How can I prevent getting a virus infection from an email

Solution- Unauthorised Access
Tools and Services: Avast, Tails OS, Virtualbox, Whonix

There are many solutions here, varying in their degree of difficulty to implement. Protecting your email from malware (malicious software, including viruses) begins with protecting your computer from viruses. You need to be extra vigilant when opening an email and, whenever possible, switch off the email preview function.

What follows is a list of steps, by degree of difficulty, you could take to reduce the risk of viruses infecting your primary computer systems and files:

1. Don't open suspicious messages and attachments. Write back to the sender to confirm their intention
2. Install an anti-Virus, anti-malware tool
3. Keep all your software up-to-date
4. Don't use pirate (or cracked) software
5. Use an email account from a provider that scans messages for malware before you receive them
6. Switch to using a Linux operating system or better still, use Tails
7. Consider running a virtual machine, better if with Whonix, to isolate potential infection from email and third party devices within it

To learn more, refer to the Security in-a-box malware guide or the Surveillance Self Defense page on How Do I Protect Myself Against Malware?

• Parent: I want to be protected from malicious emails / Email /