Question 4 – Anti virus software

A computer system could be strengthened by installing an antivirus software which will scan a computer for security risks, clean or remove viruses found, keeps the virus definitions updated automatically by synchronising with the antivirus software server and provides a variety of additional functions such as firewall functionality, web site security certificate verification, computer configuration and back up functionality.
This task is designed to test a variety of means that a computer could be effected with a virus file and how the antivirus software installed on the computer will detect and secure the computer. The tasks performed below is to download a fake virus file and observe how the installed antivirus software will detect and prevent each different scenario.

Step 1 - The test virus file

Below screen shows the antivirus test file download page from European Institute for Computer Antivirus Research website. 

Step 2 - Risk via URL

Below screen shows when the link to eicar.com is clicked the antivirus software displays a pop up window stating a security risk was blocked and the computer is secure.

Step 3 - Risk via downloading a compressed file

When the eicar_com.zip file link was clicked the dialog box opened, with default setting of “save file” selected. But no alert from antivirus software was displayed.

Once the download is complete, the file was selected and a virus scan was performed.

Antivirus software detected and reported a virus was found.

Step 4 - Risk via a double compressed file

Next task is to download a double compressed zip file called as eicarcom2.zip. The file could be saved to the computer with no warnings.

Once the download was complete the file was selected and scanned for viruses using the antivirus software.

A security risk was detected and reported by the antivirus software program.