How to Filter Email Attachments

Set up filters in your email preferences to block potentially unsafe attachment files.

Attachments are files uploaded to an email message, and should always be opened with caution due to the potential for viruses. Documents, music and images are common email attachments, and are displayed in the email message as a paper clip icon to indicate an attachment is included. While these files are usually harmless, other attachments such as programs (.exe files) from both known and unknown senders are hazardous to your computer's health. Fortunately, you can set up filters in your email program to block specific types of attachments, or block all attachments for the highest level of security.

Instructions

Outlook Express Filters

1. Launch the Outlook Express program on your computer, and click the Tools menu at the top of the program.

2. Click "Options" in the Tools pull-down menu. Click the Security tab.

3. Click the check-box next to "Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus."

4. Click "OK" to save the changes to the mail settings.

Apple Mail Attachment Filtering

1. Click the Mail application icon on your desktop dock, and click the Mail menu. Click "Preferences" and click the "Rules" icon.

2. Click "Add Rule" and click the first drop-down menu, located on the left of the Add Rules window.

3. Click "Any attachment name" from the drop-down menu, and click the middle drop-down menu.

4. Click "contains" from the menu and enter the name or file type you want to filter from your email account.

5. Click the drop-down menu below "Perform the following action" and click "Delete message" to erase the message from your mail account. Click "OK" to save and apply the new rule.

References

• James Madison University: Outlook Express Attachment Blocking
• Apple: Support - Mail 4.0 Help - Changing the Junk Mail Filter