At random, people who have access to the Internet would be downloading tons of files per individual a day. Out of a possible 10 downloaders, half of them would probably be unaware of what they are downloading. All that matters is after completing a download, double clicking on the downloaded file is the next step, assuming that these files are recognized by the system and the installed programs.
The risky files are the compressed files and the executables. Once they commence to install, there is minimal space for turning back the process. While reliable sites such as corporate sites would normally offer actual files, getting other files from mirror host sites or download farms would be something that should be though of twice.
For one, downloading from unknown sites alone is a risk in itself. Reliability and the consistency of the file being downloaded should be thought of twice considering that it can be easily renamed to any file name. The key is to look at the filename extension. Questionable filename extensions in the form of executables and zipped files should immediately raise doubts.
[tags]filenames, filename extensions, programs, software, files, archives, executables[/tags]