What is Tiscali Secure Mail?
Secure Mail is the new Tiscali service that improves your mailbox performance, thanks to a powerful anti-virus tool, an effective anti-spam filter and an additional 1000 megabytes of storage space.
How effective is Secure Mail?
Secure Mail aims to filter out approximately 90% of spam, and will detect viruses with a high degree of accuracy. It uses a constantly updated database of known spam addresses and domains to filter out suspect mails. However, please be aware that the system is not infallible, and inevitably some spam will still occasionally get through. Discussion board messages - replies to threads, for example, that contain multiple responses/attachments, and mailing list responses that have been signed up for (whether intentionally or not) will not be filtered out. Secure Mail's anti-virus feature is powered by Symantec technology, and offers the levels of protection that you would expect from the market leader in anti-virus technology.
Why do I need to protect my mailbox?
90% of viruses are spread through email and can irreparably damage mail messages, attachments and some programs on your PC. Your mailbox is constantly under threat from unwanted messages that may contain ads and viruses; these only clog your mailbox and put your computer at risk. Tiscali Secure Mail products allow you to considerably reduce your vulnerability.
How much do Tiscali Secure Mail products cost?
Improving the performance, size and security of your mailbox is available at a cost of £9.99 a year for Secure Mail Twin Pack. Or, you can buy anti-virus and anti-spam separately for £5.99 a year each and extra storage components at £12.99 per year.
How can I activate Tiscali Secure Mail products?
If you want to use Tiscali Secure Mail, you need to have a Tiscali mail account (click here to sign up). Tiscali users can then access Secure Mail and sign-up online.
I have more than one email address - can I still use Secure Mail products?
Yes - but the products work on a "per address" basis. You will need to purchase the product for each address you want to use it for.
How can I pay for Tiscali Secure Mail products?
You can pay for Tiscali Secure Mail products with a credit card, visa debit card, or via direct debit.
Do I need to download software to use this service?
You do not need to download any additional software to use Tiscali Secure Mail. Once you sign up online, you will be able to use the services immediately.
I already have an anti-virus tool. Can I use Secure Mail Anti-virus anyway?
Tiscali Secure Mail Anti-virus protection acts in addition to the anti-virus tool you already have installed on your PC. Desktop anti-virus software does not always check the attachments of incoming messages thoroughly. A further filter is suggested in order to increase the probability of finding and deleting dangerous files.
If I use Secure Mail products, will my email address remain the same?
Yes - you will keep the existing address you have, and will benefit from Secure Mail products on that address.
How do I know if the service is working properly?
The filter behaves differently if it finds a worm vs. a virus. When the system finds a virus, you will receive notification that a virus was found, and whether the attachment has been cleaned and forwarded, or deleted. With worms, however, you will not receive any notification. This is because worms replicate themselves and utilize addresses found on the infected computer. If the system attempts to send notification when it finds a worm, it's possible that this notification would then be sent multiple times, thus creating a spam situation.
How does the anti-virus work?
The anti-virus protection is software that acts server-side, reducing considerably the risk of virus attacks on your PC. It analyses incoming mail so that you do not risk opening infected messages. Only once they are checked and, if necessary, cleaned, are they sent to your mailbox. Tiscali Secure Mail anti-spam and anti-virus is powered by Symantec and uses filters by Brightmail Logistics and BLOC to identify, address, clean and deliver your messages.
How do I find out my remaining mailbox capacity?
Access your Web Mail account as normal. In the left-hand navigational bar, click on "Check Disk Space". This will tell you how much space you have used, and how much you have remaining.
If I already have anti-virus software, does Tiscali Secure Mail make the protection stronger?
Having more than one anti-virus system on your computer increases the protection level. Tiscali Secure Mail Anti-Virus, unlike common anti-virus tools, blocks the dangerous messages before they are delivered to your computer, thanks to a protection system that acts on the server side. Tiscali Secure Mail products work in conjunction with any other desktop anti-virus software you have installed.
How do I know when a virus is blocked?
If the anti-virus system finds potentially dangerous files in the attachments of incoming messages, you will receive a message notifying you that a virus has been found, and what action has been taken. In general, removing the virus will clean the affected files. If a virus cannot be removed, the attachment will be deleted from the mail.
After I've signed up, what do I need to do?
You should proceed to your Web Mail account, click ".MAIL", then "Options", then "anti-spam". You will automatically default to "low" protection (see "options" for more details on levels of protection). You will notice a "spam" folder when you log into Web Mail (this will not appear if you are using POP3 mail - see below) - if "medium" protection is chosen, all filtered mail will be sent here. PLEASE NOTE THAT SECURE MAIL ANTI-VIRUS AND EXTRA STORAGE ARE NOT CONFIGURABLE FROM THIS AREA - THEY ARE STAND-ALONE PRODUCTS (for information on what happens when viruses are detected, please see above).
Do I have to manually delete all the spam that is filtered? Does spam count towards the capacity of my mailbox?
Spam will count towards the capacity of your mailbox. The spam folder will automatically be purged of its contents once every month, but we would recommend periodically checking the contents of the spam folder and emptying it as necessary.
I use POP3 to collect my Tiscali Mail; can I still use Secure Mail products?
If you use POP3 to collect your mail, using Outlook Express or another mail program, you can still benefit from the protection offered by Secure Mail. However, if you are using POP3 you will not be able to see the newly created folder into which spam is filtered (see above). We therefore recommend that you periodically visit Tiscali Web Mail to check the contents of the spam folder and ensure that no legitimate mails are being missed and to delete unwanted messages. Also, you will not be able to check your remaining storage allocation via a POP3 mail client, so you will need to visit Web Mail periodically and click "Check Disk Usage".
Am I obliged to keep Secure Mail if I decide it's not for me?
No - you can cancel within seven working days of sign-up and receive a refund. The date of the refund will depend on the point in the billing cycle at which you signed up; it could take up to 30 days. Once the seven working days is over, you will not be eligible for a refund, but the product subscription will be cancelled and the Secure Mail functionality will cease.
