E-mail Security: 'Open' versus ' properties > details > Source of the Message'

I receive e-mail as 'text only' and I have junk/malware filters of my e-mail service as well as filter for Windows Mail and Security Essentials but it sill of some messages that I have to think before opening/removal.

The audit of these suspicious emails I often use properties > details > Source to have a look at the content of the Message.
Is it really any more sure that simply open the email?

Concerning
Tom

In my humble OPINION, you're being a bit paranoid. The days where everything just to open an email and have a virus or other malware infecting your machine are almost completed. There is always the possibility of infection when opening attachments or clicking on a link, of course. Web - bots to check that an address is real are still possible, but you won't see that in plain text, and I think that spammers almost gave up on it because they don't care whether the spam goes to a real address. It's just extra work.

With respect to the verification of the source of the message, I guess we sleep, but it is also indicative of the source code if there is an attachment. I've been in the forums of e-mail since 2003 and back that up now, I don't remember anyone ever mentioning be infected simply by opening an e-mail.

There are a few programs that will allow you to view your messages without opening them, but you'll have to Google that all the specific names escape me at the moment.

You are much more likely to catch a Trojan horse or any other type of Malware, simply by using the Internet. If you do not have these programs in your arsenal, I highly recommend them.

Download the free versions of these programs.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
http://Malwarebytes.org/

SpywareBlaster
http://download.CNET.com/SpywareBlaster/3000-8022_4-10196637.html

Malwarebytes is the most important. The free version is not a real time protection, but if you get one of these Trojan horses masking as a Virus Scan that starts the download of the program and cannot be stopped, it will almost certainly remove it with a complete analysis. I run once a week just for kicks.

Bruce Hagen
MS - MVP October 1, 2004 ~ September 30, 2010
Imperial Beach, CA

Tags: Windows

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