MailSafe alert

MailSafe alerts let you know that ZoneAlarm security software has quarantined a potentially dangerous attachment to an incoming e-mail message. By clicking OK, you're not letting anything into your computer.

Why these alerts occur

MailSafe alerts can occur due to violations of Inbound or Outbound MailSafe protection settings. For example, an Inbound violation occurs when you open an e-mail that has an attachment whose filename extension is on the list of extensions to be quarantined in the E-mail Protection | Attachments panel. In such a case, the alert informs you that ZoneAlarm security software has changed the extension to prevent the attachment from being opened without warning. A violation of Outbound MailSafe protection settings, such as an e-mail that has too many recipients, or too many e-mails within a short time, can cause a MailSafe alert to occur.

What you should do

How you respond to MailSafe alerts depends upon whether the alert was caused by a violation of Inbound or Outbound MailSafe protection settings.

If the alert was caused by an Inbound MailSafe violation, do the following:

Examine the e-mail message carefully. Are you sure it's from someone you know and trust? Remember, hackers can fake e-mail messages so that they look like they are from a friend. Also, if a friend has accidentally opened a file containing an e-mail worm, that worm may have sent itself to you, using your friend's e-mail program.
Contact the sender by telephone or e-mail before opening the attachment to make sure the message is genuine.
Open the attachment only if you are certain the attachment is harmless. You can open the attachment by clicking the quarantine icon (which replaces the normal file icon).

When you try to open a quarantined attachment, ZoneAlarm security software will display a warning dialog box to remind you that the attachment is potentially dangerous.

If the alert was caused by an Outbound MailSafe violation, do the following:

Examine the alert carefully. Does the activity noted describe actions you were recently performing? If so, you may want to modify your Outbound MailSafe settings to better accommodate your needs. See Outbound MailSafe protection . If not, the alert may be the result of a virus on your computer. In this case deny the outbound e-mails, then scan your computer with an anti-virus program.
Verify that your e-mail address is listed on the approved sender's list. If you selected the if the sender's e-mail is not in this list option, and if your e-mail either is not on that list or is misspelled, add your valid e-mail address to the list.

How to see fewer of these alerts

Outbound MailSafe Protection is an important part of your Internet security system, and we recommend leaving it on. However, if you are getting a lot of these messages in error, you may want to adjust the sensitivity of the feature or turn it off. See Outbound MailSafe protection .