Slashdot Mirror
Google Releases VirusTotal Uploader For OS X
An anonymous reader writes "Google today announced the release of VirusTotal Uploader for OS X, allowing Mac users to upload suspicious files for scanning. You can download it now directly for OS X 10.8 and 10.9 from VirusTotal. For those who don't know, VirusTotal Uploader for Windows is a popular tool for submitting suspicious files to the online scanning service. The process is as simple as right-clicking any file and selecting the relevant option from the context menu."
Basically, you use VirusTotal when you're unsure of a potential infection or outbreak. This site is basically a giant filter that runs the file against multiple engines and provides a score. I've seen a new outbreak where my AV didn't catch it, but 1/4th of the scanners at VirusTotal did. It was obviously so new that not all of the AV vendors had time to catch up yet within the 12 hour window or less. It happens; quite common in fact.
Life is not for the lazy.
Virus Total Uploader sounds like a malware development kit. The Headline had me thinking of Google taking the IOS-Android war to new levels of barbarity.
Here's a hint then: Don't upload confidential files.
Why does your stupidity of an unrealistic use case (uploading a file you don't want to share to an untrusted third party) render the service untenable?
Fact is, I use VirusTotal a lot of deal with confidential information all the time. I use it to reassure myself that the things I'm handling aren't going to affect the confidential data or the programs that handle it.
Personally, I think every PDF->Word or Word->PDF service is infinitely more dangerous as a source of uploaded confidential information that could be retained.
And, as pointed out, you DO NOT have to use the service, DO NOT have to upload the file at all, and DO NOT have to use this client...