Detect a Harmful Email Attachment

There are times when we realize that even emails are dangerous. While reading the contents of an email you should be careful. It should be safe if you have latest security patches. Even email attachments are harmful. One can attach any type of email. This also includes.exe program files. Several email servers execute virus scanning as well as remove dangerous attachments. However you cannot rely on this. You can search for common warning signs so that just avoid Trojans, worms and viruses.  Email attachments can be dangerous to anyone.

You can identify whether a file is dangerous or not by the file extension. This would tell the type of file it is. For instance, a file with.exe file extension is a Windows program which should not be opened. Several email services would block such attachments. There are several types of dangerous file extension like .bat, .msi, .com, .hta,.pif,.wsf, . and more.  

Office files with macros are dangerous. If the document extension ends with an m it might contain macros. ,docx, .pptx also macros which might prove to be harmful. You should open files with attachments which you are sure that it is safe.  

Encrypted archives

You might get malicious encrypted file attachments in an archive. For instance you would receive an email with .zip,.7z file and the password. You have to download archive file and extract the contents with a secret code to access them. 

Encryption or password protection on the archive would prevent email scanners as well as antivirus programs from probing it. Archive might contain malware.  

 Sender

You can identify whether it is an email sent by malicious user or not only if you know the sender. If it is infected then malicious program would send you mails from their email address disguised as if they had send.

If you get mail from someone you are not familiar with probably it is a malware. If you get a macro-enabled Office document from a sender whom you least expect then be cautious.  

If you are unsure whether someone had sent you a suspicious email attachment, you would like to give a phone call or even ask them personally.  

Email content

Content of email also offer clues. If you get email from someone you know but seems to be awkward then it may be written by a hijacker or a malware. These emails could be of phishing types without dangerous attachments.

 

Antivirus Alert

In case you are using webmail like outlook.com, Gmail or Yahoo! Mail then it would automatically scan incoming attachments as well as inform the user whether the attachments are dangerous or not. Email text might ask you to ignore problems as well as assure that the attachment is fine but this would be a trick.

 Do practice caution as far as such attachments are considered. Do not download or run an attachment unless there is a strong point to do so. PDFs are okay if you have updated security patches.