What is a common method of spreading a virus?

The transmission of a virus via infected email attachments is a widely recognized method for spreading malware. Cybercriminals often attach malicious files to emails, which may appear as benign documents or other types of files. When a user opens an infected attachment, the virus can execute and compromise the system, potentially leading to data loss, unauthorized access, or further distribution of the virus.

Email attachments are particularly effective because they exploit user trust—people are likely to open attachments from known contacts or messages that seem legitimate. The prevalence of this method underscores the importance of exercising caution with email content, even from familiar sources. Security awareness training often emphasizes the need to scan attachments with antivirus software and verify the legitimacy of unexpected emails before opening them.

While other methods of spreading a virus exist, such as through web surfing activities or downloading legitimate software that has been compromised, infected email attachments remain a particularly effective and common strategy in the toolkit of cyber attackers.