Agnitum Security Quiz

http://www.agnitum.com/vote/stquiz/start.php

One of their answers I don't really understand...

Q: A friend has sent you a link to an *.exe file with an invitation to run it. He/she is not online right now so you can’t check in with them. What should you do?

1. Trust my friend and click on the link.
2. Save the file and run a virus scan on it. If the file is clean, it’s probably ok to run it.
3. Never open the link, even if it’s from my friend.
4. Trust your firewall to block the file if it’s malicious.

Their answer:

The answer Choice 2) is correct. Let’s consider other choices to learn notes on the correct answer:

why these are not:

Choice 1): It’s risky to run executables downloaded from the internet even if they appear to come from a person you trust. Chances are it was not your friend who actually sent you the link but rather malware that impersonated your friend or used his/her credentials to spread via email or Instant Messaging. Never open executables obtained from the Internet without first checking them with an antivirus, or a combination of antimalware tools, for better diversity.

Choice 3): Why not open a link if all precautions are met, chances are it’s quite harmless. But before doing so, verify that the link belongs to a trusted source. If you see the link pointing to, for example, http://www.agnitum.com/download/OutpostSecuritySuiteProInstall.exe, you may rest assured that it’s perfectly benign. But, of course, if you spot a link that has some suspicious connotations, you may never want to download it. Never run files obtained from the dubious sources!
Important to understand in this context is that downloading a malicious file won’t cause the infection, whereas opening it will certainly do.

Choice 4): The measures listed are not enough to block malware threat if the executable is launched. You should be mindful not to let malware activate in the first place.

Why isn't option 3 correct? Why option 2 is?

Choice 1 and 3 seems to contradict? Or I misunderstood it?

Most security gurus agree that answer 3 makes more sense than any of the others.

Answer two that is supposedly the correct one is a invitation to be infected with some new nasty.

I would go for number 3, I don't care if it is 'probably ok' or not. I would wait until my friend came back on line and ask him about the link he sent me.

I try not to send my friends links to executable files, but I do send them the URL of the download/information page so that they can have a look and decide for themselves whether they want to download or not.

I too opt for # 3, check with said friend. Too many malware out there sending impersonated files etc.
I'd also ask said friend for the home page to check it out.

Just because it scans clean doesn't mean it is, as many new malware come out weekly.
It's sometimes mostly detected only after the exe is executed, and then only if the AV you use is aware of it.

I would go for option 3 as well.

I have personal experience, when a friend of my daughter sent to her (without knowing it-he/she was already infected) a link through msn, not an .exe to click on and vundo came on my pc.
So now, she knows, she can't click or open whatever is send to her, even not accepting invitations from people she doesn't know.

Malware has a lot of different ways to travel through computers.
This example shows that even if you know someone, and he doesn't know he is infected, malware can easily travel to multiple pcs with links or infected files.

I went for option 3 as well, but alas, the answer is wrong when I received the Agnitum report.

Never mind mayi, everyone has his/her own opinion.
It doesn't mean you have to agree with theirs.

# 3 for sure. You dont understand the answer because it does in fact make no sense. Too many times programs didnt save me.