ITPEC IP October 2023 Question 31

Checked even if the attachment's extension is “jpg” — an image file can carry malware too.

A file extension is only part of the name and can be falsified: an executable can be named to look like a picture. Real image files can also be crafted to exploit a flaw in the software that displays them. So every received e-mail and attachment is checked, whatever its type or sender.

Answer (c)

Why not others:

• •(a) — encryption hides the content from eavesdroppers, but an encrypted virus is still a virus once decrypted
• •(b) — the sender's check may be outdated or skipped, and the mail could be infected on the way; the receiver must check again
• •(d) — known senders' PCs can be infected, and their addresses can be spoofed

Key rule: Scan every incoming file with up-to-date virus definitions; the extension, encryption and sender prove nothing about its safety.

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