Which free service analyzes suspicious files and URLs to detect malware?

Which free service analyzes suspicious files and URLs to detect malware?

• A. Imaging tool
• B. VirusTotal
• C. Log analyzers
• D. HashMyFiles

Answer: (B)

VirusTotal is a free online service that analyzes suspicious files and URLs to detect malware. It lets you upload a file or submit a URL, then runs the item through dozens of antivirus engines and other scanners, producing a combined report that shows which engines flag it as malicious, along with file metadata, hashes, and indicators of compromise. Using multiple engines increases the likelihood of catching different malware signatures and reduces the chance of false negatives, making it a practical first step for quick triage and investigation. Other options don’t fit because an imaging tool is used for creating and handling disk images, not malware analysis; log analyzers examine system or application logs to detect patterns of activity; and HashMyFiles only computes file hashes to verify integrity, without evaluating the file’s content for malicious activity.

VirusTotal is a free online service that analyzes suspicious files and URLs to detect malware. It lets you upload a file or submit a URL, then runs the item through dozens of antivirus engines and other scanners, producing a combined report that shows which engines flag it as malicious, along with file metadata, hashes, and indicators of compromise. Using multiple engines increases the likelihood of catching different malware signatures and reduces the chance of false negatives, making it a practical first step for quick triage and investigation.

Other options don’t fit because an imaging tool is used for creating and handling disk images, not malware analysis; log analyzers examine system or application logs to detect patterns of activity; and HashMyFiles only computes file hashes to verify integrity, without evaluating the file’s content for malicious activity.