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White Paper on Internet
Security Click to add Internet Security to your Favorites!
It is possible to run two or more concurrent threat scans, although performance will suffer. Quick Links: Anti-threat Tools - Rootkit Tools - Disinfection Tools This resource is dedicated to proactive Malware Defense and Damage Control. Keep in mind that any successful malware (malicious software) attack is one that goes undetected. We have taken it upon ourselves to assemble all popular online threat scanning engines in one location for your convenience. Cyberspace can be a very ugly place, boys and girls. Please surf with care. AhnLabs (SpyZero) has been permanently suspended until they get their fecal matter together. Conversely, Symantec has been recently reinstated, seeing as their feces once again appear to be "one with the scanner" (or so we hope). We wish to draw your attention to several nifty new tactics in the war on malware (upper right corner of this page). We expect that Aura or Prevx may soon be on everyone's want list. Then again Helios (still in ALPHA testing) also looks promising. (Note: Never, ever use Alpha test software in a production environment. Use mature Beta test or Release Candidate software in a production environment at your own risk.) "Unprotected Hex" is very risky! We wish to help end the MTD (Malware Transmitted Disease) pandemic. Malware places everyone with whom you have contact (and all of their contacts) at grave risk of infection. If this has an eerily familiar ring, the comparison to STDs is far too conservative. Your chances of contracting an MTD are many thousand times greater than catching VD! "Protected Hex" is also risky. Malware strikes the average Internet connection every twenty-four minutes. When you establish a new connection, you may have no time at all. New systems should never be connected to a network or to the Internet until after adequate precautions have been taken (e.g., threat scanner, firewall, IP hardening, etc.). In any given week, as much as 6% of ALL new malware variants escape detection by ALL popular threat scanners (without exception) -- including the one that you trust the most. How badly perforated is your prophylactic? We beg of you -- perform weekly supplemental threat scans using at least three different threat scanners to maintain control over the continued health and security of your system, and all those with which you communicate. Use different scanners on each visit. To rely on the opinion of only your primary resident threat scanner, regardless of brand, is patently absurd and downright dangerous. Malware removal tools, resident threat scanners, security news, diagnostic tools, and sundry security resources can be found further down this page and scattered about the right margin. Advanced users and IT professionals may also enjoy our XP Professional and Media Center Edition Security Benchmark page. This will assist you to further harden your systems against attack. Please take time to investigate. Read thoroughly, or suffer the consequences of your abundant ignorance! Then tell all of your friends, neighbors, and business associates to pay us a visit. (Threaten bodily harm only when deemed necessary.)
If you wish to try or purchase various software products listed on this page, you are encouraged to enter a product name or category in the search engine below. We have thousands of carefully selected software products listed for your convenience, courtesy of the Digital River - RegNow oneNetwork. For example, enter the topic "real estate" for all applications pertaining to real estate, or enter a product name (or publisher) of a threat scanner of your choice (e.g., Acronis, BitDefender, eTrust, F-Prot, Kaspersky, McAfee, Panda, Tenebril, Trend; Webroot, or X-cleaner). We do not claim to have everything, but this is a mighty good start.
All product returns, exchanges, refunds, or warranty claims must be directed to the software publishers. Thank you for your continued support of our humble endeavors.
