A computer file that rides along with an e-mail message. E-mail programs make it easy to attach a file of any type, and attachments are widely used to transfer photos, documents, music and videos from one person to another. The process is no more complicated than selecting Attach from a menu and browsing a folder hierarchy to find the file to attach. The one drawback is that the attached file size is larger than the original because it must be encoded into a format that passes through the Internet's mail system, and that encoding increases the file size by as much as 30%.
Attachments Can Be Dangerous
Since any file can be attached to an e-mail message, an executable program can be attached as easily as a JPEG photo. If the e-mail recipient clicks an executable attachment, the program will be run in the user's computer. This is a common method for implanting a virus or trojan, and all users must be aware of the potential danger (see dangerous extensions). See e-mail and how to transfer a file over the Internet.
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