AntiVirus Test Site?

Jon Light (deceased) · Post by **Jon Light (deceased)** » 27 Apr 2002 9:02 am

I remember once finding a site that would send you a harmless 'dummy virus' designed to trip your defenses so that you could check if your AV was awake and on the job.
Anyone know what I'm talking about and can anyone refer me to this or something similar?

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 28 Apr 2002 6:10 am

http://www.zol.co.zw/antivirus.cfm
http://www.rexswain.com/eicar.html

I never tried them.

Seems like setting a fire to test your smoke alarm.

I get the "Snow White HA HA HA" attachment almost weekly and it's always detected.

Procede at your own risk.
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Joey Ace on 28 April 2002 at 07:18 AM.]</p></FONT>

Jon Light (deceased) · Post by **Jon Light (deceased)** » 28 Apr 2002 9:04 am

Thanks Joey. I tried it and I guess I don't have any batteries in my smoke alarm! They claim that first, they are tesing my ISP's screening system. Well it came right on through to me. And my Norton AV did nothing. Only when I saved the attachments to a folder and manually scanned the folder did I get an alert--on one of three attachments.
Actually, I've always been confused whether the Norton AV (5.0) screens email--It seems that it does not?

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 28 Apr 2002 9:14 am

I'm using Norton SystemWorks. If yours is the same, you are correct, it defaults to not checking email. To activate it, open the SystemWorks application, click Norton AntiVirus, then Email Status, and check your email account(s) to be protected as the email gets downloaded.

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 28 Apr 2002 10:51 am

Jim,
I also have Norton 2001 Professional Edition. Can you just engage the
email part without the rest of Norton coming along for the ride? I disabled Norton completely. I only open it now and then to check for viruses. I found Norton to be a bit overbearing with other PC functions - always seemed to be getting in the way.

I just don't like it running in the background all the time and everywhere.

I don't use or download the web like I used to when I 1st got this PC, so feel I don't need Norton running all the time. I also have
the free version of ZoneAlarm and so far it seems to work OK.

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 28 Apr 2002 10:55 am

Some of Norton's stuff is hard to turn off if you didn't disable it during installation, but it can be done. All I use automatically are the email virus checking, scheduled full system scan, and virus update reminder. I use Speed Disk and Ghost manually. I don't like their Recycle Bin or any of the other replacements they offer.

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 28 Apr 2002 1:04 pm

Thanks Jimmy,
I agree...Norton, at times, can be like that
fly you can't swat.

Jon Light (deceased) · Post by **Jon Light (deceased)** » 28 Apr 2002 1:18 pm

I think my Norton is pretty old. Came from a suite of stuff I don't use. As far as I can tell, there is no email coverage. The total blackout of info on the subject in the help file sort of confirms this. Oh well.