This erstwhile white paper -- turned venomous rant -- is intended to elevate the consciousness of the acutely clue-impaired. That would, of course, include hundreds of millions of users whose computers that have already been compromised! Estimates run as high as 70% of all Internet-connected computers are presently at risk. Clean up your act or wallow in the virus-laden mire that you have created for yourself through your "dynamic inaction" and thoughtless selfishness. Just leave the conscientious 30% alone. We refuse to sugar-coat the importance of good security. If you are not making a conscious effort to curb the spread of malware, you have become an integral part of the growing problem of Internet Insecurity! (Lackadaisical idiots are free to take offense at any time. We really could care less.) Malware development was once the pastime of pimply-faced delinquents with hormonal imbalances who failed miserably to hook up with the opposite sex. The products of their laughably-misguided coding attempts were almost tolerable. But the halcyon days of the errant script kiddy is long gone. Malware development has become big business. It is a heretofore untapped revenue source for cowardly criminals who prefer to rob their victims from afar without the benefit of personal contact (which might otherwise result in a swift fist-to-their-proboscis or large-boot-up-their-sorry-posteriors). After all, where's the fun in crime when you remove the elements of gunplay, high-speed chases, rat-infested hideouts, and long jail terms? Nevertheless, 70% of all malware / crimeware is now being developed and distributed for profit and has taken the form of Identity Theft and Internet Fraud. Criminal elements have been known to recruit previously honest, exceptionally talented programmers (with a death wish) by offering very tempting compensation packages. Hundreds of thousands of viruses, worms, Trojans, key-loggers, browser hijackers, injectors, ransomware, crimeware, "spyware", plus a host of other destructive and invasive malware programs have become extremely dangerous security threats to computers everywhere -- including YOURS! Many thousands of cyber-delinquents, terrorists, and organized criminal elements have created an increasingly hostile environment in cyberspace by circumventing firewalls and sundry intrusion detection systems. As if that is not bad enough, these asocial vermin can harvest identities and financial data that cost their unsuspecting victims billions of dollars and untold damage to the victims' credit (also refer to our Identity Theft page). If you are among the many millions of BDEU (brain-dead end users) who have not performed a thorough threat scan within the past day, or if you rely on the findings of a single threat scanning tool; you are asking for trouble ... very BIG trouble! We liken those individuals to syphilitic hookers who discourage prophylactic measures. If, on the other hand, you came here to cure a serious infection of the digital variety, many useful malware removal tools are provided below under the headings Anti-threat Utilities and Disinfection Instructions. Most zero day threats will go undetected by at least one popular threat scanner, allowing it to pass unmolested through your so-called "virus protection". The folks at SocketShield (and others) are on to something that, hopefully, may make vulnerabilities to zero day attacks a thing of the past. For the present, however, please refer to VirusTotal "Failures In Detection". The simple fact that no threat scanner is completely fool-proof ought to scare the bejeebers out of any computer user with a brain, dead or otherwise. Let us speak frankly (as if we have granted you a choice in the matter). You would probably seek a second opinion if your doctor were to prescribe an especially costly or dangerous medical procedure. Would you not? Maintaining the continued health of your computerized data should be no different. If you think that a single anti-threat tool is adequate protection, my delusional friend, you are dead wrong.
What NOT To Worry AboutIf you perceive most spam, cookies, or adware as "threats"; you are pathetically naive. Surely, they may be nuisances, but they ought to be the least of your concerns. Much of this silliness has been categorized as "spyware", yet most of it is relatively harmless stuff. It should be noted that the term "spyware" is very badly defined. This is why we prefer to place the term in quotation marks. Far too much of that which is identified as "spyware", is little more than nuisance-ware. It must be noted that detection of such superficial "spyware" serves only to make the author of the detection tool look good in the consumers' eye. Identification of such pseudo-threats is little more than eyewash and marketing hype for the tool's author. They may as well market their software as elephant detectors in the absence of pachyderms! Tracking cookies pose no meaningful threat to their recipients, despite Wikipedia's overblown "definition". Most cookies are intended to store a tiny amount of useful information (on the local hard drive) to enhance consumer choices. Or did you think that your favorite online book store relied solely on magic to assist you? We have a problem with anti-threat tool vendors who use cookie detection to inflate their threat counts, in order to impress their less sophisticated customers. Can cookies be abused? Of course they can, but only by criminals who, by definition, ought to be spirited away from mainstream society and put to work making tiny pebbles out of large boulders. Please keep in mind that you do have the option of not allowing your web browser to accept cookies, scripts, etc. Or might that make your web experience unbearably difficult? Spam is "unsolicited" communications, much like junk mail. The harsh reality is that you may have