Which file type is most used by hackers?

The scammers have their favorite formats and in this publication we will discuss the types of files most used this year to hide malware.
  1. ZIP and RAR Files. Cybercriminals love to hide malware in files. ...
  2. Microsoft Office Documents. ...
  3. PDF Files. ...
  4. IMG and ISO Disk Images.
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What file type are most viruses?

File types used in malware-related spam:
  • EXE.
  • SCR.
  • PDF.
  • VBS.
  • RTF.
  • DOC.
  • XLS.
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What file type contains malware?

In 2020, the most common malware file type recieved via web were Microsoft Windows exe files followed by Microsoft Word doc files. Word files were on the other hand the most commonly recieved malware type via e-mail.
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Which file types should never be opened?

pif, or . vbs. These are filename extensions for executable files and could be dangerous if opened. Never give out your email address or other sensitive or personal information to unknown web sites.
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Is .exe file safe?

An .exe file can be a virus, but that is certainly not true for all of them. In fact, the majority are safe to use or even necessary for your Windows system to run. It all depends on what is in an .exe file. Basically .exe files are programs that have been translated into machine code (compiled).
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Can MP4 be a virus?

Can viruses be in mp4 files? Yes, MP4 files can have a virus or malware code. If the files contain it, it means your media player might already be compromised. It's either it can read and execute the code or the videos will not play at all.
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Which file type is safe to open?

Microsoft has classified several types of dangerous extensions; however, only a few are considered safe. These are GIF, JPG or JPEG, TIF or TIFF, MPG or MPEG, MP3 and WAV. These extensions represent different file types and are the formats that the majority of internet users tend to send as email attachments.
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Are .BAT files safe?

BAT files are most commonly used to start programs and run maintenance utilities within Windows. The danger: A BAT file contains a series of line commands that will run if it is opened, which makes it a good option for malicious programmers.
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Which file can cause cyber incident?

Microsoft Office files, all Word documents (DOC, DOCX), Excel spreadsheets (XLS, XLSX, XLSM), presentations and templates are also very popular with cybercriminals. These files may contain integrated macros -small programs that run inside the file, which cybercriminals use as scripts to download malware.
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Can PDF contain virus?

PDFs can have viruses that come embedded with a code that makes documents signable and (somewhat) editable. The mechanics are very similar to virus-infected Microsoft Word files. While their malware hides inside macros scripts, an infected PDF file will contain malicious JavaScript code.
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Can a exe file cause a cyber incident?

One of the most common tricks used by hackers is to get unsuspecting users to click on a malicious .exe file which leads to malware being downloaded onto a computer. They're usually sent to you as an email attachment with the email offering some form of compelling inducement to get you to open the attachment.
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Can you get virus from mp3 files?

Can a virus infect an mp3/video file? No. Since mp3 or video files are not self executing programs but just data files, so even if a virus puts it code inside them, they would stay harmless. If a virus alters such a file, it will most likely get corrupt and will not play or partially play in your media player software.
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What is a .exe file?

An executable file (EXE file) is a computer file that contains an encoded sequence of instructions that the system can execute directly when the user clicks the file icon. Executable files commonly have an EXE file extension, but there are hundreds of other executable file formats.
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Can any file have a virus?

Originally Published February 17, 2014. Video files are not typically thought of as potentially malicious or infected file types, but it is possible for malware to be embedded in or disguised as a video file. Due to this common misconception, audio and video files are intriguing threat vectors for malware writers.
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Can a PDF file cause a cyber incident?

Yes, Adobe PDF documents can carry various types of viruses or malicious executable code. Malware is primarily hidden in multimedia content, hyperlinks, JavaScript code, and system commands. The malware attack executes when users open the file or interact with the embedded content after opening.
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What do MSI files do?

MSI is a file extension that applies to database files used by the Microsoft Windows Installer (MSI). They contain information about an application divided into features and components, and every component may contain files, registry data, shortcuts, and so on.
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What are .BAT files used for?

A batch file is a script file that stores commands to be executed in a serial order. It helps automate routine tasks without requiring user input or intervention. Some common applications of batch files include loading programs, running multiple processes or performing repetitive actions in a sequence in the system.
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Is BAT to EXE converter safe?

This app is safe, yes. Some AV are just tricked by this app's behavior; it's not usual for an app to take a . bat file or other script and turn it into an executable.
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Can .docx contain virus?

Even Microsoft Office documents (. docx, . xlsx, and . pptx) and PDFs can contain malicious links and macros that can download malware onto your mobile or computer.
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Can a TXT file be a virus?

Txt is a file extension specially associated with plain text files. If the file is a "true plain text" file, it cannot execute a virus. However, a . txt file can be disguised as an executable (containing malicious code) designed to trick users into opening a file type which can execute that malicious code.
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Can JPG contain virus?

There's a bit of a myth that JPEG files can't contain viruses. This isn't true. JPEG files can contain a virus. However, for the virus to be activated the JPEG file needs to be 'executed', or run.
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Are m4a files safe?

if you have ever downloaded music from torrents then you will find that embedded with a lot of them are viruses and malware. if apple is the sole owner of m4a, they probably wouldn't send you a virus so then the m4a would be least likely to be encoded with a virus.
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Can YouTube videos have viruses?

While it's unlikely you'll ever get a YouTube virus from watching videos, real dangers exist on the site. Cyber criminals trick us into clicking links so they can install malicious software on our devices. Falling for such nefarious traps is easier than you think.
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Can a WhatsApp video be a virus?

It looks to be adware or subscription scam.” However, Wabetainfo, the WhatsApp features tracker had said that the news is not true. “Some websites are reporting a virus that can be received through a WhatsApp message, in particular, malware will be installed on your phone after downloading an image.
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