Which tactic involves encoding malware so it doesn't match signatures?

• A. Encoding malware so it doesn't match signatures
• B. Ghost Writing
• C. Custom compile
• D. Social engineering

Answer: (A)

Encoding malware so it doesn't match signatures targets antivirus detection that relies on static patterns. When the payload is encoded, the exact bytes seen by a signature-based detector change, so known signatures don’t match. A small loader then decodes or reconstructs the original malware in memory to execute. This obfuscation/decryption approach is a classic way to bypass signature databases until defenses adapt or move to behavioral analysis. The other options don’t describe this technique: social engineering is about manipulating people, ghost writing is about authorship, and a custom compile changes the binary but not through encoding to evade signatures.