Microsoft Defender

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wmark154

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1 Message

2 years ago

I have the same question.   Am dealing with an elderly family member who is an Xfinity customer who cannot resist opening email attachments for "You've won a new Iphone". etc.   Recently had his computer compromised in a ransomware attack.    

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CCAshley1

Official Employee

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746 Messages

Hi, i think setting up an email filter would be best for this situation. Here are the instructions below:

 

You can also set up multiple email filters with your Comcast email account. An email filter can help sort your messages into different folders, such as folders for all family or work emails.

 

There are two parts to a filter: the condition, which determines if an email is affected by the filter, and the action, which determines what to do with the email.

 

Create an Email Filter

  1. In Xfinity Connect, click the Gear icon on the top-right of the navigation bar, then click Email Settings.
  2. Select Filter Rules under Mail, and then select Add new rule.
  3. Enter a name for the filter in the Rule name field
  4. Click Add condition to choose the criteria you want to filter.
  5. Click Contains to select the parameters of the filter. Check that the logic used is correct.
  6. Fill in the word or phrase you want to filter.
  7. Under Actions, click Add action. Choose what you want to happen to the applicable email(s).
  8. Depending on the selection, continue to fill out the actions you want to apply to the filtered email.
  9. A single filter can have multiple conditions and actions for how a message will be classified. Be sure that the logic is consistent for the outcome you want, and that the conditions and actions do not contradict.
  10. Click the trash icon to delete a filter Condition or Action.
  11. Click Save to save your filter.
  12. Back at the Mail Filter Rules page, you can also choose Edit to modify the filter rules or Disable to turn off the filter. Click the trash icon to delete the filter.

 

I no longer work for Comcast.

I am an Official Xfinity Employee.
Official Employees are from multiple teams within Xfinity: CARE, Product, Leadership.
We ask that you post publicly so people with similar questions may benefit from the conversation.
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2 years ago

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flatlander3

Problem Solver

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1.5K Messages

2 years ago

An email filter as suggested by Xfinity above will be worthless.  You won't know where it's coming from, or what to scan for.  If you use imap or pop3, you're still downloading it.  Their network does blackhole some viruses at the MTA level when they are received like .vbs and .exe attachments, but they're not going to catch everything either and it's not going to work on email links -- you can exploit/hijack yourself by clicking on them.  That, and social media are the most common attack vectors.

Avast anti-virus is free (google).  Oh, the free version has a lot of nags trying to get you to upgrade it and pay, and it's confusing for some people trying to click past them to stay on the free version, but it does come with an email scanner that is on by default.  Then your inbound email will at least pass through another filter.  It's got a web shield too.

Will it catch everything?  Nope.  It's windows.  It's exploited so often, they just do quarterly patches and lump a bunch together.  New ones every day!

Better would be to use an OS other than windows.  Linux or BSD.   Better separation between the OS and the User permissions.  There's just less to exploit, and when it is, the damage is usually just what a user account can do.  Use an unprivileged user account for daily stuff.  Better privacy too.  I'd say Chrome OS because it's harder to install malicious software, but they're soooo creepy and the OS is designed to steal personal information -- that's their business model.

(edited)

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Again

Expert

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31K Messages

@flatlander3​ 

And @wmark154's elderly family member will certainly know how to use Linux or BSD.  😕

Windows Security has a ransomware set up for file recovery on One Drive.  Just and FYI.

I am not a Comcast Employee.
I am a Customer Expert volunteering my time to help other customers here in the Forums.
We ask that you post publicly so people with similar questions may benefit from the conversation.

Was your question answered? Please mark an Accepted Answer!tick

2 years ago

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flatlander3

Problem Solver

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1.5K Messages

@Again​  I disagree with that.  An elderly family member might not and probably does not know how windows works either.  What difference would it make if it's Chrome OS or Linux or anything else? 

Boot.  Check email.  Use the web.  Maybe an office program.  They are all point and click graphical interfaces.  For the Bonus round?  Linux can run in a kiosk mode as an unprivileged user so it only has rather large icons to click https://mir-server.io/docs/make-a-secure-ubuntu-web-kiosk .  That actually isn't a bad idea either if there are issues.  A network boot thin client is another way.  Then there is really nothing to lose, it's running in RAM. 

World of information at everyone's finger tips.

(edited)

2 years ago

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