FREE antivirus tips and downloads

How to know how your antivirus compares to other antivirus.

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:17:00 -1200

I have heard this line many times before. Is Norton better than McAfee? Is Kaspersky better than Avast? What is the best antivirus? Thankfully there are many ways to validate how an antivirus stacks up against their competitor.

The first way is find one of the many antivirus comparison companies and view their reports. One of my favorite is av-comparatives.org . You can view their latest report here. The company basically takes all of the well known antivirus software and runs a battery of tests on them. They use approximately 2,309,850 viruses on their test machines. They then rank each antivirus performance according to a battery malware including backdoors, viruses, bots, and Trojans etc. The company then takes scanning times (Winners: ranked left to right, Avast, Symantec, Avira, and Sophos.), Detection Rates (Avira McAfee, Symantec, Avast then F-Secure 99.5% through 97.5%) and Missed Samples (Avira, McAfee, Symantec , and then Avast lower is better). Finally they assign an overall score with Avast, Symantec Norton, and Bitdefender ranked the highest. McAfee is ranked in a tier below the following antiviruses. There are also four levels of certification with av comparatives depending on effectiveness.

There are also other ranking services including WestCoast labs. This laboratory again tests an assortment of antivirus variables. Unfortunately, the company only provides two certifications platinum or a regular certification. So, Antivirus software either has a certification or it doesn’t as the company doesn’t rank antivirus software. However, it’s still good to check for WestCoast labs certified antivirus.

Next, is ICSA labs. I like ICSA labs because they not only test antivirus but antispyware and anti spam as well. I believe that ICSA labs is one of the original malware testing services so I presume them to also have the most experience. However, the company like Westcoast labs only provides a certification rather than a ranking.

Finally is Virus Bulletin. VB is the same as the last 2 certification companies in that they only provides a single Vb100 certification. This Vb100 certification means that the antivirus product detected 100 percent of viruses in the wild. Only 15 of the 26 security products that they tested passed. However, according to Av-comparatives no antivirus scored 100 percent detection.

Some things that virus testing services don’t tell you. The first thing is the virus testing or comparative labs do not usually test free antivirus products. Free antivirus usually have modified code or scaled down functionality from the full versions. Therefore, you can’t say that full antivirus software and a free antivirus software detection rates are even close to similar. This is unfortunate because most antivirus these days are free antivirus. Just do a quick Google search for “antivirus” and the first program is free avg. However, don’t be discouraged. Check out av-comparatives and then make sure the software also has certifications on the other three sites. This should answer most users’ questions about what is the best antivirus or what antivirus is better?

Windows 7 Firewall Control 3.0 Review and Download

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:12:00 -1200

I know we usually only look at free antivirus software but today I also wanted to take a look at a free firewall software. Also don't be concerned by the name the software is also compatible with Windows Vista.

Background:
Interestingly, Windows 7 and Vista already come with a firewall built into the core of the Windows operating system. However, the firewall is under utilized as it only provides inbound protection and not outbound. Outbound protection is crucial to a secure computer because Trojans and viruses will often try to contact a hacker’s website to send a user’s personal details, download additional viruses and automatically install them, or sit idle waiting instructions from an attacker to attack other systems. A firewall can also be instrumental in detecting unknown viruses or other malware. If an unknown program attempts to connect to the internet, a user will alerted to the program and it’s location.

Review:,
Windows 7 firewall control adds this crucial outbound protection to the already built in windows firewall. Therefore, a user will not have to deal with additional firewall software that will hog CPU and memory. Windows 7 firewall control also adds individual application protection. While the standard firewall has a basic application setting, Windows 7 firewall control lets a user tweak inbound and outbound settings for each and every application detected.

The free firewall add on also includes zones settings. This will allow a user to create customs zones based upon usage. For example, a user can set a zone to only enable internet browsing or only p2p traffic. I personally liked the LAN only setting which allows a computer to only communicate with computers on a LAN and not on the internet; this is great for local servers. The different security zones can also be activated with a simple hotkey.

Additional Features:
Windows 7 firewall control includes many of the similar features in other firewalls including port forwarding and rules based firewall. However, there are a few features that I think really make the software amazing.

Taskbar Integration – currently not available on a regular windows 7 or windows vista computer. A user can easily access the firewall from a simple icon rather than navigating countless menus.

