HP says these two common file types are most used by hackers

Archive file formats such as ZIP and RAR were the most common file type for delivering malware and launching cyber attacks, a new report has said. It also notes that this is the first time in three years that this method has surpassed Office files as a mode for disseminating malware.

The HP Wolf Security Threat Insights Report for the third quarter (Q3 2022) claims that 44% of malware was delivered inside archive files, registering an 11% rise on the previous quarter. In comparison, 32% of malware was delivered through Office files such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint during the same time period.

HP says it sourced data from millions of endpoints running HP Wolf Security.