Gmail safety

[awxb]

I hope I'm writing this in the correct board, so here goes my quesiton. 

 

I got a chat message on gmail from a friend of mine who sent me some XXX photos. I never change the default settings so gmail automatically showed the pics when I clicked on the unread e-mail. I'm always worried about getting some sort of spyware, so that's why I am wondering if it's possible to get some malicious code from just seeing the pic that gmail showed, or am I being to paranoid.

 

Malware bytes didn't detect anything, though.

 

Thanks in advance.

[David H. Lipman]

"GMail safety" is an oxymoron.

 

If you were concerned with safety, you wouldn't be using GMail !

 

Malwarebytes is not an anti virus.  Malarebytes is a non-viral anti malware solution that does not interact with a Browser dealing with malware of the scripted and erxploits types that a traditional anti virus targets and deals with.

 

One can get malicious code with *any* email message and using Webmail to access email enhances that risk.  Using an email client reduces that risk.

 

To minimize the risk make sure you are using a fully installed anti virus application in conjunction with Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware (MBAM) and use an email client and not Webmail.

[awxb]

Malwarebytes is not an anti virus.  Malarebytes is a non-viral anti malware solution that does not interact with a Browser dealing with malware of the scripted and erxploits types that a traditional anti virus targets and deals with.

I realise that and also have a realtime AV protection. What I meant by Malwarebytes not detecting anything is making a full system scan after that.

[David H. Lipman]

That presumes that an executable file was downloaded and placed on a computer.

 

The anti virus application will perform an "On Access" scan of the web content which includes, but is not limited to;  HTML, JavaScirpts (.JS) and Java Scripting, exploit code and other constructs associated with a Webmail access to email.  For example an email client can be instructed view all email in "Plain Text" and not render HTML based email messages.  Webmail by definition is access email via a Browser thus will always render email in HTML and thus provides less protection against malicious email.  It is the anti virus software that will scan the web page data for malicious scripting and exploit code.  Thus is relation to this subject matter, it is the anti virus application that is providing the primary detection and protection.  MBAM's added layer is if malicious code is used, not detected, and you were subject to a successful exploitation and a file being dropped on the computer as a "payload".  In that case it is either the AV or MBAM or both will detect the file but hopefully not a situation where both the AV and MBAM have failed to detect the malicious code and the dropped payload.