Special Firewall Modes – In addition to the standard enable or disable all connections, the firewall includes an expansive or insecure connection mode. This mode is perfect for a public hotspot in which a user only wants to give a specific program access through the hotspot. For example, you’re at a coffee shop and only want to browse the web. You can enable insecure connection mode and only allow the web browser but not other programs, to access the internet for an intermittent period.

Shell Integration - The Windows 7 firewall control can be integrated directly into the Windows shell. When a users right clicks a program, the firewall will give the user a ton of available options such as adding the application to a zone or blocking etc.

IPV6 support - a user can easily discern and categorize IPV6 traffic with this firewall.

Conclusion:
Windows 7 firewall control is a must have freeware for any Windows 7 or Vista computer. Download it here.

Avast 5.0 Beta is released and includes anti-root kit and antispyware.

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:24:00 -1200

Avast 5.0 Introduction

Avast was one of the first free antivirus products that I ever used. I have always really liked the software for its abundance of features including the screen saver scanner and all of the different shields like the p2p shield. The only problem I have had with Avast, is that the interface has really lagged behind their competitors. I honestly think the menus haven’t changed for maybe 7 years. The lifted Sim City sound effects (when you click a button) also started to drive me a little crazy.

Thankfully, all of this has changed with the Avast free 5.0 beta update. The interface has really improved and now looks like a top notch antivirus product comparable to the latest Norton and McAfee versions. See the shocking software evolution below.

The previous Avast 4.8 shown below

The new Avast 5.0 Beta displayed below

A Norton antivirus 2010 comparison screenshot

Avast 5.0 beta technology

In addition to the new look, Avast has also made a lot of advances in their antivirus technology. The first is that Avast 5.0 Beta includes spyware and anti rootkit detection built in. The anti root kit detection now has real-time protection versus a passive system hence, the avast behavior shield. We are not exactly sure why Avast doesn’t call their product an internet security software because it includes all of the core features (anti rootkit and spyware technology) into their software package. Just a quick note Free AVG doesn’t include rootkit detection and only includes the technology in the full version. Avast 5.0 also includes a boot scanning feature simular to Free AnVir which will allow you to scan a system even before Windows completely starts. This prevent viruses from locking themselves into memory so that they can easily be deleted.

The underlying antivirus system also has numerous improvements. The first being that the free antivirus now supports multi threading. This will allow Avast 5.0 to break up a virus scan to all of a computer’s cores. According to infosecurity magazine, this will allow the Avast to scan up to more than fifty percent faster than the previous Avast 4.8.
In addition, to the free version AVast will also release a full Avast 5.0 software. The antivirus software will include completely new functionality called sandbox mode. This will allow a user to surf the internet without worry of contracting a virus through their internet browser. This is very similar to the ImmunOS feature found on this website.

In conclusion, Free Avast 5.0 is an excellent upgrade compared to the 4.8 software. Download the free antivirus here before it is even officially released.

Download

Get Avast 5.0 beta here

Does Mac free antivirus exist?

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:01:00 -1200

The first thing that might come to mind is why do I need antivirus software for my Mac? I thought Macs cannot get infected by computer viruses? Unfortunately, Macs are prone to viruses and Trojans and the threat is increasing. This is because Macs are rapidly gaining more market share and are garnering more and more interest by hackers. Specifically, for passwords stealing Trojans because Mac users tend to have a higher affluence level. Mac users need to understand that they are vulnerable or a future virus could rain havoc on Mac users because the nomenclature “Macs can’t be susceptible,”exposed here, is false.

Thankfully, the antivirus industry has responded with some antivirus alternatives. Unfortunately, there are only a few free options.

1) Kaspersky Antivirus for Mac - The just released software scans a Mac for Mac OSX and Windows viruses. The goal of the software is to prevent a Mac from spreading PC viruses onto other computers within a home network. The logic is that about 90% of Mac users also own a PC. We like how the software uses only a maximum of 1% CPU power with real time protection enabled. You can download Kaspersky here.

2) Trend Micro Online Scan – If you go to the Australian and New Zealand Trend Micro site, it states in the requirements that the scan supports Mac OS X. The online scanner has undergown several rereleases so the Mac support is not guarranteed. I have looked through a few blogs to try to find this out. Apparently, the support is available to users outside the United States Try this link out here.

