What should you consider when opening email attachments from unknown senders?

What should you consider when opening email attachments from unknown senders?

• A. Do not open them; verify the sender and scan with antivirus; only open trusted attachments.
• B. Open them to see if they contain important content.
• C. Forward to a coworker for verification.
• D. Rename the file and open it later.

Answer: (A)

Treat attachments from unknown senders as potentially dangerous and handle them with caution. The safest approach is to not open the attachment at all until you can verify it’s legitimate. Check the sender through a separate channel (for example, contact them directly using a known phone number or email) and run the attachment through updated antivirus software before opening. Only proceed if you’re confident the file is legitimate and expected. This reduces the risk of malware, phishing, or ransomware that can be delivered through email attachments. Opening unseen content can trigger harmful software, and attempting to check by forwarding to someone else can still spread the threat or reveal sensitive information. Renaming the file and opening it later doesn’t remove the risk, as the danger may be embedded in the file’s contents or metadata.

Treat attachments from unknown senders as potentially dangerous and handle them with caution. The safest approach is to not open the attachment at all until you can verify it’s legitimate. Check the sender through a separate channel (for example, contact them directly using a known phone number or email) and run the attachment through updated antivirus software before opening. Only proceed if you’re confident the file is legitimate and expected.

This reduces the risk of malware, phishing, or ransomware that can be delivered through email attachments. Opening unseen content can trigger harmful software, and attempting to check by forwarding to someone else can still spread the threat or reveal sensitive information. Renaming the file and opening it later doesn’t remove the risk, as the danger may be embedded in the file’s contents or metadata.