_____ refers to attachments that include the execution of viruses, worms, trojan horses, and active web scripts with the intent to destroy or steal information.

• A. Malicious code
• B. Spam
• C. Adware
• D. Spyware

Answer: (A)

Malicious code refers to software designed to harm, disrupt, or steal information, including viruses, worms, trojan horses, and active web scripts. When such code is delivered as attachments with the intent to execute and cause damage or theft, it fits this description because the core purpose is to compromise security or integrity by running harmful instructions.

Spam is unsolicited messages; adware displays ads; spyware secretly collects user data. These describe different behaviors and threats, but they don’t specifically name software whose main function is to execute destructive or steal-focused actions via attachments. Therefore, the described attachments are best identified as malicious code.