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JatzoCyber Security
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Workplace module

Suspicious attachments

The file name is a claim. Learn what actually opens, and how to check a file you were not expecting.

What really happens when you open a file, why its name, icon and sender prove nothing, and how to check an unexpected attachment without opening it. Built on HTML and SVG attachments, password protected archives, shortcuts and scripts, and fake verification pages.

  • HTML and SVG attachments
  • Password protected archives
  • Shortcut and script files
  • Fake CAPTCHA and paste-a-command pages
  • Files from people you know

You will be able to

  • Explain what opening a file does, and why its name, icon and sender are only claims.
  • Recognise the attachment types carrying attacks now: HTML and SVG files, archives, shortcuts and scripts.
  • Check or report an unexpected attachment without ever opening it.

The lessons

01What opening a file actually doesExplain what happens when you open a file, and why its name and icon prove nothing.About 10 minutes · 4 activities and a decisionLocked
02The formats that matter nowRecognise the attachment types being used now, and why the old macro advice is out of date.About 10 minutes · 4 activities and a decisionLocked
03Archives, and the password that protects nobodyExplain why so much arrives inside an archive, and what a password on it really does.About 10 minutes · 4 activities and a decisionLocked
04Shortcuts, scripts and files that are instructionsRecognise the files whose only purpose is to make something happen, and why a quiet open is not a safe one.About 10 minutes · 4 activities and a decisionLocked
05But it came from someone I knowExplain why a familiar sender is weak reassurance, and what to check instead.About 10 minutes · 4 activities and a decisionLocked
06What to do instead of opening itHandle an unexpected attachment without opening it, and report it well.About 10 minutes · 4 activities and a decisionLocked

Then the assessment

Finish the six lessons by getting each one's final decision right, then answer eight new questions. A score of at least 80% earns a personal completion record. You can retake it, with an explanation for every answer; it is a learning exercise, not a timed exam or an accredited qualification.