                              EICAR Test File

This  TEST.TXT  file  helps to test        TEST.TXT      
the performance  of  the anti-virus       -
programs   detecting  viruses  with     ,  -
their signatures.                         .

For this purpose, most of the anti-        -
virus    designers    at    present            
generally make use of the  standard           
TEST.COM program.  This program  is     TEST.COM.    
_specially_   designed  so  that  a    __   , -
user,   without any risk to his/her      ,       
machine,  could verify how a newly-      ,    ,
installed   anti-virus   tool  will          
alert  on  detecting  a virus.  The         -
TEST.COM program, is not actually a     .  TEST.COM  -
virus,  but it is recognized by the        ,   -
majority  of  anti-virus  utilities           
as  if  it  is  a virus.    And  on         .     
detecting   this  "virus",   Dr.Web    Dr.Web    ""  
reports                                :

                      EICAR Test File (Not a Virus!)

Other  anti-virus  utilities   also           -
alert along somewhat similar lines.       .     :
(The  acronym  EICAR   stands   for    EICAR - European Institute for Computer
European   Institute  for  Computer    Anti-Virus Research.
Anti-Virus Research).
                                         TEST.COM   
The TEST.COM program  is  a 68-byte    68- COM-,  -
COM-file,  which on executed prints      -    -
on the console                          :

                    EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS-TEST-FILE!

The  TEST.COM  file  contains  only      TEST.COM       
printable   characters    and   the          
corresponding   string   reads   as      :
follows:

X5O!P%@AP[4\PZX54(P^)7CC)7}$EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS-TEST-FILE!$H+H*

In  the  file   you  are  presently           
reading now, if you retain only the         -
above  line  and  delete  all other           
text  matter  and rename  the  file    TEST.COM,        
thus edited to TEST.COM, you obtain    ,       
a program,  which  is  the  "virus"     "".
described above.                                 

         Doctor Web, Ltd.                         " "

                          http://www.drweb.com
