How to safely convert files

[harlan4096]

Online converters are a tempting but dangerous way to change file formats. We tell you how to convert files and not get trojanized.
 
You almost certainly know the situation when a friend or colleague sends you files in a format you can’t open. For example, you asked for photos, expecting JPEGs or PNGs, but instead they arrive in HEIC format. What do most people do in this case? That’s right, they look for a free online file-converter.

If you’re a long-time reader of our Kaspersky Daily blog, you probably already know that the most popular method of doing most anything is hardly ever the safest. File conversion is no different. Let’s figure out together what threats are lurking inside free online-converters, and find out how to change file format safely.

Why is this important? Because converting a file is not simply a matter of changing its extension — otherwise you could just rename the file from, say, EPUB to MP3. Instead, the converter program must read the file, understand what it contains, convert the data and re-save it in a different format — and each of these stages poses its own threats.

Continue Reading...