I have noticed that people are sharing their research information in the format of large down downloadable files through torrents or websites like Mega upload. The concern is that this information could be posted by a shill, and infect your computer with malware, and identify you, amongst other possibilities. Something to consider.
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dindonufin ago
Zip files are safe. Do not execute anything (OBVIOUSLY). Right click and open with compression software. Beware .html files as they can contain malicious javascript/flash. Be sure to open them in a browser with javascript/flash disabled. Someone mentioned in another comment to use sandboxie. That can also be useful. NEVER use internet explorer.
All of that said, you can still be hit with malware or otherwise be tracked just by clicking on an external news article here.
Jefiakra ago
Archive files aren't necessarily safe.
dindonufin ago
I'm not sure what decomposer engine is, but it sounds like some sort of malware scanning for email.
Jefiakra ago
Basically. Was a vulnerability in Symantec in which maliciously crafted archives (including Zip files) could exploit Symantec's archive extractor, and execute shellcode. If I recall, there's also a whole version of Rar (Rar 3, maybe), which can contain arbitrary code as part of the spec. Zip is a very simple format, so you're probably safe, but it's worth knowing that there are exceptions out there.