Cybersecurity: How Do You Know If Your Antivirus is Working (without actual Malware)?

Antivirus is a lot like having insurance... you have it, but hope you never have to use it. 

What if I tell you that you can test your antivirus on your PC, without downloading any malware, by simply typing something on your keyboard? If it reacts, the antivirus is working. If it didn't... your antivirus' real-time scan is not working. 

This only works on Windows, by the way. 

Open a powershell window. (If you don't know what is Powershell, please read this from Microsoft. It's already in your system.  https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/powershell )

What you will type or copy is just a string, a bunch of characters. It is NOT a script or malware. It is offered by Microsoft as a way to test their own AMSI (Microsoft Antimalware Scan Interface)

Enter this at the prompt:  ‘AMSI Test Sample: 7e72c3ce-861b-4339-8740-0ac1484c1386’ 

Note, please replace the fancy quotes with single quotes to get this to work properly. Yes, the single quotes are important. 

Microsoft Security should trigger as you press enter. Depending on whether you have any clipboard management software, it may react as soon as you try to copy the string onto the clipboard. 

Now you know whether your antivirus is active or not. 

There are, of course, other ways to test this. For this method (all credits goes to Black Hills Info Sec) and other ways, go read BHIS's blogpost: https://www.blackhillsinfosec.com/is-this-thing-on/

COVID Mystery: Who Is Operating These Unknown COVID-19 Testing Sites?

Petaluma, California police got multiple reports between January 15 and January 26 about a questionable pop-up COVID testing site in that city, according to KRON4 News. 

Officers approached the site and asked for documentation, and they produced documents that they were operated by Crestview Clinical laboratory. Officers left the scene satisfied that all seems to be in order. 

However, officers later learned that Crestview, when contacted, denied they have a site in Petaluma. 

Officers returned to the site, to find the area empty. The pop-up site had disappeared. 

However, police have also received reports from people who used the site earlier and have received results. So there may or may not be fraud involved. 

Several jurisdictions in California, including San Francisco, and Marin counties have also reported suspicious pop-up COVID testing sites claiming to be operated by Crestview.