Malicious Document Analysis: Identifying and Analyzing Document Malware

Document-based attacks remain one of the most common entry points for cybercriminals targeting corporate networks. Understanding how malicious actors weaponize everyday files is essential for any aspiring security analyst or incident responder. This course equips you with the foundational skills to safely examine, dissect, and analyze suspicious documents without putting your system at risk. You will learn to recognize the structure of common file formats, extract hidden payloads, and identify the markers of modern document-based threats. What you'll learn: Understand the internal structures of PDF and Office document formats; Analyze suspicious embedded macros, VBA scripts, and external links safely; Identify modern delivery techniques including HTML smuggling and container files; Extract hidden payloads, shellcode, and obfuscated URLs from suspicious files; Apply static and dynamic analysis concepts to determine document intent; Practice threat identification using standard command-line and analysis tools. You will start by mastering foundational file format definitions and safety protocols before moving on to step-by-step written walkthroughs of real-world document analysis scenarios. This course is designed for beginner security analysts, IT professionals, and cybersecurity enthusiasts who want to build malware analysis skills from the ground up with no prior experience required. Start reading today to build your skills in identifying and neutralizing document-based threats.