agreed to something that prompted the solicitation in the first place. It is unlikely that we shall ever put an end to either Spam -- or junk mail -- at least until after State and Federal governments put a stop to their abuses of personal data that is routinely sold to the highest bidder. If this is news to you, kindly crawl out from beneath the rock under which you have been living and join us topside in the real world. Spam is merely a (largely self-imposed) nuisance. Reply to the "wrong" email, fill in the "wrong" web form, and reap the dubious rewards for all eternity. How the attempted abolition of spam became deserving of its very own Congressional Act, we may never know. Perhaps this is but a precursor to the "Do Not Conduct Commerce Act", followed closely by the end of civilization. Time alone will tell. To be fair, however, not all Spam is created equal. A miniscule percentage may contain malicious scripts that can compromise your system or it is just as likely that it will steer you into some sort of scam intended to relieve you of your money or your identity. Then again, so will seemingly innocuous messages from a close -- but hopelessly irresponsible -- friend or business associate. Coincidentally, friends and business associates are the most likely source of the majority of all malware transmissions. Think about that before you open your next HTML email, email attachment, or after mindlessly agreeing to an unconscionable "privacy policy" or other binding contractual obligation. CommTouch offers a very cool Real-time Spam Outbreak Monitor that may appeal to the acutely Spam-phobic. If your Spam filter fails to resolve your personal problem, try changing your email address and exercising a greater degree of discretion when surfing the web. Adware is a form of nuisance advertising. Big deal. Most advertising, unless it is exceptionally memorable or humorous, also poses a nuisance. Advertising, after all, pays for much of whatever it is that you may be viewing or experiencing. You don't have to like any form of advertising. Without the incentives of advertising, however, the Internet -- as well as print and broadcast media -- would become an abominable wasteland, utterly devoid of meaningful or stimulating content. Yet we are certain that there are those among us who believe all advertising to be deserving of yet another selectively-enforceable Congressional Act. Spare us your self-serving idiocy, please! Much like Spam, a small percentage of adware (primarily gleaned from highly questionable sources) is parasitic in nature and may contain malicious code that could do damage to your system or compromise your identity. For further details on the dark side, you are encouraged to visit 2-spyware.com. Good computer hygiene always begins with imposing reasonable limitations upon your travels. Stop surfing objectionable or questionable websites! Of course, some may wish to include this site in the "objectionable" category. That is entirely their prerogative. Incidentally, malicious scripts can be surreptitiously embedded into nearly any web page by criminal elements. That's right ... ANY website! Many "safe" sites have been ravaged by hackers at one time or another. Even the FBI and CIA websites have been hacked repeatedly over the years, so it is safe to say that no website can ever be completely above suspicion. What this means is that the innocent nature of web surfing may be many times more dangerous than relatively benign spam, cookies, or adware. Conversely, Trojans, browser hijackers, key-loggers, and other such malware pose a meaningful threat to us all. Not only does malware threaten the unwitting recipient but, much like any infectious disease, it can easily spread to all those who come in contact with an infected party! This is another reason to direct your friends, neighbors, and business associates to this site or others like it. (We suppose that some of the exceedingly ignorant might even construe the previous statement as some elementary form of "adware". Again, we really could care less.) Caution, "forehead-slapping moment" ahead ... Please be advised that some malicious software masquerades as "anti-virus", "anti-spyware", and other utilities. (Don't you just hate it when that happens?) Many of the too-clever-by-half charlatans promoting rogue "anti-spyware" applications have been identified through the superb research efforts of Suzi Turner and Eric Howes at SpywareWarrior.com. If you have one of these rogue products installed ... GET RID OF THEM NOW! (If you are able, that is. The alternative may be "Format C:") Another list of rogues is courtesy the good folks at SunBelt Software. Still another list of rogues are supplied by the makers of Prevx. With yet another list of rogues compiled by FBM, authors of ZeroSpyware. Of course, rogue applications are not limited to purported anti-malware tools. There are many trial applications, registry tools, performance tests, utilities, screen savers, and other enticements that will bring on more grief than you can possibly imagine. Avoid them like the plague! Stay abreast of the latest rogue applications through Technorati. To the uninitiated, rogue applications and extortion-ware may be difficult to differentiate from legitimate applications or utilities until it is too late. Seasoned IT professionals can be tricked into downloading rogue applications due to the simple fact that many rogue applications routinely appear as sponsored search engine links on otherwise "safe" web pages! (Doh!) Stick with known brands and reputable software review sites. Yes, many "software review" websites can foist infectious crap on the technologically-gullible masses. In fact, they count on it. Maintain your focus on serious threats to your security, and don't sweat the small stuff. Also see "Final Caveat" at the bottom of this page.
