List 40 indicators of maliciousness.
Here are 40 indicators that could potentially suggest a file or application is malicious:
1. The file or application has a suspicious or random name.
2. The file or application is detected by antivirus software as malicious.
3. The file or application appears to be masquerading as a legitimate program or institution.
4. The file or application is requesting permission to access files, resources or data that are not necessary for its intended purpose.
5. The file or application is attempting to access protected or sensitive areas of the system, such as system configuration files or user data folders.
6. The file or application is using a large amount of system resources or causing slow system performance.
7. The file or application is continuously generating network traffic or communicating with untrusted servers.
8. The file or application prompts you to download or install software from an unknown or untrusted source.
9. The file or application requires administrative privileges to run.
10. The file or application requests to disable or modify antivirus or security software.
11. The file or application is running from a temporary or hidden folder.
12. The file or application has multiple versions with different file sizes or file names.
13. The file or application updates frequently without a clear update mechanism.
14. The file or application has an unusual digital signature or no signature at all.
15. The file or application was downloaded from an untrusted website or peer-to-peer network.
16. The file or application requests you to enter sensitive information, including passwords or credit card numbers.
17. The file or application uses an unusual amount of network bandwidth.
18. The file or application is attempting to install additional files or applications without your permission.
19. The file or application uses excessive amounts of CPU or memory resources.
20. The file or application displays unusual behavior, such as making multiple connections or downloading large files.
21. The file or application may be related to a known malicious activity or malware campaign.
22. The file or application appears to be a modified or custom variant of a legitimate program.
23. The file or application attempts to hide its presence or activity on the system.
24. The file or application is displayed as a pop-up in a browser, suggesting you that your computer is infected.
25. The file or application generates excessive amounts of error messages or crashes frequently.
26. The file or application deletes or modifies existing files on the system.
27. The file or application creates multiple new directories or files on the system.
28. The file or application requests to modify or damage the system registry.
29. The file or application requests to disable firewalls or other security measures.
30. The file or application causes the browser to redirect to unfamiliar or suspicious websites.
31. The file or application injects adware or other unwanted programs on the system.
32. The file or application attempts to initiate actions with dangerous or harmful consequences.
33. The file or application is spread through a phishing email or phishing website.
34. The file or application appears to be related to criminal activities, such as cybercrime or fraud.
35. The file or application aims to exploit vulnerabilities or weaknesses in the system or applications.
36. The file or application has a high rating of detection rate or reputation by reputable cybersecurity vendors.
37. The file or application encrypts or locks user files and requests a ransom payment.
38. The file or application disguises itself as a beneficial tool or application but actually performs malicious activities.
39. The file or application appears to be a legitimate software updater but actually installs malicious software.
40. The file or application attempts to contact the command and control server to download and execute additional payloads.