3) ClamXav - We have reviewed this antivirus software before here. The antivirus software is a free nonprofit and open source program. However, we advise you to be cautious about ClamXav only because there isn’t a large antivirus company backing the software. The software doesn't have a full time staff to find the latest viruses. You can download the ClamXav free antivirus here.

4) PC Tools iantivirus - This antivirus is new from PC tools. The company makes a wide variety of other antispyware and antivirus software. This software is highly recommended by us for Mac usage. Download the software here.

5) MacScan Antivirus - This company has a particular advantage because they only focus on Mac viruses and spyware. I like the cookie blocker that blocks about 9000 bad tracking cookies. Download MacScan here.

6) Mcafee Virex Antivirus - Mcafee is another trusted name in the mac antivirus business. The Mcafee Virex software can deployed easily over mac networks. Unfortunately, I haven't always had luck with Mcafee products. Read more here.

In conclusion, its important for a Mac computer to have antivirus installed. Hopefully, these security options will keep Macs and Windows PC's alike safe.

Comodo 3.8 Antivirus Download and Review

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:26:00 -1200

I have recommended Comodo products for a while in fact, they are still on the main page today. Our original link was for a comodo firewall however, the company has since updated their software to include a fully functional free antivirus.

Features

Secure DNS - What's nice about Comodo's software is that it incorporates the company's knowledge of secure SSL internet encryption and identity management. The software includes a secure DNS functionality that will protect a PC when surfing the internet. Comodo's secure DNS will make sure that when you type in a website that you will goto to that website rather than a fake or phishing website. Comodo will also constantly weed out unacceptable and malware websites to make sure that a computer has the best protection available.

Intrustion Prevention System - Comodo's security software also comes with proactive protection. Rather than just waiting for an antivirus or worm to infect a user's system, the antivirus software will proactively seek and destroy threats even before they can be completely downloaded. This type of antivirus technology minimizes virus clean up and makes sure that the antivirus doesn't leave traces in the registry and Windows folder.

Always on virus scanning - alot of free antivirus do not include on access or always on scanning. Comodo free 3.8 offers this technology and uses fewer resources due to a redesigned engine.

SafeList scanning - Comodo free antivirus gives the user an option to compile a list of safe programs on their computer. This will prevent the antivirus from repeatedly scanning a safe location such as a large iso or compressed folder. The safe list can be utilized during the incremental scanning option to ensure that only user defined and virus prone locations are scanned.

Heuristic Protection - We also like the inclusion of heuristic protection which kind of adds an additional layer of security on top of the Intrusion Prevention System. If the IPS fails to detect the virus and their isn't a virus definition file available, Comodo antivirus will as a final resort, watch for suspicious virus behavior. If the malware behavior is detected, the user will be alerted and given the opportunity to delete the file. Therefore, the antivirus software provides a 3 tier or 3 layer security solution.

Resource Use and Scanning

There have been some complaints about Comodo's resource usage and scanning. However, the company has addresed most of these problems. In our personal tests, the software was scanned on par with other free antivirus offerings and didn't slow down our computer by a large amount.

Conclusion

Comodo 3.8 free antivirus is an excellent antivirus and now even comes bundled with a free firewall. The software package also recieved PC magazines editor choice award and provides excellent security with a 3 layer solution. We advise you to at least install and play around with the latest build. Get it here http://www.download3000.com/download_14828.html

Windows 7 Compatible Antivirus Software - The full list

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:59:00 -700

Windows 7 has just been released and the big question breaks down to whether previous antivirus software designed for Windows Vista and Windows XP will work. Unfortunately, most of the legacy antivirus software, especially those with Windows services, will have some problems with Windows 7. I know this because I ran Windows 7 beta for a few months. While the antivirus software might not have been completely non functional, I ran into a lot of graphical interface problems and auto protect problems. Therefore, for those of you who have just upgraded to Windows 7, I offer a list of free antivirus that are compatible so you do have to go out to the store and buy a new copy.

1) Windows Security Essentials - I reviewed this software a few weeks ago here. Security Essentials was released especially for Windows 7 users. It's free and provides great protection. A very important feature of this antivirus is the fact that it natively supports 64bit operating systems. Very few antivirus have this functionality*

2) AVG free Edition 9.0 - This antivirus software was also just released just prior to the Windows 7 launch. It offers full compatibility with Windows 7. You can get the software here.

3) Avast Free Edition 4.8 - The features page of the software here, states that the software is compatible with Windows 7. However, 4.8 is relatively old so you might want to check out the full version. The full version comes with the "Windows 7 Certified" logo stating that software has been tested by Microsoft.