Understanding And Defeating Your EnemyInstall any popular anti-threat tool as your primary resident threat scanner -- we prefer two resident scanners. But ALWAYS use secondary and tertiary anti-threat services to confirm your level of security (such as those indicated in the matrix at the top of this page). Please keep in mind that the primary directive of malware is SELF-PRESERVATION! To escape detection, malware of any sort will damage or disable your anti-threat applications first, leaving you defenseless. That is the primary reason why you cannot trust the findings of one threat scanning utility! Left unchecked, a disabled threat scanner will instill a false sense of security in the unsuspecting victim while malicious programs are left to do their dastardly deeds. To avoid this probability, you must attempt to outmaneuver the criminal. Frequent use of over-the-web threat scanners serves two purposes. First, it will VALIDATE THE FINDINGS of your primary threat scanner(s). Secondly, it may EXPOSE UNDETECTED DAMAGE to your primary threat scanner(s), should the over-the-web threat scanner fail to install or function correctly (see note below). For more information on "spyware", please consult "You've Got Malware!".
Trust, But Verify!Install a popular brand of threat scanning software as your resident guardian, but outsource your "second opinions" to any of the web-based threat scanners indicated in the table at the top of this page. Avoid "off-brand" threat scanners entirely, as many are actually nuisance-ware (e.g., Virtual Bouncer) or extortion-ware intended to sell you a "cure" for something that does not exist (or worse). However, it is imperative that you never use the same brand of software for both your resident threat scanner and your "second opinion", since it is likely that they share a common threat signature database. Please be advised that this DOES NOT provide independent verification and validation (IV&V) of any genuine threats posed!
Due DiligenceWhereas it is generally not recommended to install more than one resident threat scanner (unless they are intended to coexist), you may successfully run a variety of over-the-web scanning tools. It is advisable to perform weekly threat scans alternating between three or more online resources (as indicated at the top of this page). We recommend using these links for your second and third opinions. Rotate through these over-the-web threat scanning tools, deliberately avoiding a site that matches your primary threat scanning software. It is imperative that you use at least three different online threat scanning utilities to maintain a safe and secure computer environment.
The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good IntentionsMany might say that rootkit technology is evil. Hogwash. Rootkits are no more evil than a common brick or baseball bat; both of which are useful inanimate objects. But in the wrong hands, either one can kill or maim an intended victim. Rootkits merely offer safe harbor to malicious software. Sony-BMG's anti-piracy scheme featuring the DRM root-kit (XCP digital rights management). As many as 2.5 million systems may remain "infected" by the Sony rootkit. Symantec's popular SystemWorks protected recycle bin has opened the door to a new wave of exploits. How many tens of millions of users are "infected" by the Symantec rootkit? (Their software may be removed with the Norton Removal Tool below). Many major PC builders (e.g., Compaq, Dell, Gateway, H-P, and others) often include hidden partitions on their hard disks which contain an image used to repair corrupted systems. Unfortunately, these too can conceal undetectable malware that is capable of just about anything including Identity Theft. Microsoft includes a root-kit detection and removal feature in their Windows Defender spyware detector and in their Malicious Software Removal Tool (updated monthly). Here are several other Rootkit Detection / Removal tools that you may find interesting: Use these tools at your own peril. Remember that alpha and beta test software should never be installed on production systems. Please read cautionary message under "Do not set yourself up for victimhood". It seems that Symantec's problems are not limited to the ill-conceived use of rootkit technology. No, not in the least. It was recently revealed that their online threat scanner had a major flaw which left users vulnerable. (Notice that we had disabled our link at the top of this page for a period of time). Now it seems that Norton AntiVirus also has a "worm hole" that places an estimated two hundred million Symantec customers' workstations and servers at serious risk of compromise. We cannot, in good conscience, recommend the use of Symantec threat scanning tools until each of these deficiencies have been corrected and thoroughly tested. Here is a short list of several rootkit monitoring and intrusion prevention tools:
Incarcerate These Scum!Elements of international organized crime and terrorism have entered the picture because the illegal profits from internet fraud and identity theft are substantial. For the public good, it is everyone's responsibility to guard against these attacks, to prevent re-infecting others. Whenever the opportunity presents itself, turn these perpetrators over to the authorities.
