Goat file
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In cryptovirology, a goat file is a sacrificial program file[1] used in computer virus testing, and contains a copy of a known computer virus which will be released and injected into the machine's memory when the file is executed.
Etymology[edit]
Goat files are so named for their similar use to the sacrifice of a goat in antiquity - the file is lost in order for the virus to be studied, but it is considered a minimal loss as more goat files can easily be assimilated.
References[edit]
- ^ "goat file". www.catb.org. Retrieved 2018-01-17.