You have a mystery computer file. First, you look at its hidden parts without running it. Then, you run it in a safe, fake computer to see what it actually does. What are these two ways to check the file called, and what special kind of secret clue can you only get from each way to know what the file wants to do?

The first way to check a mystery computer file without running it is called static analysis. In static analysis, you examine the file's structure and code without executing it. This is like looking at a recipe book to understand the ingredients and steps of a dish without actually cooking it. The special kind of secret clue you can get from static analysis is information about the file's disassembly. Disassembly is the process of converting the machine code, which is what the computer directly understands, back into a more human-readable assembly language. This assembly code reveals the instructions the file is programmed to perform, such as opening network connections, modifying system settings, or creating new files, but it doesn't show these actions happening in real-time. For example, you might see assembly instructions that suggest the file attempts to download more code from the internet, which is a strong indicator of malicious intent. The second way to check the file is by running it in a safe, fake computer environment, which is called dynamic analysis. Dynamic analysis is like actually cooking the dish from the recipe to see how it turns out, but in a controlled kitchen where any mess can be cleaned up easily. The special kind of secret clue you can only get from dynamic analysis is observed behavior and system interactions. This means you see exactly what the file does when it runs. For instance, dynamic analysis would reveal if the file actually creates a new, suspicious document on the desktop, tries to connect to a known malicious website, or deletes other files. This observed behavior is crucial because some malicious files only reveal their true purpose under specific conditions or after a delay, which static analysis alone might miss. Together, static and dynamic analysis provide a comprehensive understanding of a file's purpose, with static analysis revealing its potential actions through its code, and dynamic analysis confirming those actions through observation.