4) McAfee Beta Total Protection for Windows 7 - this is a new antivirus program offered by McAfee. The software is free but it is in beta so it still may have some bugs. Get it here.

5) McAfee Internet Security - I saw this the other day when I was logging in. McAfee is offering 12 free months of security for Bank of America online users. Get it here

Finally, most antivirus vendors have made sure their products are compatible with the latest verison of Windows. The thing that consumers need to look for are the "Certified for Windows 7" logos. This will ensure that the software is completely compatible with Windows 7. Good Luck with making your version of Windows 7 more secure from viruses!

IObit Security 360 Review and Download

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:53:00 -700

Review Summary

I just installed IObit Security 360. The software is not aimed at replacing a main antivirus software but augmenting a PC’s security. On the main menu, there is a check your pc’s security option. Basically, it includes a cookie and track deletion utility. The program has a quick scanning feature; however, the scanning will stop when you leave the scanning page. Security 360 uses about 62 megabytes when scanning for viruses and malware and about 17 megabytes when idle. The memory usage is significantly higher than competing antivirus products. The virus scan found mostly cookies on my machine. The virus scan also found “Hijack.DisplayProperties.” Interestingly, this is identical to what MalwareBytes Antispyware finds and is not a result of malicious modification hence a false positive. (Update 11/03 This issue is explained on this thread here and here and is very common among Windows Vista 64bit Operating systems. It is not malicious. BTW Malwarebytes was originally the only antispyware program to alert me to this problem) I have posted below a picture of the malwarebytes detection and the iObit detection. Notice the same name and location.

MalwareBytes Hijack.DisplayProperties Photo

Here it is clearer...

Iobit Hijack.DisplayProperties Photo

You can read a more indepth analysis into this issue at http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=1568991&postcount=133

Original Review continued...

The real-time protection isn’t completely enabled and excludes zero day virus protection. However, this can be enabled by simply going to the real time protection menu and selecting the button. It seems like the trial works as if it is freeware only automatic updates and scheduling scans are disabled. However, you can still update the program by clicking update. The program also offers virus tools which basically are rebranded versions of Spyware Blaster and Hijackthis but with more user friendly menus.

Conclusion

The only problem I have with Security 360 is that it isn’t a mature product. The program only has about 200,000 security fingerprints. This is in contrast to other competing software with millions of detection definitions. The Security Holes scanning utility is also not available for 64bit O/S yet. It comes with a currently "not supported message" instead of a functional utility.

Download

While IObit Security 360 is far from perfect, you can get Security 360 full for free during the promotional period. Goto the website below to download.

http://db.iobit.com/license-free/win7-special-offer.php

Zeus Bank Account Trojan and internet email hole

Mon, 23 Sept 2009 00:12:07 -0700

Zeus is a new prolific trojan making its rounds on the internet. This is a new type of stealthy trojan lies idle until a user visits a banking website. The trojan has an incredible url list of banking websites. The lists exceeds 5,000 financial institutions. Once the trojan detects that the user has visited a banking website, the software sends the stolen information to compromised servers across the world. Then, the information can be used to withdraw money from unsuspecting users accounts. Normally, this type of trojan can be quickly neutralized by most antivirus software. However, the trojan or virus incorporates root kit technology to hide deep in an infected system. A recent study was compiled and found that only 20% of antivirus software were able to detect the trojan. This is a very small number and is due to the trojan's advanced antivirus evading techniques. To combat this trojan I recommend installing a free antivirus solution immediately. The trojan has already compromised more than 4 million computers in the United States alone. Please utilize all of the free antivirus on this website to neutralize this virus. Run at least 3 antivirus online scans to make sure that your windows computer is truly virus free. Good luck. A recent report outlines a vulnerability in the yahoo email system. The email service has known about this bug for about 3 years. The bug allows an attacker to essentially brute force guess the password of any user account. For those of you that don't know what brute force is, it is a method for guessing a password by trying all different types of password combinations. The following usually takes place with a denial of service or DoS attack comprising of multiple web page requests. Each webpage request trys a different password. This whole process takes place automatically with the computer reading a dictionary file with many possible password combinations. In other situations, rainbow tables can be used to make random passwords utilizing a series of password rules. The most interesting part about this attack, is it takes place not on the main yahoo mail login page but though partner sites using the yahoo mail api. This is because the main login page has a significant amount of protection. One site used an analogy of the main page acting a secure castle gate but the api's attacking as a whole in the castle wall. Either way, you can mitigate your risk by creating complex passwords. You should use a password manager to store your complex passwords. Also consider one of these password making services.

