Mail Shield - Settings

Manage these settings from: ☰ Menu ▸ Settings ▸ Protection ▸ Core Shields

From the Mail Shield settings menu, you can reconfigure the default Mail Shield settings. Mail Shield is an additional layer of active protection in Avast Antivirus, and scans your incoming and outgoing email messages in real-time for malicious content. Scanning applies only to messages sent or received using mail management software (email clients, such as Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird). If you access your web-based email account via an internet browser, your PC is protected by other antivirus shields. Configure the following Mail Shield settings (all Mail Shield settings are enabled by default):

General Core Shields Settings

In the Core Shields settings section you can configure the main components of Avast Antivirus. Manage the following settings for all Core Shields:

  • Enable or disable Core Shields: all Core Shields are enabled by default. To disable Core Shields temporarily for troubleshooting purposes, click the (ON) slider so that it changes to (OFF), and select the amount of time you want Core Shields to be disabled. We strongly recommend avoiding the Stop indefinitely option.
  • Define Core defense sensitivity: use the slider to define the real-time sensitivity level of Core Shields (medium sensitivity is selected by default).
  • Define action: select the tab for a specific type of malware. The tabs are: Viruses, PUPs (Potentially unwanted programs), and Archived Viruses. Select the action that Avast will perform when that type of malware is detected. We recommend selecting Fix automatically for all three types of virus discovery.

To simply manage Core Shields go to Protection ▸ Core Shields. Read more...

Detection Behavior Settings

In this settings section, define behavior settings for all Core Shields

  • Enable CyberCapture Technology (enabled by default): define how you want to treat a threat on your PC. You can select Always block a threat (selected by default) or Ask me about decision to receive a notification every time a threat is detected on your PC.
  • Enable Hardened Mode: allows Avast to increase the security of your PC. This setting is recommended for inexperienced users.
  • Enable Rootkit detection: increases detection for known rootkit software.
  • Enable Exploit detection: increases detection for vulnerable software and exploit attacks.

Mail Shield settings

  • Enable Mail Shield (enabled by default): allows you to temporarily disable Mail Shield for troubleshooting purposes. We do not recommend disabling it indefinitely.
  • Scan inbound emails (POP3, IMAP4): allows Mail Shield to scan all emails you receive through your email client.
  • Scan outbound emails (SMTP): allows Mail Shield to scan all emails you send through your email client.
  • Insert note into clean message (outgoing): informs recipients that the email you sent does not contain malware.
  • Mark in subject of mail containing a virus: tags emails with the subject line **VIRUS** if the email contains malware. You can also specify your own tag in the text box.
  • Scan attachment when attaching (MS Outlook only): scans attachments before the email is sent.
  • Generate report file (enabled by default): allows Mail Shield to create a report of every scan result. While troubleshooting issues with Avast Support, you may be asked to provide a report file.

To simply manage Mail Shield go to Protection ▸ Core shields. Read more...