Educara Antivirus Filter
Frequently Asked Questions
Educara Email supports anti-virus filtering via the ClamAV application which runs on the Educara Email server. This system provides a highly accurate anti-virus protection at zero cost.
Please use the following Frequently Asked Questions to assist in using the Educara Antivirus Filter. If you require further assistance, please email support@educara.com or call 1-888-833-8227.
NOTE: unless you are under contract with Educara for Enhanced Support services, some fees may apply to telephone support. Support via email is free to all customers with Educara email accounts. If you have no alternate email system, please use the Support Request form at http://www.educara.com/support .
NOTE: Educara is not responsible for loss of any messages or other data due to use of Educara Email services. Please review your services contract and the Services Agreement before using Educara Email, WebMail, SPAM filtering, and Antivirus filtering services.
1. What is a computer virus?
2. What damage can a computer virus do?
3. What do I need to use Educara Email Antivirus filtering? How do I use it?
4. I already have an antivirus program on my computer — why do I need to use Educara Email Antivirus filtering?
5. I can't see the VIRUS folder and I think I'm missing some messages — what do I do?
6. How do I delete infected messages?
7. Ooops — I downloaded an infected message — am I DOOMED?
8. What types of support does Educara offer to help fix infected systems?
9. How may I best punish the evildoers who sent me these diseased files?
1. What is a computer virus?
A computer virus is rogue code that will run on your computer system without your permission. A virus can be delivered via a variety of methods, but one popular means of delivery and infection is via email — especially SPAM.
2. What damage can a computer virus do?
Modern virus infections can range in damage from a minor local annoyance, to complete destruction of your filesystem and infection of other systems via the Internet. Virus infections and related problems ("worms" and "spyware", malware, etc.) can easily cost the Information Technology industry billions of dollars per year.
3. What do I need to use Educara Email Antivirus filtering? How do I use it?
All you need to use Educara Email Antivirus filtering is a valid email account on an Educara server — the server does everything automatically except delete infected messages.
Educara email supports anti-virus filtering via the ClamAV application which runs on the Educara email server. This system provides a highly accurate anti-virus protection at zero cost and provides protection against over 20,000 viruses, worms and trojans. Your email client program must support and be configured for IMAP4 to view messages quaranteened due to anti-virus filtering. If your email client program does not support IMAP4 or is configured for POP3, you can still view filtered virus-carrying messages using Educara WebMail.
Educara Email supports automatic antivirus filtering for all POP3- and IMAP4-configured email profiles. Before a message is delivered to your Inbox, the Educara Email server scans the message and compares it to a constantly-updated database of virus types. If a virus is detected, the ClamAV program will move the file to the VIRUS folder in your account.
4. I already have an antivirus program on my computer — why do I need to use Educara Email Antivirus filtering?
Educara Email Antivirus filtering stops infected files BEFORE they are on your computer and can create a further problem or infect other machines. By using the IMAP4 protocol which stores messages on the email server, Educara Email Antivirus filtering prevents the further spread of such problem code.
Don't shut off or uninstall your other antivirus software — there are other ways for your computer to become infected. Think of Educara Email Antivirus as a first line of defense for email-delivered virus files.
5. I can't see the VIRUS folder and I think I'm missing some messages - what do I do?
Educara Antivirus filtering is functional but filtered infected messages are not available to POP3 users. Educara Antivirus filtering will work for POP3 users but filtered messages are not readily available due to limitations in the POP3 protocol — if your email client program uses POP3 you must view filtered virus-carrying messages using Educara WebMail.
Educara Antivirus filtering can't lose email, because it doesn't delete it, it just moves it from your Inbox to another folder — the VIRUS folder. Messages filtered by Educara Antivirus filtering will stay in the VIRUS folder until you delete them.
6. How do I delete infected messages?
Educara Antivirus filtering doesn't move infected messages to the Trash - it doesn't have permission to destroy even infected messages. Specific instructions for deleting messages vary from email client program to program — see your email client program Help for specific information on deleting messages.
To empty your VIRUS folder, select any or all of the messages in that folder and use the same command to move them to the Trash as you would in your Inbox (consult your email client program Help if you don't know how). Don't open any of the messages before you delete them - the messages may include code that will execute automatically upon opening the message and infect your computer.
Empty your Trash *immediately* after moving infected messages to it.
7. Ooops — I opened/downloaded an infected message — am I DOOMED?
Probably not, but this is why you want those other antivirus, worm, spyware, and malware detection products to remain operative even if you're tickled with Educara Antivirus filtering. We will provide general recommendations for known-good tools for resolving viral infections via email free of charge — please email support@educara.com if you need some pointers.
Educara highly recommends the use of Mozilla Mail, Thunderbird, and other Open Source email programs for the reduction of infection potential vs. proprietary email programs.
8. What types of support does Educara offer to help fix infected systems?
Educara provides complete support for Educara email servers, and limited support for your email client program configuration. Educara does not provide any support for systems infected with virus programs, "worms" and "spyware", malware, etc. without an executed Enhanced Support Agreement. We will provide general recommendations for known-good tools for resolving viral infections via email free of charge — please email support@educara.com and include a description of your problem.
If you experience a problem with Educara email services, we will work with you to confirm that you can:
- connect to the Internet
- start your email client program
- connect to the Educara email server
- log into your Inbox
- retrieve email via WebMail or your email client program
- send email via Webmail or your email client program
Educara does not provide support for your Internet connection, general computer or network operations or other computer operations without an Enhanced Support Agreement. If you require further assistance, please email support@educara.com or call 1-888-833-8227.
NOTE: unless you are under contract with Educara for Enhanced Support services, some fees may apply to telephone support. Support via email is free to all customers with Educara email accounts. If you have no alternate email system, please use the Support Request form at http://www.educara.com/educara.cgi/support.html to request a support call.
9. How may I best punish the evildoers who sent me these diseased files?
Simply put, that is a losing battle. Current email protocols make it difficult to prove where emails come from, much less the origin of attachments or embedded code. Many viral programs will even mimic your best friend's computer and create the appearance that your closest associates are the culprits — when in truth they are just the previous victim.
There's an old saying that living well is the best revenge — protect your system and do everything in your power to prevent infecting other systems. Educara highly recommends the use of Mozilla Mail, Thunderbird, and other Open Source email programs for the reduction of infection potential vs. proprietary email programs.