Certification
In the test of CheckVir test lab in October we observed the recognition and removal abilities of virus protections against the most widespread viruses. Besides, we paid special attention to the store folders of email clients. We observed the search and destroy algorithms of antivirus systems with Outlook Express mail system and under Windows XP + SP2 operation systems. We used the samples of the most widespread viruses. STANDARD qualification was given to virus protections that recognised the virus in every infected sample and prevented the user from starting the code of the virus. In the case of ADVANCED qualification the antivirus is capable of destroying the virus by restoring the original state, if possible. During on-access protection and on-demand search the antivirus must work in the same way. During qualification we separately tested the checking of the outgoing and incoming messages. In the case of mail systems MAILSCANNER qualification was given to products that are capable of recognising, blocking and removing every spread virus.

Checking the store folders
Viruses and worms can hide not only in compressed files but in emails as well. Our mail client stores these email messages in their own format. During the test of the checking of store folders we observed whether the virus search is capable of finding the infected email message stored by the mail client if we request an entire checking of the system. In this case the user rightfully expects the virus protection to assess the entire system. The question is whether we can fully trust it when apparently nothing has been found. It is obvious, however, that an email may enter the store folder preceding a checking; the email is checked by the antivirus when it enters the mail client. But what happens to the parasite whose recognition and destroy algorithm enters the virus protection after it has been stored by the mail client? In cases like this the user rightly expects to have the store folders checked.

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