VirusTotal: On-demand antivirus service scans malicious files

I often want to run a file against multiple antivirus scanners, but installing several AV scanners on one system usually doesn't work. AV scanners are notorious for stepping all over each other. Each one wants to be the boss and doesn't like it when other AV scanners are present. Fortunately, the resources of more than 30 antivirus scanner engines are just a Web-click away. This free service is called VirusTotal.

VirusTotal allows a user to upload a file from his or her Web browser and submit it to 32 different antivirus engines for scanning. After a file is submitted to the scanning queue, when its tur

To continue reading for free, register below or login

Requires Membership to View

To gain access to this and all member only content, please provide the following information (all fields required):

First Name:
Last Name:
Country: Select... Afghanistan Aland Islands Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, Democratic Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica Cote D'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia, The Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard and McDonald Islands Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, North Korea, South Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Man, Isle of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine Panama Panama Canal Zone Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu U.S. Minor Outlying Islands Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican City Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe
Email Address:

I would like to receive a FREE subscription to Information Security magazine online.
YesNo

Do you manage, evaluate, recommend, implement, support or purchase security products, software or services?
YesNo

Please estimate the yearly security budget for your entire organization including all security products and services.
Please select... Over $10 Million $5 Million-$10 Million $1 Million-$4.9 Million $500,000-$999,999 $100,000-$499,999 $50,000-$99,999 $25,000-$49,999 $10,000-$24,999 Less than $10,000 None

What is your role in purchasing IT related products and services? (Check all that apply)
Technical decision maker
Financial decision maker
Recommend/Specify
Evaluate products
Implement Products/Services
Determine Needs
Create Security Strategy
None

By joining SearchSecurity.com you agree to receive email updates from the TechTarget network of sites, including updates on new content, magazine or event notifications, new site launches and market research surveys. Please verify all information and selections above. You may unsubscribe at any time from one or more of the services you have selected by editing your profile or unsubscribing via email.

TechTarget cares about your privacy. Read our Privacy Policy

VirusTotal soberly warns that it's not a substitute for client-based antivirus software, as it only scans individual files on-demand. It doesn't offer permanent or proactive protection for the system. And even though the detection rate of multiple antivirus engines is superior to that offered by any one product, don't get overconfident. Turning up nothing is no guarantee that a file is harmless -- but it might help to feel just a little less stressed.

About the author:
Scott Sidel is an ISSO with Lockheed Martin.

Rate this Tip To rate tips, you must be a member of SearchSecurity.com. Register now to start rating these tips. Log in if you are already a member. BROWSE BY TAG Scott Sidel's Downloads,   Malware, Viruses, Trojans and Spyware,   Information Security Threats,   Open Source Security Tools and Applications,   Application and Platform Security,   VIEW ALL TAGS Digg This!     StumbleUpon     Del.icio.us    RELATED CONTENT Scott Sidel's Downloads Use BotHunter for botnet detection Review system event logs with Splunk FISMA compliance made easier with OpenFISMA Ophcrack: Password cracking made easy Enigmail: Wrapping email in a digital security blanket Secure file copying with WinSCP FreeRADIUS: Acing a secure connection Spiceworks: Free network monitoring and management with a little zest Shining a spotlight on rootkits Closing the case on network firewall security with IPCop Malware, Viruses, Trojans and Spyware How to defend against rogue DHCP server malware New Trojan stealing FTP credentials, attacking FTP websites Cybercriminals exploit Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett deaths When BIOS updates become malware attacks Antispyware buying guide for Indian enterprises PCI compliance requirement 5: Antivirus Hacker attack techniques and tactics: Understanding hacking strategies Rootkit Hunter demo: Detect and remove Linux rootkits Botnet threats and countermeasures Conficker worm much smaller than feared Open Source Security Tools and Applications Screencast: Samurai offers pen-testing nirvana Rootkit Hunter demo: Detect and remove Linux rootkits When to use open source security tools over commercial products Screencasts: On-screen demonstrations of today's IT tools Maltego demo: Identifying a website's trust relationships Free HP SWFScan tool detects Adobe Flash flaws L0phtCrack returns How to use (almost) free tools to find sensitive data Should open source disk-encryption software be used? Open source security concerns can trump cost savings RELATED GLOSSARY TERMS Terms from Whatis.com − the technology online dictionary bot worm  (SearchSecurity.com) directory traversal  (SearchSecurity.com) government Trojan  (SearchSecurity.com) Kraken  (SearchSecurity.com) man in the browser  (SearchSecurity.com) polymorphic malware  (SearchSecurity.com) RavMonE virus  (SearchSecurity.com) RFID virus  (SearchSecurity.com) Rock Phish  (SearchSecurity.com) Zotob  (SearchSecurity.com) RELATED RESOURCES 2020software.com, trial software downloads for accounting software, ERP software, CRM software and business software systems Search Bitpipe.com for the latest white papers and business webcasts Whatis.com, the online computer dictionary DISCLAIMER: Our Tips Exchange is a forum for you to share technical advice and expertise with your peers and to learn from other enterprise IT professionals. TechTarget provides the infrastructure to facilitate this sharing of information. However, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or validity of the material submitted. You agree that your use of the Ask The Expert services and your reliance on any questions, answers, information or other materials received through this Web site is at your own risk.