Why you shouldn't buy antivirus and free antivirus

Mon, 14 Sept 2009 0:12:07 -0700

This is one of the most interesting statements I've heard. The most ironic part about all of this news is that the statement is coming directly from the Trend Micro antivirus company employees. Interestingly, there is a lot of truth to this statement. Most malware are now coming from Trojans, key loggers, and other malicious software rather than viruses. In fact, of the current most prolific security threats only a few actual viruses are present. Hackers now have a financial incentive to install a trojan over a virus. Trend Micro does recommend that one install an all in one security solution. Internet Security suites are available from a lot of antivirus vendors. They combine a firewall, antispyware, antivirus, anti phishing security in one product. However, these internet security software are often more expensive and from what I have heard don't really match up to the protection of multiple free security tools. For example, this website includes norton and spyware doctor in one package. As I have mentioned before, these products represent different companies antivirus knowledge. Different antivirus products discover different viruses and antispyware at different times. Why not leverage multiple antivirus software expertise on your computer. Install many different pc security products from alternative vendors to ensure the highest pc protection. I recently came across an article that stated that you can't trust free antivirus software. In fact, you can read the article here. In summary, the article states that free antivirus doesn't update as frequently as paid antivirus and that free antivirus doesn't give the user the program features that they need. However, I think the author completely ignored the fact that free antivirus is free. This is the crucial point of free antivirus. A lot of people simply don't want to pay for antivirus software. I would rather see these people have some sort of protection rather than none at all. As to whether one can trust free antivirus, I think this is a wholly ridiculous argument. I think Free antivirus is can be trusted the most of any software product. This is because the companies providing the free software don't have any financial incentive to make you buy more or purposely cripple the product. As stated in the above passage, I think current free solutions are more than sufficient to secure a users PC.

Snow Leopard Anti-Malware and Firefox Add on

Wed, 2 Sept 2009 0:14:07 -0700

Apple Snow Leopard has yet to be released. Apple is constantly adding new features to the product for the upcoming release date. Security researchers at the Mac antivirus firm Intego made an interesting discovery in the latest beta build. Researchers found that the Apple had stealthy included a new anti malware technology. The security feature will detect if a virus or Trojan is opened and prompt the user to move the suspicious file to the trash bin. However, this protection is not a full blown antivirus. The anti-malware feature doesn't have the ability to scan an entire a system for viruses and the protection ability is pretty limited. In fact, the protection can only detect viruses on a handle of applications like Safari, Firefox, Entourage, IChat, and a select few Apple applications. The anti-malware system works by consulting a list of known malware saved in the Apple system directory. As of today, there are only two Mac Trojans that are listed on the latest list. While many will appreciate the inclusion of pseudo antivirus protection into apple snow leopard, many Mac power users are indifferent to the new technology. This argument is augmented by the fact that Apple advertises their computers to not be as viruses prone as PC's because of the operating system's superior architecture. I think evidence points to a counter argument. But as always its best that you be the judge on this contentious topic. Firefox is well known as one of the most secure browsers. The Firefox model is similar to the Apple security model in which these products operate on the security through obscurity concept. Essentially, the software is more secure because less users use Firefox than lets say Internet Explorer. However, these concepts don't last for long, especially when the software is quickly rising in popularity. In fact, older Firefox versions have become one of the most tasty targets for hackers to attack. In fact, Firefox was used in forty six percent of attackers exploits. This percentage far outweighs the differences in market share between Internet Explorer and Firefox. The latest attack poses as an update for Adobe Flash. In fact, the add-on does nothing near as mentioned in the name. Instead, the user essentially gets a Trojan that operates in Firefox. The Trojan will insert additional ads into Google Search results and implements user behavior tracking methods. The most disturbing of the privacy invasions is that the software records all of the users search queries. The search queries are then sent off to a remote site and recorded. This attack also brings up another vulnerability in the Firefox Browser. Add-ons aren't signed like Internet Explorer active X products. So its difficult to know if the addon is legitimate so always download all on add-ons from mozilla.com. Also upgrade to the latest version of Firefox which is 3.5. Also get our antivirus toolbar here to add additional protection to Firefox.

