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It's definitely sketchy of the seller to sell a "new" computer that is not in OOBE (out of box experience) configuration. Frankly I would have avoided a seller that opens the physical hardware, unless they're well-known and trusted, for anything I wanted to use for really sensitive stuff.
With that said, you can definitely reset or (better yet) ...
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The C&C server is not initiating access to your device since this would not work with NAT routers, CG-NAT, firewalls etc. Instead the malware on your phone initiates the connection to the C&C server. If the malware is fully removed then the phone will no longer contact the C&C server.
Note that depending on the capabilities of malware just ...
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The file will be downloaded to your machine's temporary files and viewed with a viewer in your browser (the Drive app). If there is a vulnerability in your browser, there is a chance that your machine will be infected.
If you are using an up-to-date browser, and since the file would have an old virus, if any, you have a low chance of infection.
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As a general rule, you want to enable as few "sharing" features, and as little hardware access, as you can get away with. For gaming in particular you'll need to enable some (unless everything you want to run will be fine with software-only graphics), but you can try to keep it minimal. The more isolated the VM is from the host, the better. Of ...
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There are multiple steps that can help to mitigate evil maid attacks. Some are technical and others are physical.
The device can be manipulated when it is shipped to you. There are manufacturers who put glitter nail polish on each screw and provide you with a picture of each screw. Each pattern of glitter is unique and you can detect manipulation. There are ...
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Summary: MS Office will try to protect you from macro code even if you don't use "Protected View". "Protected View" is an extra layer of security for files opened from "untrusted" locations (such as e-mail attachments).
Details:
A long time ago, MS Office would automatically run macros contained in Office files. Macro viruses ...
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