Email Security Scan Automation

TL;DR

This guide shows you how to automatically scan your personal email for threats like phishing links and malware using free tools and services. It’s about making your inbox safer with minimal effort.

Scanning Your Email Automatically

1. Choose an Email Security Service: Several options exist, each with different features. Some popular choices include:
   • VirusTotal: Excellent for checking individual links and files.
   • MailGuard: Offers a free email scanning service (limited).
   • SpamTitan: Provides basic spam filtering and threat detection.
   • Sophos Home: Free antivirus with email protection features.
2. Set up Email Forwarding: Most services require you to forward your emails to a specific address they provide. This is how they scan your inbox.
   • Gmail:
     1. Go to Settings > See all settings
     2. Click the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
     3. Click Add a forwarding address.
     4. Enter the email address provided by your chosen security service. You’ll need to verify it via a confirmation email.
     5. Select Forward a copy of incoming mail to… and choose the service’s address from the dropdown.
   • Outlook:
     1. Go to Settings > View all Outlook settings > Mail > Forwarding.
     2. Enable forwarding and enter the service’s email address.
   • Other Providers: Check your email provider’s help documentation for instructions on setting up email forwarding. Search for “email forwarding” + [your email provider name].
3. Configure Service Settings (if applicable): Some services allow you to customize how they handle threats.
   • VirusTotal: You can submit files and URLs directly via their website or API. Automatic forwarding is the easiest method for regular scanning.
   • MailGuard/SpamTitan: Check their settings for options like quarantine, blocking senders, and reporting.
   • Sophos Home: Configure email protection within the Sophos Home dashboard.
4. Test the Forwarding: Send a test email to your own address. Check if it arrives at the security service’s inbox.
   • If it doesn’t arrive, double-check your forwarding settings and ensure you verified the forwarding address correctly.
5. Review Reports: Regularly check the reports provided by the security service to see if any threats were detected.
   • VirusTotal: Check their website for scan results of forwarded emails and links.
   • MailGuard/SpamTitan: Monitor your dashboard for alerts about spam, phishing attempts, or malware.
   • Sophos Home: Review the security logs within the Sophos Home interface.
6. Consider a Password Manager with Security Alerts: Services like 1Password and Bitwarden can alert you if your email address appears in data breaches, which is another layer of protection.

Advanced Options (Optional)

8. Using the VirusTotal API: For more advanced users, you can use the VirusTotal API to automate scanning directly from your email client or a custom script. This requires some programming knowledge.

   # Example Python code using the VirusTotal v3 API
   import requests
   
   API_KEY = "YOUR_VIRUSTOTAL_API_KEY"
   URL = "https://api.virustotal.com/v3/urls"
   HEADERS = {"x-apikey": API_KEY}
   
   url_to_scan = "http://example.com/phishinglink"
   
   params = {'url': url_to_scan}
   
   response = requests.post(URL, headers=HEADERS, data=params)
   
   if response.status_code == 201:
       analysis_id = response.json()['data']['id']
       print(f"Scan submitted successfully! Analysis ID: {analysis_id}")
   else:
       print(f"Error submitting scan: {response.status_code} - {response.text}")

9. Email Filtering Rules: Create rules in your email client to automatically filter suspicious emails based on keywords or sender addresses.