Information, Computer and Network Security Terms Glossary and Dictionary

EICAR test file

The EICAR test file, developed by the EICAR organization, is used in testing anti-virus scanners for their integrity in detecting viruses. The actual file is simply a text file of either 68 or 70 bytes that can be created using any text editing program (Such as Notepad), although it can be saved and run as an executable MS-DOS COM file. Its use can be more versatile than straightforward detection - for example, a file containing the Eicar test string can be compressed or archived, and then the antivirus software can be run to see whether it can detect the test string in the compressed file.

Related Terms

EICAR test file