My brother stumbled upon a sketchy YouTube video that promised free software and ended up downloading a folder that likely contained a RAT (Remote Access Trojan). He was cautious and didn't open or run any of the files, simply inspected the folder. After realizing it might be malware, he deleted it immediately and ran a full antivirus scan with Windows Defender, which showed no issues. It's been a few hours since then with no unusual activities, like popups or slow performance. I'm trying to find out if he's actually safe since he didn't execute any files. Can just downloading it be harmful? Should we take any further precautions?
3 Answers
I feel like most folks here are overreacting. The malware won't just start running on its own—you need to click on it first. A full reinstall seems a bit much for this situation.
You might be in the clear, but I'd suggest doing a clean install of Windows just to be on the safe side. It’s safer than relying on an antivirus for peace of mind.
Yeah, you're probably good, mate! As long as he didn’t run any of the files, he should be safe. Just keep an eye on things for the next few days, but it sounds like he dodged a bullet this time.
Thanks for the advice! I really just want to be sure we're not risking anything.