Over the past decade, weapons of mass distraction have evolved into weapons of mass destruction. We encourage everyone to maintain at least one resident malware scanner (such as avast!, AVG, BitDefender, ewido, OneCare Live, etc.) on every computer, server, and network workstation. The software must be automated to update itself daily (or hourly). We also recommend an up-to-date anti-"spyware" scanner (such as Windows Defender or Spybot), on each and every computer, server, and network workstation whenever such tools are broken out and marketed separately from a publisher's anti-virus scanner. It is also a good idea to install SiteAdvisor to help guide your travels through cyberspace. Granted, this tool is in its infancy and may be subject to bias on the part of individual reviewers (a few are genuine whack jobs), but it is a great start in the right direction. Anyone can submit a site for review, but reviewers do undergo some scrutiny. This has since been taken over by McAfee.
Do Not Set Yourself Up For VictimhoodRead emails only as plain text, without exception. NEVER read your email as HTML, which can readily mask malicious scripts and bogus web addresses. We recommend that you never open any email attachments unless you are absolutely certain of their origin and purpose. There are new threats which may be contained in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and Word documents. Cautious skepticism will dramatically limit your risk of exposure. Graphic images can be used to exploit your web browsing experience, as well. Social engineering principles that encourage the email recipient to forward the message to others should place the first level of doubt in your mind. Say "No!" to all chain email messages. Admonish the sender with a message that indicates you no longer view unsolicited graphical images or chain emails (many of which are legendary hoaxes). Never insert a Sony-BMG disc with DRM (rootkit) copy protection into any computer! If you have ever done so, run one of the root-kit removal tools below to rid yourself of the potential problems associated with rootkits..
Lastly, we encourage EVERYONE to become obsessive-compulsive about keeping applications and operating systems updated. Most updates are designed to offer protection against new exploits as they are revealed. Plugging holes in security is an essential obligation of all computer users. We consider anything less to be risky behavior -- and you should too! Microsoft has published a useful glossary of security and privacy terms on their OneCare Live website. This may serve to broaden the general public's understanding of some terminology used herein.
