Many users are led to think that i virus PDF they don’t exist. Also because the PDF formatas well as being a lot used and widespreadis a kind of manifesto of stability.
PDF documents in fact they appear almost identical, regardless of the computer or operating system with which they are opened. And this apparent incorruptibility can lead to think they are 100% safe.
In reality, things are not like that at all. There are so many malicious programs that spread right through file PDF: through theirs multimedia contentrather than through JavaScript.
Fortunately, however, there are also various solutions IT security ad hoc. Strategies and precautions that allow you to evitare i virus PDF in different ways. From accurate control of received filesup to the personalization of the viewing software settings.
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1. What are PDFs
The acronym PDF stands for Portable Document Format and refers to a particular digital file extension. The PDF is based on PostScript format and today it is a truly international standard.Originally the PDF was developed privately by Adobe. But then, in 2008, he was in control handed over to ISO: the International Organization for Standardization. Today PDF is an open standard. This means that it can be used freely, without the need to pay royalties to Adobe.
A key feature of PDF files is that they are without dedicated information to a single software, hardware or operating system. This assumption means that the format can be displayed on different platforms without the risk of losing the original formatting. Convert Word to PDF it serves precisely this: to guarantee that the document remains intact and the same as itself, regardless of the device on which it is opened.
PDF files can contain several multimedia elements inside them: from text at Imagespassing through i video they audio. They may also contain links and hypertextual elements.
The format is chosen daily by millions of users around the world not just for its convenience. But also for its interesting ones cybersecurity features.
In fact, PDF files lend themselves to viewing with password et al block of text selections details. Also they can be protected with encryption featuring random access keys of up to 128 bits.
Unfortunately, PDFs can also be victim of cyber attacks. It is no coincidence that nowadays there are so many virus PDFwhich are forwarded to unwitting victims mainly through the email.
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2. What are viruses
Users without particular IT skills almost always talk about virusbut perhaps today it would be more correct to talk about malware. The term malware is used to indicate various types of malicious program.
Malware is therefore software designed specifically for cause harm to the user. They attack devices in different ways and come categorized own based on the type of attack.
I virus they are to all intents and purposes included in the malware family. It is possible to talk about viruses in the event that malicious software is intended for replicate within the device hit. Computer viruses in this sense replicate the functioning of biological viruses: they infect a system and spread inside.
But not only. In some cases, virus transmission is not limited to a single device. Viruses travel between computers and even between systems, through the movement of compromised files. This is why they are considered so dangerous in terms of IT security.
Viruses can also be categorized and classified according to operation and the type of files they attack. For example, there are viruses designed specifically for point to the operating system.
On the contrary, the aforementioned ones virus PDF they do not necessarily have common characteristics. In fact, PDFs can become infected with viruses and malware also very different from each other.
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3. How to deal with PDF viruses
Before going into the merits of what to do in case of PDF virus, it is certainly useful to give some starting coordinates. For example, explaining why a locked file such as PDF can be infected.
In fact i PDF they usually get infected by taking advantage of specific spaces and portions: more precisely those dedicated to multimedia featuressuch as i dynamic fields.
Added to this is the fact that viruses can infect the JavaScript: il language of programming which is frequently used to spread malicious software. And that’s often present in the PDFs.
A final element of risk concerns the apps used to view and edit PDF files. Even in this case it is in fact possible to come across risky or even malicious programs.
Based on the above aspects, different implementations are possible cybersecurity strategies to protect yourself from PDF viruses. The first consists in limiting any potentially risky opening.
This means opening files PDFs from senders you know and, more generally, from reliable sources. But also use software developed by well-known and reliable manufacturers for opening files.
In case of doubt it is absolutely advisable run an antivirus scan before viewing content. Even if you use a email provider which automatically scans received attachments.
It is also possible intervene on your PDF viewer per disable JavaScript, in order to avoid running into a whole series of dangers or threats. In this case the procedure to follow may vary depending on the software and the operating system in uso.
Finally it would be good avoid downloading and direct viewing of suspicious files inside your device. To work around this problem you can open a PDF within a browserto prevent any infections from directly attacking the hard drive.
To know more: Computer security: guide to safe browsing on the web