Which virus type is commonly associated with attacking both boot sectors and program files, representing a hybrid infection strategy?

Which virus type is commonly associated with attacking both boot sectors and program files, representing a hybrid infection strategy?

• A. Macro virus
• B. File viruses
• C. Encryption viruses
• D. Multipartite virus

Answer: (D)

Hybrid infection strategies combine multiple propagation paths to maximize spread and persistence. A multipartite virus targets both the boot sector and executable program files, so it can load before the operating system starts and also attach to normal program files to spread during execution. This dual approach makes it harder to eradicate because cleaning one infection path may leave the other to reinfect. Macro viruses operate through document macros and don’t typically touch boot sectors or executable files; file viruses infect executables only; encryption (ransomware) viruses focus on encrypting data rather than maintaining multiple infection routes. So the ability to attack both boot sectors and program files is characteristic of a multipartite virus.

Hybrid infection strategies combine multiple propagation paths to maximize spread and persistence. A multipartite virus targets both the boot sector and executable program files, so it can load before the operating system starts and also attach to normal program files to spread during execution. This dual approach makes it harder to eradicate because cleaning one infection path may leave the other to reinfect. Macro viruses operate through document macros and don’t typically touch boot sectors or executable files; file viruses infect executables only; encryption (ransomware) viruses focus on encrypting data rather than maintaining multiple infection routes. So the ability to attack both boot sectors and program files is characteristic of a multipartite virus.