Anti-threat Utilities
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Microsoft Windows Update It is always a good idea to keep your Operating System up-to-date and secure. That goes DOUBLE for too-clever-by-half UNIX, Linux, RedHat, and Apple zealots. Improve your upgrade hygiene! |
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Microsoft Security Centers For good measure, check to see just how secure your home, business, or development systems may be. Or try the new, and dare we say "awesome", Windows Live Safety Center. |
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Microsoft OneCare
Live This exciting new suite is an always-on PC health maintenance service that runs silently in the background. It provides fully automated anti-virus protection, a very slick firewall, disc performance optimizer, and file maintenance tool. OneCare Live is the Swiss Army Knife of system utilities for the typical "hands-off" end-user. OneCare plays well with others (coexists with many other virus scanners) but is not intended for use with Windows XP x64 -- yet. This is an ESSENTIAL utility suite from your "extended family" in Redmond. FREE until June 2006 (sign up before April 31st and pay only $19.95 for the first year) Priced at $49.95 per year for three system license including anti-spyware feature). |
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Alwil avast! AntiVirus (for 32-bit and 64-bit processors) This is the first available anti-virus scanner that exploits 64-bit architecture and Windows XP x64 Edition (filling the void left by OneCare). Avast! even talks to you whenever suspicious items are detected or when automatic updates are installed! Windows Server, SBS, ISA Server, Exchange Server, Linux Server, PDA, and other versions are available from our secure eCommerce page. Avast! is FREE for home use, and is very cost-effective in commercial applications. We rate this as one of our favorite primary threat scanners. If you wish to purchase licenses of one- to three-years for any Avast! anti-virus tool, please advance to our secure eCommerce page. |
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Alwil avast! Virus
Cleaner This tool identifies and removes some of the nastiest malware on the planet -- from BadTrans to Zafi. |
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AVG Antivirus Free
Edition AVG has received "VB100%" in the tests performed by Virus Bulletin in December 2005 on Windows 2003 Enterprise X64 Version platform. AVG also has a Linux Free Edition as well. Trial versions of their other anti-virus tools are also available. |
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| Ian Kenefick offers a unique tool that will be of interest to those who desire a subtle degree of overkill. Then again, perhaps it is the most prudent solution. If you wish to use more than one resident anti-malware scanner, Multi-AV is a clever tool that supports command line versions of Sophos, Trend, McAfee, and Kaspersky DOS-level threat scanners. Enjoy! | |||||||
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Avira AntiVir Personal Edition You will recognize the FREE of charge AntiVir Personal Edition Classic with its characteristic red umbrella. This is more popular in other parts of the globe, but is produced in cooperation with the Auerbach foundation. |
BitDefender Antivirus software Yet another highly-rated anti-virus program with Linux, BDS, and variserver editions, FREE for home use. Access to several BitDefender RSS feeds are also available for your viewing pleasure. 
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CA eTrust Anti-Virus Software This is a free offer from Computer Associates for corporate users to provide employees with licensed copies of eTrust EZ Anti-Virus scanner for their home systems. (a $29.95 value). Ask your employer if you may qualify. |
ewido Anti-malware Download a trial that "plays well with others". It will shed a few premium features after the trial period, but will remain effective and FREE for personal use. This is one of our favorites, and the recent merger with the Grisoft Group (AVG) will only improve upon an otherwise excellent tool. |
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ESET
NOD32 Anti-threat System Thirty-day trial versions of the ultra-efficient NOD32 anti-threat scanning tool are available for all flavors of Windows including x64, plus Exchange, Linux, Novell, Domino, Kerio, and more. Stop all forms of malware dead in its tracks with NOD32! |
f-Secure Evaluation Downloads Anti-Virus, Internet Security, Anti-Spyware, Internet gatekeepers, and many other security tools for Windows, Citrix, and Linux PCs and servers. These are evaluation versions with limited licenses. |
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Microsoft Installer Clean Up The all-purpose application removal tool for dislodging those pesky applications that just won't go away or have become hopelessly corrupted. Out damned spot! It is the no-compromise clean-up for compromised software. Another ESSENTIAL utility. |
Norton Removal Tool (SymNRT.exe) Are you having fits with Snortin' Norton SystemWorks or other Symantec products? If so, you may take comfort in knowing the you can uninstall these applications with Symantec's own Norton Removal Tool. Please consult this link on the Symantec site for further details on its use. | ||||||
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Alwil avast! Virus