Malware is winning and CA auto immune update (again)

Mon, 18 Aug 2009 0:14:07 -0700

Virus have become so prevalent that antivirus companies are finding it hard to catch up. In fact, this is the actual goal of the attacker. The attacker wants to mask the actual virus with less devastating viruses to distract security firms. In fact, some security firms have reported that the they have see as many as forty thousand new malware a day. In almost 50 percent of the cases the viruses disappear in less than 24 hours. This is because hackers constantly monitor their viruses and whether they are being detected by free antivirus software. If new definitions are released that detect their virus, the hacker will patch their original virus code to make sure that the virus can't be detected. The most scary part about all of these threats is that they are practically growing in an excess of an exponential rate. In the last ten months viruses have increased as much as 60 percent measured over a twenty year period. The internet landscape is increasingly becoming more dangerous. It is now more important than ever to have an free antivirus solution installed to protect against identity theft and trojans. Check out the free antivirus help toolbar which will give you access to numerous antivirus products right on your computer. This goes along with the last article. Viruses are coming out so quickly that the antivirus vendors need to quickly release updates to combat the viruses. Unfortunately, since antivirus are frequently are updated several times a day it becomes difficult to test if the newly updated definitions are compatible with all computers. The latest problem with an antivirus update affects the CA antivirus auto-immune system. The scanner quarantines many of the antivirus products own files. The antivirus will also quarantine Windows system files. Many users are reporting that they are unable to use their computers after applying the update. This isn't the first time that this has happened to Computer Associates antivirus. In fact, the last time this happened was in July 23 when an update crippled Windows XP system. Read about the previous faulty update here. Regardless, this time its a different story because CA has admitted error and quickly released a patch reverting back to the original antivirus engine. For the users that ran in to additional problems customer support agents are standing by to help resolve the problem.

F-Secure Exploit Shield Technology Preview Beta

Mon, 3 Aug 2009 0:14:07 -0700

The majority of Windows Update Patches that are contrived to fix one problem; exploits. Exploits, or bugs that are imbedded in to computer programs, are a fact of life with any program designed by humans. Hackers exploit these holes to gain higher privileges on a Windows machine or another operating system. The exploit can then be used to install malicious software, viruses, or gain complete control over the system through root access. Unfortunately, free antivirus software doesn't have the ability to protect against exploits. Antivirus only has the ability to scan for known viruses and attempt to detect some malicious activity. This is why F-Secure has released the Exploit Shield protection. The software attempts to be even more proactive than a Windows Update patch could ever be. For example, what used to take a week to release a tested patch can be mitigated in just a few minutes with the F-Secure exploit shield. The exploit shield also protects against many other vulnerabilities with zero day protection. This means that even if the exploit shield hasn't been updated, or the operating system hasn't been updated, the software can protect against unknown exploits. In addition, the software supports free automatic definition updates from F-Secure. The software also works on Windows 7 and Windows Vista. F-secure even included support for Internet Explorer 8. Finally, the software is from F-secure which has been pioneering new antivirus technology for a while. I previously recommended F-Secure's rootkit virus scanner. Please note that this software is also in beta and is ongoing testing.

Pentest InmunOS Secure Browsing Environment

Mon, 3 Aug 2009 0:14:07 -0700

InmunOS is a new type of security software that provides in all in one secure browsing experience. This type of software is similar to the F-Secure Exploit Shield in that it provides additional protection to a computer that already has antivirus software installed. InumunOS is a completely virtual browser in the sense that it is never installed on your computer. The software will load completely into memory and never write anything to the hard disk or interact with Windows in any way. This makes it so that if a user were to enter a malicious website and the website attempts to download a virus, the virus will never make its way on to the users computer. What's even more amazing is that the software can be run inside of Windows. InmunOS will essentially load a Linux operating system into memory which runs completely independent of anything on the home computer. When the browsing session is complete everything is deleted from memory. When the computer is restarted or shutdown, nothing will be saved from the web browsing experience. This type of antivirus or anti malware technology is truly amazing for a home computer. As the website states, this type of browsing is usually used in military computing environments. Essentially, if you want the safest most private browsing experience try InmunOS. Viruses may eventually be out of luck with this technology.

