Is It Possible To Get A Virus From Opening An Email Message?

Date First Published: 20th March 2023

Topic: Computer Networking

Topic: Network Services

Article Type: Computer Questions & Answers

Difficulty Level: 3/10

Learn about whether it is possible to get a virus from opening an email message in this article.

Some people wonder whether their computers can catch a virus just from opening an email message in an email application or a web browser. The answer is that even though email messages can contain viruses that harm your computer, catching a virus from just viewing an email message in a web browser or an email application is quite rare now, due to the way most reputable and well-established email providers work. Email messages themselves are plain text HTML files, like opening a webpage or text file in your browser, and it is not possible for HTML files to contain a virus, since HTML is literally 'plain text with formatting'.

For security reasons, no secure email provider will allow scripting and code is automatically filtered out. Attachments and links are where computers catch viruses, so catching a computer virus from an email message will always require more user interaction than just opening it, like running a downloaded file, especially a file with the .exe extension, since they are executable files that run code when opened and can be used to spread viruses. This is why most email providers, such as Gmail and Outlook Mail don't allow you to send .exe files.

Catching a virus from an email message will very often require you to click on or open something in the email. Attachments are one of the most common ways that computers catch viruses. Therefore, if you receive an unexpected attachment from someone that you don't know, do not open it. Even if it is someone from you know, if the attachment looks off or suspicious, it is best not to open it and confirm with the recipient that it is the file they intended to send. You can use the email preview feature in your email application which will tell you the sender and the subject so you can find out whether you know the sender or not.

Is It Safe To Open An Unexpected Email Message From Someone I Don't Know?

If you open an unexpected email message from someone you don't know, it is very unlikely that just viewing it in an email application or a web browser will do your computer any harm. As long as you don't click on any links in the email, download or run any attached files, load any pictures, and use an up-to-date browser, email application, and browser plugin, you should be fine. Reputable email providers often have built-in security filters on their mail servers that will scan emails for viruses and malware and block it if it detects any. In addition, most modern email providers block the loading of images by default.

If you have an antivirus on your computer, it might automatically scan the attachments for viruses and block them if it detects any. But, antiviruses are not 100% accurate and cannot detect every possible virus, so if you are worried and are unsure whether you can trust the attachments, it is best not to open them. There is no point in opening an attachment that you do not trust.

Is It Possible To Get A Virus From Opening An Email Message On A Smartphone?

The chances of getting a virus from opening an email message on a smartphone are extremely unlikely, even less likely than on a computer. Like email applications for computers, no secure email client app will allow scripting and code is automatically filtered out. Even if you click on any links or open any attachments on a smartphone, it is still unlikely that your phone will catch a virus. Viruses on mobile devices are quite rare due to the closed sandbox, preventing third-party apps from being installed. But, it is still best not to open any unexpected email attachments from someone that you don't know or attachments that look off or suspicious on a mobile device.

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