TechnoBuzz.net » Security

Top 6 Windows Spyware Scanners

Raj — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:29:37 +0000

Spyware is a type of malware that is installed on computers and collects information about users without their knowledge. The presence of spyware is typically hidden from the user. Typically, spyware is secretly installed on the user’s personal computer. Sometimes, however, spywares such as keyloggers are installed by the owner of a shared, corporate, or public computer on purpose in order to secretly monitor other users. Following are a selection of the best adware and spyware scanning tools to ferret out these often hidden menaces. If you go the standalone route, make sure you back it up with antivirus software and a firewall.

See Also: 10 best Free Online Virus Scanners
See Also: 12 Free Windows Antivirus of 2009

1. McAfee VirusScan

McAfee AntiSpyware 2006 is no longer sold as a standalone product, but don’t despair. McAfee VirusScan (2006) includes the same stellar protection. In our tests, both products nabbed 98% of running processes associated with adware and spyware, effectively neutering the infestation. At $39.99 for both stellar spyware protection and a top-notch virus scanner, McAfee VirusScan (2006) is a steal.

2. Windows Defender

Windows Defender is offered free and, like CounterSpy, sports above average detection rates. The product is still considered beta and tech support is not provided. Despite these setbacks, it can provide a good second opinion. However, Microsoft AntiSpyware and CounterSpy should not be installed on the same system, as they both share common components.

3. Spybot Search & Destroy

Free for personal use, Spybot doesn’t have stellar removal rates. It does, however, provide TeaTimer and SDHelper which are extremely effective at preventing adware and spyware from gaining a foothold on your computer. So while you may not want to rely on it for detection and removal, you may want to install and activate it alongside other protection to help keep your system spyware-free.

4. Webroot Spy Sweeper

Spy Sweeper removed 100% of the miscreant BHOs and Toolbars in our tests and stopped 84% of the active processes associated with adware and spyware. Spy Sweeper is a standalone spyware scanner and not a full-fledged Internet security suite, thus it is best used in conjunction with antivirus and firewall software.

5. Sunbelt CounterSpy

Sunbelt’s CounterSpy removed 90% of the miscreant Browser Helper Objects (BHOs) in our tests. Sporting above average detection for only $19.99, CounterSpy offers inexpensive protection, an easy-to-use interface and US-based tech support.

6. Hijack This

Another free utility, Hijack This isn’t a traditional spyware scanner. It will, however, provide a full report of what’s active on your system. Experienced users can peruse the report, identify the miscreants, and use Hijack This to disable the unwanted loading (or do so manually). Less experienced users can save the Hijack This log and send it to a more savvy friend for advice.

Windows 7 malware & spyware removal tool IObit Security 360

Raj — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:30:09 +0000

Freeware IOBit 360 is a fast and welterweight utility for both detecting and removing malware, and determining any security holes in your system before they can been exploited. The interface has large icons with simple labels that won’t confuse novices, while the tools menu offers some useful features that more advanced users are sure to appreciate. With the unique “Dual-Core” engine and the heuristic malware detection, IObit Security 360 detects the most complex and deepest spyware and malware in a very fast and efficient way. IObit Security 360 has a real-time malware protection and frequent updating for prevention of zero-day security threats. Designed for Windows® 7, Vista™, XP and 2000 (32bit and 64bit), IObit Security 360 can work with your Antivirus for a superior PC security.

The Tools tab gives you seven useful system security tools. There’s a Hijack scan for power users, a Security Holes scan, a Passive Defense that disables cookies in Firefox and Internet Explorer, and ActiveX in IE, and an Unlock and Delete tool for getting rid of files your system thinks are in use.

There’s a Privacy Sweeper that will clean not just cookies and cache but saved forms, download history, and other Internet traces in all major browsers, as well as utilities like archival tools, multimedia players, and other applications.

Download IObit Security 360 for Windows 7 here

Gmail & Yahoo also Hit By E-mail Phishing Attacks

Raj — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 06:06:33 +0000

Yesterday we reported on the big news that thousands of Hotmail Passwords Leaked online. Now Users of Gmail and Yahoo have joined Hotmail as victims in what appears to be a large-scale webmail phishing campaign designed to steal login credentials. The 10,000 passwords and user names, believed to be booty from a phishing attack, were posted over the weekend to the clipboard site PasteBin The list included only online account addresses that began with “A” or “B,” suggesting that the list was only part of a larger cache of credentials. On Tuesday, the BBC reported that it had viewed a second list of more than 20,000 account credentials that included Gmail, Yahoo and AOL accounts, and that Google had uncovered a third list containing an unknown number of accounts.

Both Google and Microsoft, which own Gmail and Hotmail, MSN and Live.com respectively, have taken measures to block use of the exposed accounts until the legitimate users can reset their passwords. Here’s some advice that can help you avoid becoming a phishing victim. Always create the Strong Passwords and also Check Password Strenth with Microsoft password checker.

Microsoft Hotmail passwords leaked online

Raj — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 04:27:33 +0000

Microsoft confirms that thousands of Windows Live Hotmail account usernames and passwords have indeed leaked to the Internet as reported by Neowin.net. After learning of the breach, Microsoft “immediately requested that the credentials be removed and launched an investigation to determine the impact to customers,” Security experts say that if 10,000 passwords were lost, this would be a big attack, but not the biggest on record. Phishing schemes that have netted attackers 50,000 to 75,000 passwords have been recorded, especially when millions of potential accounts are available for attack.

