Avast AV

Anyone have experience with Alwil's Avast? What about the way it routes your email through its system and changes your SMTP address?

 

I may have mispoken re the SMTP address. It changes "something" in the address which, together with the fact your email goes through its system, made me uncomfortable.

 

I've never used Avast but I would guess what it's doing when it changes the SMTP address is that it's setting the AV program up as a proxy server af sorts. This way all of your email gets sent to the AV program first, then it's scanned and then it's put in your inbox. This all occurs on your computer. It doesn't route the email through the companies servers in any way if this is what you're concerned about. I believe this is the way most AV programs work when it comes to scanning email. Don't think it's anything to worry about. You can probably turn it off in the programs options someplace if you don't like it.

 

Thanks, Zander.

Yes, that was my concern. I think at one time this free AV application was recommended in PC World, but I became concerned when I thought all email would go through the company's computers. Thanks for the clarification.