Information sharing Trends

VirusTotal is a web-based service that analyzes suspicious files, URLs, domains, and IP addresses to detect malware and other types of threats. It was created by Spanish security company Hispasec Sistemas and acquired by Google in 2012. It automatically shares the results with the security community. Users can submit files, URLs, domains, or IP addresses to VirusTotal to have them scanned by multiple antivirus engines. VirusTotal also has a mobile app to check applications installed on Android devices. However, it is not recommended to use VirusTotal to check whether an attachment is malicious, as the results are not conclusive and may breach confidentiality. Researchers have found that VirusTotal can also be used by hackers to collect stolen credentials. Nonetheless, VirusTotal can be useful in detecting malicious content and identifying false positives.