Malware often hides in seemingly innocuous files or web pages. Before opening a document or clicking on a suspicious link, use this free online service to check it.
Computer threats have never been so numerous, diverse and sophisticated. Theft of sensitive information through phishing (phishing) is undoubtedly the major concern at the moment, because this type of attack is very easy to implement. Between the massive leaks of personal data which occur regularly, and the new tools for generating text and images by artificial intelligence, the campaigns of phishing are ever more convincing.
But good old viruses, Trojan horses and other computer worms are also still very present threats that should not be taken lightly. This malware actively circulates on the web and poses a very real danger to your devices and personal data. By infecting your computer, these programs can steal ultra-sensitive information, such as your banking credentials, or use your machine’s resources for illegal activities.
However, the two main vectors of infection by a computer virus are unfortunately very common: corrupted files and web pages. Whether it’s a Word or Excel document, an installation file or a website, all of them can contain malicious code that could run without your knowledge. So, before clicking on a link or opening a file received by email that seems suspicious to you, you can use a free online service that will tell you if the item presents a risk: VirusTotal.
This online tool was originally developed by Hispasec Sistemas, a Spanish computer security laboratory, before being bought by Google in 2012. Its particularity is that it relies on the databases of several dozen antivirus engines, among the most popular on the market. In this way, its malware detection rate can be better than that of a single antivirus program.
Using the service is easy: to analyze a file, click on the button Choose file to open a search window and select the file on your device, or drag the file directly from Explorer to the button Choose file. And to check a web page, nothing could be simpler: first click on the tab URLthen copy and paste the link or address you want to analyze into the field Search or scan a URL and validate by pressing Entrance.
After a loading time, more or less long depending on the size of the file or the website, the results of the analysis are displayed on a dedicated page. The verdit comes in a very simple to understand form: a score, representing the number of antivirus software that detects an infection, and an associated color. If the score is high and the color tends towards redthen the presence of a virus is likely and you better not open the file and do not visit the web page.
Obviously, VirusTotal is not a substitute for full-fledged antivirus software. This online service can only monitor individual files or links, and does not offer real-time device monitoring or full system scanning and disinfection for malware. The occasional use of VirusTotal is therefore a good digital hygiene habitwhich complements the use of computer security software adapted to your needs.