Tag Archive for: suspicious

How To Safely Open Suspicious PDFs



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Y0ur P@ssw0rd S*cks is a bi-weekly column that answers the most pressing internet security questions web_crawlr readers have to make sure they can navigate the ‘net safely. If you want to get this column a day before we publish it, subscribe to web_crawlr, where you’ll get the daily scoop of internet culture delivered straight to your inbox.


In today’s “Your Password Sucks” column for web_crawlr, Mikael answers a question you’ve likely had: What do I do with a suspicious PDF?

You’ve undoubtedly opened a PDF file before.

Given its status as the world’s most popular business document format, you’ve almost certainly dealt with PDF files at work if not at home.

But as you may be aware, PDF files can at times pose a risk. Specifically, PDFs can be used to infect your computer with malware.

If you’ve ever gotten a mysterious email before from an unknown sender that asks you to download and open a PDF, it’s entirely possible that you’ve been targeted, perhaps randomly, by such an attack.

While most internet users are familiar with antivirus software and other common tools, not as many are familiar with the potential dangers posed by PDFs.

So what do you do if you receive a suspicious PDF? Just open it? Ignore it?

If you receive a suspicious file at work, it’s probably best to alert a superior to confirm the item’s legitimacy before opening it. But the whole point of a malicious PDF, whether sent to your email at work or your personal email at home, is to trick you into opening it.

How do I safely open a suspicious PDF?

One of the simplest ways to safely open a PDF, in my humble opinion, is through the use of a tool known as Dangerzone.

Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, Dangerzone is a completely free program that will sanitize a wide array of files including PDFs, Microsoft Office documents, and images.

Simply open Dangerzone and select your file and the program will open it in a secure container, usually through the use of a third-party program like Docker. Then, Dangerzone will make you a new copy of the file that strips away any embedded items and data.

As noted on Dangerzone’s…

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Georgia School District Goes Offline After Suspicious Activity


(TNS) — Henry County Schools Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis said Tuesday leaders continue to investigate “suspicious activity” that has resulted in the district restricting Internet access since last week.

In a video posted to YouTube, Davis did not say what activity led the south metro Atlanta district to decide to take its Internet offline on Thursday, but said that student services, payroll, billing and other district operations remain functional as the school system conducts a probe of its network.

“What we know now is that last week suspicious activity was detected on our network,” she said. “And as you would expect, we take matters of this nature very seriously.”


The district’s investigators are being joined by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, Henry County Police Department and others in its probe, Davis said.

Henry Schools said late last week that district operations ”will continue for students with the exception of online courses.” In addition, leaders said lunches, bus services and after-school activities would “continue as normal.” The livestream of the Henry school board’s Monday meeting was canceled because of the district’s restricted Internet functions.

Davis did not say when Internet functionality would return to the system or when the district might have answers in the investigation, including defining the “suspicious activity.”

She did, however, seek to find a bright side to the challenges.

“It really has been amazing to see the agility of our organization kick in,” she said. “As always, the Henry County team of professionals, our students and our parents have responded with amazing adaptability as we keep school operations going, maintain student learning and maintain functionality of our core business applications.”

©2023 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Sask. international student alleges airport security negligence over ‘suspicious’ luggage



Hugo Campos is still trying to get home to Ecuador weeks after a security incident at the Saskatoon airport caused him to miss his flight.


Campos is a computer science student at the University of Saskatchewan and has travelled many times with his computer tower, monitor and keyboard on planes. But a typical security screening for his oversize luggage on December 17 went wrong.


“I was pretty stressed. I’m prone to panic attacks and things related to that,” Campos said.


After his items were screened and cleared for the first time, the situation escalated when his luggage broke.


“The guy that was working there first treated my bag pretty roughly and the zipper got destroyed. I couldn’t close the bag anymore,” Campos told CTV News.


He says his brother-in-law’s parents quickly came and brought him a new suitcase. Campos says during this time a new security guard took over, wanting to screen his luggage again.


“This person barely looked at me. He didn’t want to talk to me at all and it took around 30 minutes that they were talking to each other and I asked them to hurry up because I had a flight to catch,” Campos said.


Campos says he overheard the officers calling his bag ‘suspicious’ and questioning his computer. He says he acted cooperatively, telling security officers he was willing to show them his items but they refused, telling him he wasn’t allowed to touch his bag.


“The worry started shifting from losing my flight to losing my bag because they wouldn’t really give me my bag back,” he said.


Eventually, the Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) was called to respond to a report of a “suspicious package” located in the traveller’s luggage.


SPS told CTV News by email “in the interest of public safety the immediate area was evacuated and under the lawful authority the man was detained pending further investigation.”


Police say following the examination of the package by both a police service dog and the SPS Explosive Disposal Unit, it was confirmed to be negative for explosives. Campos was released without charges shortly after.


“Such occurrences are highly sensitive and require a commitment of both…

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