Put Your Favorite Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware and Firewall Apps to the Test

There are lots of security programs available, free as well as paid. We all have our own favorite security software, some ppl like avast!, some like NOD32, some ppl like Windows Defender, some like Spybot S&D, some ppl like Windows Firewall, some like Zone Alarm Firewall.

Sometimes it might become confusing which one is better, which one should we use? would not it be great if we can test our security apps?

Here I'm going to share a few sites which provide "Test Files" to check whether a security app is really worth to use or not. These "Test Files" don't harm your system, these are simply piece of code which behave like a malicious code. If your security app detects it, then its a good news for you, otherwise its time to change your app.

So here we start:

Put your Anti-Virus to the Test:

1. Open following link:

Eicar Anti-Virus or Anti-Malware Test File

2. This link contains a test file "eicar.com" which contains a sample code of 64 characters. Your anti-virus program should detect it as malicious file. This is what the developers of this test file have to say:

In order to facilitate various scenarios, we provide 4 files for download. The first, eicar.com, contains the ASCII string as described above. The second file, eicar.com.txt, is a copy of this file with a different filename. Some readers reported problems when downloading the first file, which can be circumvented when using the second version. Just download and rename the file to "eicar.com". That will do the trick. The third version contains the test file inside a zip ARCHIVEe. A good anti-virus scanner will spot a 'virus' inside an ARCHIVEe. The last version is a zip ARCHIVEes containing the third file. This file can be used to see whether the virus scanner checks ARCHIVEes more than only one level deep.

3. So scroll down to the end and download the required file and if your anti-virus program detects it, then you are really lucky and can use your current anti-virus without any problem.

Put your Anti-Spyware to the Test:

1. Now its turn of your anti-spyware program. Open following link:

Spycar Anty-Spyware Test File

2. This link contains various test files requited to test your anti-spyware software. Download each file one-by-one and run them. This is what Spycar developers have to say:

We designed Spycar as a series of different links and associated executables. We did not make it a monolithic one-click-to-conduct-all-actions programs, because an anti-spyware tool may shut down a given program early on in its cycle, without letting Spycar accurately test later modules. That’s why you have to click on each link, giving your anti-spyware tool a fair shot at stopping each individual action.

3. The above link also contains a tool given at last to check the results of this test. You can determine how well your current anti-spyware program performed and whether you should change it or not.

Put your Firewall to the Test:

1. At last its turn of your Firewall program. Open following link:

Firewall Leak Tester (link down)

Alternative Link

2. This link contains 26 different leak tests which you should perform to test your firewall app. Each test requires downloading a test file to perform the leak test. Here is what firewall leak test developers have to say:

Due to the fact that most of the personal firewalls offer reasonable protection against inbound attacks coming from the Internet, we only study here their software filtering, outbound filtering that can be stressed by Trojans which try to initiate themselves by connecting to the outside to transmit data out. To test this software filtering feature, many leaktests (""leak"" test) exist, they are programs created by different authors, each trying to bypass the personal firewalls with his own trick.

3. If your firewall passes all the tests then you should proud of yourself and should continue using your favorite firewall because ti deserves to be used.

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This article was posted in Others, Security Zone, Software Zone, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP.

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34 Comments

DrSensible

Well, my antivirus (NOD32 ver.3.0.642) didn't stop all of Firewall tests (in other case, link to Firewall Leak Tester) but my another program (Spyware Terminator ver.2.3.0.494 with Clam AVShield installed on it) do so and stop all tests Note that I can't enable Windows Firewalls - I remind that enabling Firewalls is default by SP2 of WinXP.
whyzee7

i use kaspersky internet security 2009. it prevented me from accessing the download link of eicar.com and though it allowed donloading of other two files they were actively stopped. my antivirus detected that it was an hoax and did nothing.. cool huh?
nitin singhal

hello sir,
How to Reset / Recover Forgotten Windows Administrator Password for windows vista home basic ?
Nikolaj

Zonealarm passed firewall test
Mr.G

Using Kaspersky Internet Security 2009, wit latest update just before i post diz.
RESULT:
For the virus & malware test, all of it detected as malicious eventually before clicking download on my DAP manager. It's stated as High-Risk & Potential. Then, when it is downloaded and saved, once again KIS2009 detected it as Very Harmful and with a few click, it neutralized all of it.Then, Kaspersky done a good job here. PASSED.

For the spyware, it was blocked, all of it. The result also stated as clean. Kaspersky won again. PASSED.

Firewalls? Puttin all my defense through Kaspersky Advanced Firewall. Result? No leak or intrusion at all. PASSED.

I guess this Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 is better than my previous software, Norton Internet Security 2008 and Avast Professional edition 4.8 2008. Yes it is.

Thanks Master VG for the sharing of the test.
dean

nod 32 passed all tests and spyware doctor past all tests to thanks dude
J

as i hit download commodo internet security gave me warning letting me quarantine before i could download

commodo internet passed
hemant

my avast antivirus did not even allowed me to download most of the files and aborted my internet connection to those sites. it allowed to download zip files but it blocked those file while extracting. My comodo firewall pro also passed all tests.
Kkrazy92

This is old, but I decided to try this. Comodo went paranoid, which was a good sign. Avast! went super paranoid, which was very good.
Hassan

My Avast Antivirus Professional Edition Passed All Test