WindowsLiveWire has a post up on the issue, and protecting yourself from phishing.

Download Microsoft Security Essentials

Raj — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:04:48 +0000

Microsoft confirms it is releasing Microsoft Security Essentials, its free anti-malware product, on Sept. 29. The slimmed-down solution will replace Microsoft’s Windows Live OneCare in the battle against malware. Microsoft Security Essentials is designed to run quietly in the background alerting users only when there is an action for them to take. It also limits CPU and memory usage, resulting in less impact on the tasks consumers perform every day such as opening documents or browser windows or loading search results, even on older or less powerful PCs.

Read Also: 12 Free Windows Antivirus of 2009

Microsoft Security Essentials will be available for Windows XP SP2 or SP3, Windows Vista and Windows 7 including Windows XP mode on both x32 and x64 PCs.

Download Microsoft Security Essentials Here

Protect Laptop & Data against theft with LAlarm

Raj — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 04:22:26 +0000

LAlarm is a free laptop alarm. LAlarm emits a loud alarm sound when a thief tries to steal a laptop and it recovers and destroys sensitive data if the laptop is stolen. Besides, it alarms when the battery is under stress in order to preserve the battery capacity and prolong the battery lifetime. In addition, this application will also notify you when the battery level gets too low in order to prevent data loss because of sudden power loss.
Moreover, it sounds an alarm when a laptop is outside a predefined safe perimeter or left unattended in an unsafe place. Furthermore, it alarms when a hard disk drive needs a repair or replacement in order to prevent data loss and laptop failure. It alerts to a mobile phone via email or SMS when an alarm goes off.

Features:-

· Theft Alarm- It protects the laptop against theft by sounding an alarm when a thief tries to steal a laptop.

· Perimeter Alarm- It alerts when a laptop goes outside a perimeter. It helps prevent laptop misuse and keeps the laptop within a safe boundary.

· Inattention Alarm- It sounds an alarm when the owner leaves the computer unattended in an unsafe area for a period of time. It helps prevent laptop theft.

· Battery Alarm- It alarms when the battery is under stress in order to preserve the battery capacity and prolong the battery lifetime. It also alarms when the battery level is low to prevent data loss and potential laptop damage due to sudden power loss.

· Disk Alarm- It alarms when a hard disk drive needs a repair or replacement in order to prevent data loss and laptop failure.

· Data Destruction- It protects sensitive data by destroying the data if the laptop is stolen.

· Data Recovery- It can recover data from a stolen laptop.

· Mobile Phone Alert- It sends an alert to a mobile phone via email or SMS.

· Theft Response- you can tell your laptop what to do in advance if your laptop is in hands of a thief.

Download LAlarm here

Surf safer and protect your PC with Wot Firefox Addon

Raj — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:02:54 +0000

These days there are so many Wesites which are not saf for your PC, bcoz they have the risk of Spywares, Malwares, Adwares and many other viruses. But now you can Surf Web safely and Protect your PC with WOT Firefox Addon. WOT is a free Internet security addon for your Firefox browser. It will keep you safe from online scams, identity theft, spyware, spam, viruses and unreliable shopping sites. WOT warns you before you interact with a risky website. It’s easy and it’s free.

Features:

Protection against risky websites
Child safety
Flexible protection level adjusting
Colorblind accessible version

Download WOT Firefox Addon Here

NoVirusThanks : Scan Files online with 25 Virus Engines

Raj — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 11:15:46 +0000

NoVirusThanks.org is new Simple web service that allows you to keep your computer virus-free. It was the best online virus scanner that lets you scan suspicious files for viruses, worms, trojans and any other kind of malware. The files are scanned with 25 independent antivirus engines such as AVG Technologies, Kaspersky Lab, McAfee, Emsi Software and other.

See Also: 10 best Free Online Virus and Malware Scanners

How to use this service:

1. Click on the button Browse… and select the file you want to upload
2. Click on the button Submit File to start to upload the file
3. Now your file will be processed with our system and after about 40 seconds you will see the analysis report
4. Maximum allowed file size to upload is of 20 MB (MegaBytes)

Features:
- Free and independent service
- Use of multiple antivirus engines
- Automatic updates of virus signatures
- Detailed results from each antivirus engine
- Advanced details of file analyzed
- BBCode support
- Binder Detector

Download Free Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 Trail Ver

Raj — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 07:27:42 +0000

The Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 application was designed to be a all-in-one security solution that offers a worry-free computing environment for you and your family. Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 has everything you need for a safe and secure Internet experience. The new Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 currently are ready and available for downloading. Users who want to have a look at these programs and get free protection against viruses can download them via the link below.

Download Free Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 Trail Ver

Check Password Strenth with Microsoft password checker

Raj — Fri, 15 May 2009 10:25:57 +0000

Some Months Back we Mentioned About how to Create a Strong Password which will help you to create Strong Passwords. A strong password should appear to be a random string of characters to an attacker. It should be 14 characters or longer, (eight characters or longer at a minimum). It should include a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.

If you wanna check that your Password is Strong or Not than you have to try Microsoft password checker. Password Checker does not collect, store, or transmit information beyond the computer that you use to access Password Checker. The security of the passwords entered into Password Checker is similar to the security of the password you enter when you log into Windows. The password is checked and validated on your computer, but is not sent over the Internet.