Simple Virus Tests

If you installed a new lock on your front door wouldn't you try it to see if it really locks? Don't you check it sometimes when you leave to make sure you locked it? Why not do the same with your anti-virus program?

1. Download this (perfectly safe) standard test file -- testfile.com -- and save it to your hard drive. You may get a warning from your anti-virus program at this point.

   If nothing happens, try opening it. If you don't get a warning now, either you don't have automatic antivirus protection, or it's not working. You may have turned it off and left it off -- it's happened to me.

   As a last step, try scanning the file -- testfile.com -- manually with your antivirus program. You should definitely get a warning now. If you don't, your antivirus protection must not be working at all.

2. Test your anti-virus protection against viruses hidden in Zip files (compressed files). Download this (perfectly safe) Zip file -- testfile.zip -- and save it to your hard drive. You may get a warning from your antivirus program. If you don't get a response, your antivirus program may not scan inside compressed files. to the next step.

   If your automatic protection didn't complain, try scanning the Zip file -- test.zip -- manually using your antivirus program. You may get a warning this time. If you don't, your antiviurs program doesn't scan inside Zip files. Go on to the next step.

   Extract the (still perfectly safe) standard test file inside the Zip archive -- EICAR.COM. You should definitely get a warning somewhere along in this process. If you don't, either you don't have automatic antivirus protection, or isn't working. You may have turned it off.

3. Your antivirus program may also be configured to "autoprotect" your conventional (POP3) email. To test autoprotect, attach the Zip file -- test.zip -- to a message and send it to yourself. You may get a warning when you do. That's good but not essential.

   Open the message when it arrives and save test.zip to your hard drive. You should get a warning somewhere in the process. If you don't, either you don't have automatic antivirus protection, it doesn't work with the email client you're using , it's not effective for Zip files, or it isn't working.

4. If you have autoprotect, don't rely on it totally. It's only a backup defense. Your primary defense is your own diligence about where files, particularly email attachments come from. You wouldn't eat a sandwich someone handed you on the street, would you?