Have you ever wondered how to test your antivirus software so as to ensure that it is working properly? Well, here is a quick and easy way to safely test your antivirus without having to deal with the real virus. The process is called EICAR test. This test is designed to work on any antivirus software and was developed by European Institute of Computer Antivirus Research.
This process can be used by people, companies and antivirus programmers to test the proper functioning of the antivirus/antimalware software without having to deal with the real computer virus which can cause damage to the computer.
Here is a step-by-step procedure to test your antivirus functionality:
- Open a notepad (New Text Document.TXT) and copy the following code exactly onto it, and save the notepad.X5O!P%@AP[4PZX54(P^)7CC)7}$EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS-TEST-FILE!$H+H*
- Rename the file from “New Text Document.TXT” to “virus-sample.com”.
- Now run the antivirus scan on this “virus-sample.com” file.
If the antivirus is working properly on your computer, then it should generate a warning message and immediately delete the file upon scanning. Otherwise, you may have to reinstall your antivirus.
How EICAR Antivirus Test Works?