RAV or Rising Free Antivirus Download and Review

Tues, 23 July 2009 2:14:07 -0700

I have reviewed the full Rising antivirus program before and found it to be an excellent antivirus for detecting more obscure viruses. In recent months, the company has released a new free antivirus program that competes with the likes of Free AVG and Avast. The main selling point of the RAV free antivirus is the fact that it is extremely similar to the full version. In fact, its almost as if the software company repackaged their full product and gave it the free antivirus badge. The main feature that the Rising antivirus includes is always on protection capabilities. The antivirus shield will constantly scan a windows system for malware with definition and heuristic based protection. The software also includes zero day protection. As far as I know there isn't a free antivirus that offers zero day or very fast updates to protect against the lastest virus threats. For example, free AVG will only check for updates once a day vs. their full product which will check for updates every 15 minutes. RAV free antivirus also includes an effective antispyware protection which is also lacking in other free antivirus programs. In addition, to all of these features, free RAV includes an email scanner and web defense protection that will protect a user online. While the software is provided by a foreign company it shouldn't be a concern. The free antivirus was awarded the virus bulletin 100 rating (virusbtn.com) and the the westcoast labs check mark rating. These companies are highly accredited antivirus auditing organizations and have placed their trust with Rising free antivirus.

Recent CA update cripples XP SP3 computers

Tues, 23 July 2009 2:14:07 -0700

This is the first time that this has happened to CA or computer associates. I reported about a year ago that a trend micro update caused computers to crash that was also due to a blotched update. However, the latest blunder affects all Windows XP computers running service pack 3 rather than just computers running the Trend Micro business antivirus. The CA antivirus update causes the antivirus product to label and quarantine essential windows files as viruses. If auto protect is on, this process may happen automatically. Knowing the majority of users including myself, we all have the tendency to just click ok on any virus detection notification thinking its legitimate. Upon deletion of the files Windows XP will fail to load. Thankfully, the company has re issued an update to fix the problem. However, many people will have to reinstall or attempt to rollback their windows operating system. I also think that this goes to show that antivirus companies need to do more to ensure the functionality and compatibility of their updates. Maybe a consortium of antivirus companies can be started to test compatibility on multiple computing system environments. This process should ideally mirror the Microsoft's patch testing and certification process.

Twitter Secure Browser Plugin for IE and Firefox

Tues, 23 June 2009 2:11:08 -0700

In recent months Twitter has significantly grown in popularity. With the increasing exposure hackers have also stepped up their efforts to exploit the service for monetary gain. There are several ways that Twitter has been attacked. The most common way is through malicious links. The weblinks will point to a phishing website designed to steal one's Twitter account information and or bank information. Thankfully, a new tool has been released to combat the rise of malicious links. The secure plugin by Finjan Software attempts to limit a users exposure to a phishing attack. When a user goes to Twitter the software will scan all of the websites links for malicious websites. This is an excellent tool because the majority of Twitter links are disguised whether intentionally or not through link services such as Tiny URL etc. Normal antivirus link scanning toolbar's such as AVG's link scanner, will report the link as safe because the scanner cannot follow the link to its real destination. The link scanner will confuse the TinyURL name for the phishing website. Therefore, Finjan Software's toolbar is actually very technologically advanced and superior to current services. In addition, the toolbar also supports many other blogging sites such as Gmail, Digg, Myspace etc. The toolbar is fully compatible with Internet Explorer and Firefox.

Security Essential Beta Overview

Tues, 23 June 2009 2:11:08 -0700

The previous article talked about Microsoft's new free antivirus called Morro. However, the product was released today and is now referred to as Secure Essentials. The software is free to the first 75,000 users that download the antivirus. The first main advantage to the software is its extremely basic interface. The antivirus offers a Quick, Full, and Custom scans. The Quick scan will scan only the most important parts of a hard drive such as the Windows or the Documents and Settings folder. The Quick Scan will take about 12 minutes on a 50 gigabyte system partition. The full system scan is recommended for more serious virus infections. Unfortunately, a full system scan will take considerably longer. In tests, the scan scan took about an hour and a half. The antivirus also includes a defense shield. This is an excellent feature because a lot of free antivirus don't include real time scanning. Security Essentials also has rootkit detection. Interestingly, most free antivirus also do not have root kit support so this makes Security Essentials fairly unique. For example, if you check free AVG's context menu root kit detection is unchecked as it is only included in the paid version. Security Essentials also has the ability to easily schedule scans and provides a fair amount of customization.