Computer viruses are designed to cause damage to your computer data. So you mustn’t be downloading files that are virus infected. In business or personal communication, it is very embarrassing if the receiver tells you that your files are virus infected.
Yes, I hear you saying that come on, I use an antivirus. How can the files be infected as I update my antivirus and scan all my files on computer regularly. I know almost all of the online and offline PC’s have antivirus protection on. Let me be very clear with you, even if you are using an antivirus, whatever it’s name be, there is no 100% guarantee that it will detect 100% viruses. Sad but true! If you believe that your antivirus is 100% completely taking care of known and unknown viruses, then it’s wrong!
While, you can use two antiviruses – one on your regular hard disk and one working from a bootable disk/CD/DVD etc. as and when required, there are still chances that you might be sending or downloading an infected file.
The solution is to use a scanner that has the power of detecting all the viruses. What if it combines more than 38 virus scan engines from different companies. Wouldn’t it be great! At least you would be almost sure that you are not going to send or have received an infected file.
Virustotal.com is an online site that lets you upload up to 10MB file for getting it scanned from 38 virus scan engines of different companies developing antiviruses. Yes it’s true, after uploading the file to be scanned, you get a report in few minutes depend on the traffic at the site) and thus you can be dead sure about a file infection or clean status. You can send the file from your browser interface or even by email.
The address of virustotal is:
I got idea of writing this post after one of my friend (first) using Mcafee antivirus sent a file to another friend (second) who was using Symantec’s Norton antivirus and the second friend found the file infected.My first friend’s Mcafee antivirus was updated and he had scanned the whole computer including the file to be sent. He hadn’t got any virus alerts in any of the files on his PC. It was the second friend’s antivirus that reported the file as infected. So, I advised my first friend to scan the files being sent or being downloaded, from now onwards through – virustotal.com.
While there are numerous advantages of virustotal – Scanning power of 38 virus scanning engines, free, online availability at any hour and simple usage etc., it has certain limitations also, these are:
- It requires an Internet connection to upload the file and get it scanned for viruses.
- It can only scan 10 MB of a single file and not files above 10 MB.
- There is no guarantee that a file detected as clean by 38 virus scanners is not infected.
- It only detects viruses and doesn’t clean.
- Sometimes there can be delay in uploading the file and getting the results, depending on the traffic.
- It can only scan 10 MB of a single file and not files above 10 MB.
- There is no guarantee that a file detected as clean by 38 virus scanners is not infected.
- It only detects viruses and doesn’t clean.
- Sometimes there can be delay in uploading the file and getting the results, depending on the traffic.
According to me, virustotal.com is a free and highly useful site that can save you from embarrassment of sending an infected file or using one that causes damage yours highly useful data. It doesn’t take too long to get the results (few minutes most of the times) and the chances of file being infected after it has been declared to be clean by 38 virus scanners is almost nil. What do you say?
So, next time you are sending or receiving a file to/from a known or unknown person, don’t forget to scan it through virustotal.com
Do you know of an offline virus scanner that combines power of 38 virus scanners? Yes, then let me know so that I can scan all my computer files not from a single virus scanner but from 38 virus scanners.
Waiting for your open comments and views.
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