A Complete Guide to Content Disarm and Reconstruction (CDR) Technology

Eliminate File-borne Threats without Relying on Detection or Disrupting Productivity.

File-borne threats are underestimated but highly risky, with Microsoft Office documents serving as the #1 channel for enterprise malware delivery. Traditional defenses like antivirus and sandboxes struggle to detect zero-day attacks and often hinder user productivity.

This guide explores the evolution of CDR technology and introduces Menlo Security’s Positive Selection®, a breakthrough approach that assumes all files are malicious and rebuilds them using only known-good content. Learn how to ensure accurate file sanitization that preserves 100% of file fidelity and usability.

Research indicates that 10 million new malware threats are recorded per month. Discover why sandboxes fail to catch evasive malware and how human error continues to drive 90% of data breaches

Not all CDR is created equal. This guide compares:

• Type 1: Converting files to flattened PDFs, which removes usability‍
• Type 2: Stripping active code, often breaking macros and business logic‍
• Type 3 (Positive Selection): Template-based reconstruction that retains full fidelity and functionality.