How to... Test if your Anti-Virus has been Compromised

Do you think you might have a virus on your machine? Not sure if your AV is doing its job? Well, here’s a simple test.

First, create a new text file and paste the following code into it:

(trust me, it is harmless, promise)

Then save the text as a .COM file (any name will do, like eicar.com). Either scan the file manually or the auto protect feature of most AV programs should have already caught it. (My SAV caught it immediately upon saving it as a .txt file.)

This test string is a way to test to see if an anti virus program is not working. It was created by the anti-virus industry as a standardized test and should not be taken to be an effective measurement of your anti viruses ability.

The whole point of the EICAR test is to see if an anti-virus program has been infected. If the anti-virus program doesn't detect the string, then there is a chance a virus has done something nasty to it. This was only meant as an internal test for developers though, not for end users. Also, this doesn’t mean that your system is free of viruses. Just that your AV is working to the best of it capabilities.

The only reliable test for how well your anti-virus program is doing, is how well it's doing funnily enough. Is your computer on fire? Have missiles just launched? Are robots trying to tear down your office door? If so you may have a virus, otherwise your AV is doing it's job.

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