Antivirus engine check utility

From: Michel Gallant (MVP) (neutron@istar.ca)
Date: 11/01/02 

Date: Fri, 01 Nov 2002 13:12:16 -0500
From: "Michel Gallant (MVP)" <neutron@istar.ca>

I have developed a utility to proactively check if your antivirus engine
is actually working and that it is configured properly to scan all file types.
Don't rely on that icon-tray .... make SURE it actually is working!

Originally targetted at NAV, I have reduced the functionality to implement
an AV engine check from a digitally-signed web page to:

  - attempt to write the standard EICAR virus string, as a text file, to the
    local client and detect the AV engine response (the EICAR string is byte-wise
    embedded in the signed Java applet)

  - invoking the "cmd /K net share" command on NT, 2000 or "netwatch.exe" for Win9x
    to easily allow any user to see their network shares (again for non-savy users)

Might be interesting to see if any firewalls/gateways are intelligent enough to pick up
the eicar string embedded this way :-)

Anyone wishing to try the utility, email me for the link.

 - Michel Gallant
   MVP Security
   http://home.istar.ca/~neutron