How much does "Dr. Web" really do?

[Cocoa]

When you run "Dr. Web" on an email's link, and it gives you a "clean bill of health" on that link, is that link totally safe, or can a link seem to be safe, but have a hidden addenda and attack bug, which to hit a target's OS with a computer bug?

[oz]

When you run "Dr. Web" on an email's link, and it gives you a "clean bill of health" on that link, is that link totally safe, or can a link seem to be safe, but have a hidden addenda and attack bug, which to hit a target's OS with a computer bug?

I've never used it (or even heard of it for that matter), and I'm not at all likely to use it, but there is no such thing as "totally safe".

[Cocoa]

https ://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/938/

[oz]

Thanks... went there and took a look but have no interest in that at all. Hope it works out really well for you, though.

If you are worried about security, you can take a look at this short guide to Linux security to see if it might help you decide which security apps to run with Linux, if any:

http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/sec...-security.html

Good luck to you with Linux, and security!

[tg3793]

I've never heard of it either. I'm a Clamshell user myself. Though not 'too' concerned with viruses since I'm running Linux. Not sure however what the chance is I could pass on something to a windows user. Hadn't thought about that in a while.

[Cocoa]

Just had a funny thought on your comment, "not passing a virus onto a windows user".
If you added a signature to your emails, "If there happens to be a dangerous bug in my emails that totally destroys your computer's windows operating system, this would be a good time to switch to a Linux OS".


I've been running Dr. Web on every strange email I open, but it hasn't found a single dirty one yet.
Maybe I'm just wasting my time with this security check? I don't know for sure. But if it one day prevents an OS killer bug, then it was worth it.

[tg3793]

Just had a funny thought on your comment, "not passing a virus onto a windows user".

Yeah I had a funny thought when I wrote that one. I imagined myself being infectious and sitting too close to Windows users

[Jonathan183]

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/938/

The review on the page you posted a link to indicates there can still be problems.
My approach is ...

• run clamav as a manual scan every now and again
• use claws-mail and use the default - not rendering html
• never follow links on emails - copy and paste into browser if I need to
• run noscript add-in for firefox & only enable scripts for sites I really need to
• run rkhunter and chkrootkit every now & then