Cleaner This clever tool from Alwil identifies and removes some of the nastiest malware on the planet -- from BadTrans to Zafi. When infected with malware, use several different tools to surgically remove the threat. To make certain that threats never return, turn off system restore through My Computer | Properties | System Restore, then reboot and re-scan. |
ESET Worm Removal Tools From the authors of NOD32 comes a nicely rounded set of worm and malware removal tools that will pull your fat out of the fire when the "nasties" come crawling. Whenever you identify a threat, you just want it gone! Here are several free utilities that will put you back on track. |
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Microsoft XP Security Guide 2.2 This is one kick-ass hardening scheme that will thwart all but the most ambitious of criminals. If you are unable to get your Belarc Advisorc CIS Security Benchmark above 8 (out of 10) you obviously have not been trying very hard! These data may cause problems in the hands of an amateur. After all, security does not stop with the installation of a threat scanner. It's a state of mind! |
Malicious Software Removal Tool Microsoft updates MSRT around the 10th of each month. This tool checks various versions of Windows XP, 2000, and Server 2003 for malware. It helps remove infections by prevalent malware, such as Bagle, Blaster, MyDoom, Sasser, Sober, SoBig, Zotob, rootkits, and the worst of the worst in worms. |
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Norman
Ngen-Fix Malware Removal Tool NGenFix is a great little Safe Mode utility that may be used to detect and remove whole families of specific malware outbreaks. This is a great reactive, rather than proactive, tool used to handle systems that have been infected. It will kill infected processes that may be running, remove disc infections, and restore correct registry values. download this tool for free. |
Lavasoft Ad-Aware SE This is an old favorite that we de-listed when there had been controversy over Ad-Aware not identifying certain adware. We have re-listed it at the urging of several readers, and due to the fact that SiteAdvisor has it listed as being "green". This tool is also free for personal use. |
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Microsoft Windows Defender This is among the best and most user-friendly anti-spyware scanners available. This "Beta 2" version is absolutely FREE and is an integral component of Vista. Without a doubt, this is an ESSENTIAL tool! (And it "plays well with others.") |
Spybot Search & Destroy |
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Microsoft
Antigen Server Protection Register to receive the Microsoft Antigen Server Protection public beta when it becomes available. Protect against current and emerging malware threats and improve visibility. |
Microsoft
ForeFront Client Protection
Register to receive the Microsoft ForeFront Client Protection public beta. Protect against current and emerging malware threats, improve visibility, and garner other benefits. |
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F-Prot
Antivirus-Firewall F-Prot Antivirus for Windows features an automatic updater to keep you on top of things. The firewall package enables you to protect your personal data, without complicating your environment or straining your computer's resources. Linux and BSD versions available. |
Kerio Personal Firewall
Kerio Personal Firewall is available in two versions. KPF works as the full edition for 30 days, after which it morphs into the limited (free) edition. The limited edition does not provide content filtering capabilities and several other features. |
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Zone Labs ZoneAlarm Firewall If you want the best FREE firewall software, this is definitely it! This is an absolute "must have" item if you are not located behind a hardware firewall or other formidable software firewalls. Yes, firewall alerts can be irritating. But isn't that much better than the alternative? |
PC Tools Evaluation
Downloads Anti-Virus, Spyware Doctor, Registry Mechanic, Privacy Guardian, File Recover, and Spam Monitor trial versions may be downloaded for your first-hand inspection. These excellent tools are evaluation editions with limited licenses and functionality. |
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| McAfee Stinger is a good stand-alone malware scanner. It is updated periodically, but should never replace a resident scanner. | Trend SysClean is another good standalone threat scanner. You may download the latest Trend SysClean Virus Pattern Files here. | ||||||
| Brute Force Uninstaller by Merjin is a tool that is dangerous in the wrong hands. If you are not an advanced user, please avoid using this tool, and first read the documentation before doing serious damage. More invaluable (albeit dangerous) tools from Merjin are available here ... such as ADSspy and BHOlist. | Hijack This! also by Merjin is a tool for the IT professional or someone under their direct supervision. In the wrong hands, it can be very destructive! (So why is it here?) HijackThis! is a very useful homepage hijacker removal tool. It does not target specific programs or URLs. Rather, it identifies the methods being used by hijackers. Submit your HijackThis! logs to this online log analyzer. | ||||||
