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VirusTotal debuts retro, simplified interface for legacy systems

The interface is suitable for older browsers and systems.
Written by Charlie Osborne, Contributing Writer

VirusTotal has launched a new interface which is suitable for older, legacy machines -- and it has a certain retro charm about it.

Found at Virustotal.com/old-browsers, the system, quietly launched this month, is described as a "minimal interface for browsers."

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Google acquired VirusTotal back in 2012. The free, public service can be used to analyze suspicious files and URLs.

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Files can be submitted through the primary public web interface, desktop uploaders, browser extensions, and an API. Once they are accepted, VirusTotal checks the file against 70 antivirus scanners and URL/domain blacklisting services to detect malicious content.

The new service is geared towards browsers unable to cope with the full-fledged version of the main platform, and users are still able to upload and check both files and URLs. The interface may prove valuable for those using older systems or on mobile, as it takes far less bandwidth and time to load.

Uploading a file through this interface will show results in the manner below:

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Pingdom shows that the standard VirusTotal domain, tested from London, has a page size of 947.6 KB and a load time of 486 ms. In comparison, the older browser interface has a page size of 6.1 KB and a load time of 333 ms.

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Last year, Google parent company Alphabet launched the VirusTotal Enterprise service, an expanded version of the platform geared towards business clients. Threat detection, quicker search options, and task automation are all aspects of the new system. 

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