Practical 3.2 Testing your antivirus software

hello..... if you are the type that doubts your antivirus software and wants to test if it really works then continue on reading..... To test your antivirus software you will need to introduce a virus into your computer system so that your antivirus software can detect it.... So to test your antivirus software....first go to your start menu and search for "Security Center"... there, make sure that your "Virus protection settings" should be ON, if it is not, click on the "Recommendations" button and indicate that you want it to monitor your antivirus software...

OK after all the preparations and checkings.... NOW, go to www.eicar.org/anti_virus_test_file.htm or got to any search engine and search for "EICAR AntiVirus Test File".... doing either methods will bring you to the webpage as shown in the next screenshot>>>>>


This webpage introduces to you about the Anti-Virus or Anti-Malware test file.....(PLEASE NOTE!!!! this is not a real virus and does not even contain any viral codings.... this is just a file that your antivirus software will detect and treat it as a virus), continue scrolling down to come to a few downloading links....

NOW for the 1ST test for your computer's antivirus software...... Click on the eicar.com link to download it....WAIT..... DO NOT!!!! accept the download first... wait for a while to see if your antivirus software reacts to it. Most of the time your antivirus software will react to it and alerts you by showing an error message as shown in the screenshot below(in this case, I am using the Symantec Endpoint Protection antivirus software), if no alert message appears.. it means that it is time for you to go update your antivirus software......

After you close the alert messages, cancel the download....

Now continue on to the 2nd test..... For the second test click on the eicar_com.zip link to download the compressed version of the eicar.com file....AGAIN wait to see if your antivirus software detects it....if after a few minutes no alert message appears...proceed to download the eicar_com.zip file to any location on your computer system.....If your antivirus software still does not react to it and present to you an alert message as shown in the screenshot below.... Open the zip file and scan it... by now your antivirus software should shown the alert message alert already...(different antivirus software acts differently, some of them immediately detects it when you download it,even if it is compressed in a zip file;usually the more recent and powerful versions.Others detect it when the fake virus file has been successfully downloaded into your computer system.Lastly, your antivirus software should detect it if you open the zip fle and scan its contents.....if even after this, your antivirus software did not detect it that means you have been cheated and should immediately find a new antivirus software).....

After the 2nd test comes the last test, click on the eicarcom2.zip link to download a double compressed version of the eicar.com fake virus file...again repeat the previous steps; wait to see before downloading, then if that fails proceed to download, open the file if it has not been detected yet, and then lastly scan the contains of the file.....

After you have finish testing your antivirus software.... REMEMBER to delete all eicar fake virus files from your hard drive(if your antivirus software hasn't done it for you)

In my case both eicar_com.zip and eicarcom2.zip files were detected once they were successfully downloaded into my computer system...thus my antivirus software is functioning well :):):)

REFLECTIONS!!!!!

I am using the "Symantec Endpoint Protection" antivirus software.

It integrates essential technologies such as antivirus, antispyware, firewall, intrusion prevention, device and application control. It also enables instant NAC upgrade without additional software deployment for each endpoint.