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Thread: Really Silly Thought

  1. #1
    Senior Member michaeln's Avatar
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    Really Silly Thought

    Today I had a really silly thought. I got an email with an attachment from an unknown source and as usual nowadays it was a virus (AVG Virus checker spotted it).

    Then this silly thought landed. Do ISP's scan their email storage areas for virus attachments? If not, why not. It seems to me that as the majority of virus files are now transmitted via email, how come thay can freely travel around the globe without being detected at ISP level. I know that they only become active when the attachment is activated but it seems to me that it would not be beyond the bounds of possibility to develop a system that would screen these in transit.

    This must be a really silly idea as 1) I thought of it, 2) Sounds too simple.

    Someone set me straight.

  2. #2
    Gone
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    No, it isnt a silly thought at all. Yes some do check the mail, my ISP does. But then I also have a Hotmail account aswell and there is no virus scan on that one. Kinda funny isnt it. I mean my poor arsed ISP provider can provide such a great service for free yet rich bill gates's M$ Hotmail cant. Just like he can steal software but if you do he will sue your poor ****.

  3. #3
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    Makes great sense to me... the only downside I would imagine... from the IP's perspective... is the IP (mail) server's CPU time used to do the scans, given the large volume of mail handled. Even so, I would think these sorts of things could be worked out.

    Hope someone at the IP management/technical level picks up on this thread, and can enlighten us all.

    jmichna

  4. #4
    Gone Fishin' ukulele's Avatar
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    Mine now checks it too and is soon planning to offer anti-spam service. I don't know how it will work but I am anxious to see.

  5. #5
    I got pie!!! Ammok's Avatar
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    If they were held liable for the damage the virus does, I bet every email would be scanned a dozen times before being passed on. Additionally, the anti-virus market would plummet as most of infections are passed on this way.

    I scan my own with NAV.
    Life is a bowl of cherries

  6. #6
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    i thought hotmail did scan its email, doesnt it use mcafee?
    Joe

  7. #7
    Gone
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    I dont know but this year alone I got 3 viruses all from my hotmail acount so if they do they dont keep it updated on time. Now I use the AVG to check it first. But then AVG always found it anyhow when I did a manual scan, I just dont like the idea of it being on their reaking havoc untill I figure something is wrong.

  8. #8
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    i got an email with and attachmetn the email said
    hey i need your opinion for something. then there was an attachment so being a dumba## i tried to dl it but hotmail said it was a known virus and wouldnt let me open the attachment . anyway thats like my only virus encounter.



    btw your up late P4 its a little past 1:00 am here
    btw also in PA

    (its late i forgot about profanity )
    Joe

  9. #9
    Senior Member michaeln's Avatar
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    There are some good thoughts here. What a virus needs is a means of distribution. At the moment that is satisfied by the Internet much more so than any other means. The primary mechanism seems to me to be email attachments.

    I noted some time ago that a UK based ISP was successfully sued in Court because some defamatory material was posted onto a NewsGroup that they were hosting. The material did not originate in the UK as far as I am aware however the Court ruled that the ISP did not take enough steps to enure such matrial was not published via their service.

    I can see a day when some corporate entity takes an action against an ISP for allowing a virus through their systems. As a service provider I would imagine that they owe a duty of care to their clients and it could be argued that by passing an email that contains a virus onto a client they could be deemed to be negligent.

    Any views on this?

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