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Virus Filtering

FAQ

1. What about encrypted mail or password protected zip files?

Because the whole point of this kind of technology is to prevent unauthorized access, scanning of encrypted mail and certain kinds of protected attachments is not possible. The likelihood of Virus infection is low however, since only someone you know would have reason to send this type of mail.

2. Can I use a different setting for my additional addresses or aliases?

Since an alias is not a truly separate address, but rather just a pointer to the parent account. Thus, your main address and associated alias will share the same Virus Filter settings. Additional mailboxes, however, are separate entities and thus can be assigned different filtering settings.

3. I already have Antivirus software on my computer, why should I pay for the GOL Virus Filter?

A.1) 

Having a virus filtering service will almost certainly decrease the amount of mail that would be sent to your mailbox as a result of a virus. Therefore preventing your mailbox from being overloaded with potentially hundreds of unwanted emails. (As was the case with the recent Sobig.F virus).

A.2) 

GOL recommends that everyone use some type of Antivirus software as a last line of defense but why risk letting dangerous virus-infected mails reach your machine at all? GOL's Virus Filter is updated with new definitions hourly and will block viruses before they even touch your mailbox. You can feel secure that no matter where you open your mail from, the risk of infection is at the absolute minimum.

4. What is the difference between the Virus Filter and the SPAM Filter?

Although the gap between Viruses and SPAM is becoming narrower, (one could argue that a lot of viruses are distributed via SPAM-like E-mail), the fact is that most SPAM, although incredibly irritating, is harmless to your computer and that a lot of virus-infected mail can easily slide past a SPAM filter. That being the case, it is accurate to say that by only filtering viruses, you would still receive a lot of SPAM and by the same token, only filtering SPAM would still leave you susceptible to a lot of viruses.

5. What happens to the e-mail when it is caught by the Virus Filter or the SPAM Filter?

Depends on the circumstances: In the case of a virus, the mail will be bounced back to the source UNLESS it is a virus that is known to forge sender information (in which case is it dropped (i.e. deleted). For SPAM, in most cases it will be sent back to the sender provided that the return address is valid.

6. How do I apply for the Virus filter service?

For new customers, the service application can be found during the online sign-up For existing customers the service application is available at the GOL member's station.

7. If I am a new customer and I signup for a GOL account and this service, is the service ON by default.

No. By default the services are OFF for any new accounts that are created. To turn the services ON, please proceed to the Member's Station., enter UserID and password, and then proceed to the Spam and Virus section.

8. Where is the control panel to operate the Virus Filter?

The simple Virus Filtering control panel is located in the Member's Station.