test-antivirus-powershell

🛡️ How to Test Your Antivirus Using PowerShell (Safe EICAR Script)

Testing whether your antivirus software is actively protecting your system can be challenging. Using real malware for testing is risky, so cybersecurity professionals rely on the EICAR test file.

The EICAR test file is not a real virus. It is intentionally designed to trigger antivirus detection so users can verify their protection safely.

PowerShell Test Script

$path = "C:\temp"

if (!(Test-Path $path)) {
    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $path
}

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

for ($i=1; $i -le 50; $i++) {
    Set-Content "$path\eicar_test_$i.txt" $string
}

If your antivirus protection is active, the files should be detected or quarantined immediately.