EICAR Test File Test!! Is Your Antivirus Web Protection Any Good??

F-Secure wipes 4/4 automatically, with no user intervention.

 

got rid of the doc?

 

yes, for the time being.

they are failing to answer my questions at the moment, and im feeling blue

might aswell give one of my other licences a whirl

... for the time being

 

I haven't got any replies about the few suspicious files I have sent to them. This could also be some spam filter/etc. problem.. though I get the "suspicious file submitted [id #blah]" message

 

Excellent report with that result lonewolf, thanks. I also use AE and find it as aggressive as any malware, definitely a big boy with a big stick to boot.

 

Off topic post removed.

And another off topic post removed. If people have a personal question for someone, please use the PM feature and refrain from making off topic posts. Thanks.

 

Nod32 v3 passed all the 4 test.

 

Kaspersky detected the test files the second that I clicked to download them. It allowed me to block all 4 files before they were even downloaded.

This is something that is lacking with Avira AntiVir, both classic and premium - they do not have a web scanner.
When I tested those files with Avira I was able to download all of them, and it only detected 2 of the 4 files even when right clicking and scanning.

 

For Avira to detect the zipped ones, you have to set the Guard to do that. It is not the default setting. On default setting, Avira will detect those two upon unzipping and attempting to execute. Avira will detect those before you can even download them. You just have to configure Guard correctly.

As for Avira lacking a webscanner, the Suite has a webscanner. I am beta testing version 8 and the webscanner, just like all other AV webscanners I have tried, crippled my computer. I had to uninstall that module just to be able to use the computer. Those scanners are totally redundant and unnecessary. <Snip>My internet speed was cut by MORE than ONE-HALF by Avira's webscanner. No point in paying for expensive broadband if your AV cripples your enjoyment of the internet. Guard will catch everything including the zipped eicars if set up properly so why endure extremely slow internet speed in order to have the webscanner catch the same thing Guard will catch without slowing you down?

 

Mele20, i used to think like you do..

KAV's web-av module is sooo transparent that i can hardly tell that it's there.

Pity that you hate Kaspersky (yeah i know your reasons)

 

Avast! kills all 4 guy!! lol

 

This test is really useful. It will tell you if your AV product is set up correctly (is it really scanning?) and the action taken for different file types when detected. Its a good way to verify your setting are what you want them to be so when an actual virus arrives you're not surprised.

Most of this is obvious to users of this forum. Other users, who will benefit from these tests, probably don't know about them. It may be a good idea for all the AV makers to put in their documentation (in very simple well explained terms) that after installation to try out the EICAR site. Something like "try this and you will see what will happen if you get a real virus."

Its a matter of personal preference if you want archives scanned when downloaded. Some users want to catch viruses at download and others at extract time. The default for Avira is not to scan archives at download time. They will be caught when extracted.

You run your tests, you discover the defaults and then its up to you to change the behavior.

 

on the other hand....

should AV's really detect this, because its NOT malware or a threat.

FP-ALERT!

 

Agreed. It just seems kindof hokey to have a test file that everyone knows is just a test file. It defeats the purpose.

 

The purpose is as I stated above, so it is useful.

 

Hi,

Eicar test is to thw AV industry the same as a "ping" command for a network administrator, so what is the fuzz about?

Avast free has a Web module so it kicks in at that moment. Avast standard shields checks at reads/executes/writes. Antivir free only checks at read and writes (on the gaming PC of my son it is only configured to check at writes). Does Avasts 4x checking in practise perform better than Antivirs check at write only? NO it only means that the virus is detected in an earlier stage. Looking at IBK's detection rates the paid antivir seems to perform better than (on detection rates) than the free Avast. I have no idea whether the free Antivir still detects more than the free Avast because it lacks the antispaywere component.

Regards K

 

Sure it should, that's what it is made for.......come on now! I can tell you this much.....if I ever test an AV program and it is not able to tackle the Eicar stuff.........I sure as hell won't use that AV program. It is the minimum that should be detected.

 

I think the 2 above posts best summize what the eicar test IS and ISN'T about.