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Microsoft TechNet Security Tools The Department of Redundancy Department requires us to extol the virtues of Microsoft's of litany of security tools, several of which are mentioned above. Delight in knowing that the good folks at Redmond are trying their level best to keep us all safe. However, that cannot happen without your mutual participation. Get with the program! |
This space, like far too many minds, |
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KH-Blocker HOSTS File
Updater This free tool helps protect against unwanted adware, spyware, and other malware before they are able to exploit your systems. KH Blocker ensures that the most notorious websites are blocked before you accidentally visit one. This utility has an automated update feature that will download the latest HOSTS file from MVPS.ORG. You must have administrative privileges to implement this program. There's no place like localhost! NOTE: You may be unable to use a "ccoked" HOSTS file with certain anti-threat tools, such as Aura or SpySweeper. |
Multi-AV This multi-faceted threat scanning tool enables the user to select from Kaspersky, McAfee, Sophos, and Trend threat scanners. Each threat database is updated before each scan to ensure that the most current threat signatures are being used. It runs from a DOS window, enabling it to circumvent some of Windows' complexities. There are several other useful tools available from the author's website at http://www.ik-cs.com. |
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| SNORT.ORG - Snort is an open source network intrusion prevention and detection system utilizing a rule-driven language, which combines the benefits of signature, protocol and anomaly based inspection methods. Snort has positioned itself as a widely deployed intrusion detection and prevention technology, and has become a de facto standard. | Foundstone Labs is a division of McAfee that offers several free intrusion detection tools and a wealth of up-to-date information about the ongoing battle against the asocial cyber-delinquent and organized cyber-criminal elements that are a festering pox on the posterior of Internet society. | ||||||
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Popular Anti-threat Software PublishersWe do not wish to sleight anyone, so here are links to a few other anti-malware software publishers: |
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Sadly, this list is woefully incomplete. Nevertheless, it does represent forty-odd popular or sophisticated anti-threat products on the market. That ought to be sufficiently complicated so as to confuse the typical unsophisticated consumer. If an unlisted candidate shows merit (and their products are devoid of bothersome traits), we will cheerfully add a link. Conversely, if a product fails to pass muster, we are very likely to provide "destructive criticism". Products that include the ability to generate deliberate false positives, which are intended to bolster flagging sales, need not apply (e.g., Pareto Logic XoftSpy). Never assume that we endorse ANY publisher listed above. Neither does omission necessarily condemn a product or publisher as evil incarnate. Omission is merely a reflection of our relative unfamiliarity with a given product. Nothing more. It should be duly noted that we have valid concerns about certain products, such as StopSign, which explains their conspicuous absence from the above list. For a more complete list of rogue anti-threat products (plus a fair list of otherwise marginal products), please consult SpywareWarrior. There are several otherwise excellent anti-threat products that are dangerously close to crossing the line into near-rogue status. We maintain a short list of popular anti-threat products, including several favorites, that are poised to be defamed for their idiotic marketing ploys. Excessive false positives and indiscriminate cookie identification are just that -- marketing ploys intended to influence the gullible and the unsophisticated. There is absolutely no legitimate excuse for a popular anti-threat scanner to generate false positives or to identify harmless cookies as being something dangerous. Frankly, the mindless hysteria over cookies must stop! |
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In case you missed our tedious bit of self-serving revenue generation the first time ... You may purchase or try various software products listed on this page and elsewhere. Please enter a product name or category in the search engine below. We carefully selected a wide variety of software products and placed them here for your convenience, courtesy of the Digital River - RegNow oneNetwork. For example, you may enter a topic such as "investment" for all applications pertaining to investment, or enter a product name or author of the threat scanner of your choice (e.g., Acronis, BitDefender, eTrust, F-Prot, Kaspersky, McAfee, Panda, Tenebril, Trend; Webroot, or X-cleaner). We don't claim to have everything, but this is a mighty good start.
All product returns, exchanges, refunds, or warranty claims must be directed to the software publishers. Thank you for your continued support.
Disinfection Instructions
Below are links to Sophos' (on the left) and BitDefender (on the right) disinfection instructions. You may find them useful in removing and disinfecting all sorts of malware, including boot sector viruses, macro viruses, script viruses, worms, Trojans, and invaders. We have added links to other collections of tools, in case you can't find the proper "wrench" in this tool box. | |||||||
