For those of you charged with the unenviable task of malware removal and defense, keeping your toolbox current can be a lot of work. Lunarsoft's Anti-Malware Toolkit simplifies the process by providing an easy way to handle downloading.
The Toolkit is really just a downloader which fetches the current versions of programs like Super Antispyware, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, HijackThis, Spybot, Autoruns, CCleaner, and LSP Fix. It also grabs programs that you'll want to install to prevent further issues: Avast, Firefox, Comodo Firewall.
Point it to your USB flash drive or network share, hit the download button and grab yourself a cup of coffee.
While you could do this with just about any decent download manager, why bother? Anti-Malware toolkit already targets most of the tools you're going to need and it's as simple to maintain them as clicking a single button.
Everybody knows the big names in the battle against malware - Adaware, Spybot, HijackThis. Today we're going indie, focusing on lesser known ways to avoid and remove all that bothersome software that your "friend" crapped up your rig with!
First things first. Try not to get infected in the first place.
It's common sense that if you can keep malware from getting its nasty little claws on your OS you won't have to bother with fancy removal tools anyway. But how to do it? Sure, real-time scanning will catch a lot of garbage, but why not give your PC a little extra help? Here are two really simple methods.
Outfox malicious sites using a hosts file. By making use of the lmhosts file win Windows, you can trick your computer into never seeing sites where a lot of malware originates. Our favorite is MVPS.org's; it's one of the most complete, frequently updated files you'll find on the net. All the nefarious domains are redirected to 127.0.0.1 - good ol' localhost - so any links to their evil apps just won't work because chances are pretty good that your PC isn't serving up WinSuperSpyRemover 2008. Gold.
Lavasoft has released Ad-Aware 2008, the latest version of the company's popular anti-spyware utility for Windows. Ad-Aware 2008 comes in Free, Plus, and Pro varieties. The free version lacks real-time spyware detection, scheduled scans, tech support, and anti-virus software. But it still does a pretty good job of finding spyware on your system,
The latest version boasts quicker updates and scans, lower resource usage, and an enhanced rootkit removal system. Ad-Aware Plus will set you back $26.95. For $39.95 you can get Ad-Ware Pro, which also adds command line support, a process watch module, and network drive scanning. If you're not sure which version provides the features you need, you can check out the comparison chart.
This is primarily for our readers in the UK, but it's part of a growing trend that should concern Internet users everywhere. Phorm is a notorious advertising system that tracks the browsing activities of customers of huge companies like BT (a major British ISP) and Virgin Media. The data is collected and used to sell targeted advertising, which has a lot of people up in arms over privacy concerns.
Information rights activists aren't known for sitting idle when their privacy is threatened by spyware, and that's where AntiPhormLite comes in. The program, available for Windows XP and Vista, runs as a standalone up or within a second browser of your choice. It calls web pages on its own, generating a fake trail of browsing activity that should make Phorm's data completely useless. AntiPhormLite won't hit your bandwidth, because it only grabs the HTML from each page it hits, leaving out the heavy stuff like Flash, and avoiding any dangerous executables.
You can run AntiPhormLite as a standalone app or within a second browser of your choice. The AntiPhormLite has a thorough, and entertaining, FAQ that should address any concerns you might have about running the app. Our favorite bit? "Just run it and go and watch TV if you want. Someone somewhere will assume you like to shop for red shoes and caravans and be rubbing their hands with glee."
Spyware beware: Lavasoft has just announced a beta of its popular anti-spyware software Ad-Aware.
Ad-Aware remains one of the most popular free anti-spyware solutions out there, with over 280 million downloads worldwide. That a big, hard to visualize number, but we'll put into context for you: that's four times the downloads of any laughing baby on YouTube.
The new features of Ad-Aware 2008 include:
New rootkit removal system
Reduced use of computer memory
Faster updates
64-bit platform support and full Vista compatibility
What's not to love?
Actually, we don't love the redesigned interface, which looks like it took some hints from the web 2.0 designers: lots of big round buttons, and text that reflects itself, as if it were sitting at the edge of a still summer pond. That was cool, like, five years ago.
Looking for a free spyware scanner with real-time spyware and virus protection? Look no further than Spyware Terminator.
Aside from the standard spyware scan, Spyware Terminator has some extra features not normally found in a free product:
Real-time protection that intercepts spyware before it installs
Includes antivirus protection, with an antivirus scanner and real-time protection
Web security guard ranks a website's threat level and notifies you about potential security risks on the page
The spyware scan can be scheduled or manually initiated; you also have the option of a deep, quick, or customized scan. Once the scan is over, Spyware Terminator will quarantine or delete the files with one click; and in the words of a famous character with the same moniker, "it's terminated" (Austrian accent not included, see store for details).
Spyware Terminator is currently in beta, and Windows only.
PC running sluggishly? We know the feeling. Enter Advanced WindowsCare v2 Personal, another new entry in the "one-step scan and optimization of your PC" arena. Similar to CCleaner (though lacking a few of CCleaner's extras), Advanced WindowsCare v2 will scan your machine for spyware, incorrect registry entries, browsing history, and junk files, with the ability to delete said files quickly and easily.
Our initial scan took about five minutes, and found a bevy of things to fix on our test machine. Advanced WindowsCare Personal allows you to look into the gritty details of each problem and repair them with a single click.
You can also check out Advanced WindowsCare v2 Professional, the always-on upgrade to the free Personal edition. For a limited time, you can get the Professional version for "free" (with the completion of one of 100 "free" offers; we'll let you decide whether it's worth it).
Advance WindowsCare is designed for Windows Vista, XP, and 2000.
We know what you want to ask, so here's the answer right away: Runscanner is not a sequel to (or, heaven help us, a prequel to) the movie Blade Runner. So what is it?
Runscanner is a free windows system utility which scans your system for all configured running programs. Runscanner will detect all programs that start automatically, including spyware, adware, and homepage hijackers. In other words, if opening your web browser makes your screen blow up like the fourth of July fireworks show, you'll probably want to download and run Runscanner.
Runscanner offers a lot in its small package: Google search integration, Authenticode signature analysis, VirusTotal integration, and FileAdvisor and CastleCops integration, which allow you to compare the MD5 hash of your files with their respective online databases.
With three modes: beginner, classic, and expert, you can wade in slowly or jump right into the deep end. The Beginner mode is particularly unique: you can't make any changes to your system when in beginner mode. However, you can save the Runscanner log files and upload them to a Forum Expert. They in turn can mark the items that need fixing, send the file back to the beginner, and have them run only the fixes the expert has designated as necessary. Creepy, but with good execution; kind of like Michael Jackson's "Thriller."
Classic mode's primary use is to eliminate malware, and offers easy one-click fixes. Expert mode includes startup tweaks, with more scanning, reporting, and filtering options.
Think you're safe online? Think again. We had no idea how vulnerable the average PC really is. Ben Feinstein of SecureWorks breaks it down for us and gives some practical tips for keeping your PC safe from the bad guys.
When Christina and I taped episode 5, Ben had way too much good stuff to talk about. Way more than would fit in a single episode. So, we decided to tape a longer interview and release it separately. Ben will scare you to death with all the nasties that are waiting on the intarwebs to hijack your beloved PC. He also offers some good tips for keeping clear of the evil side of the web.
Hiding under your bed in fear of the latest Internet threats? Fear not young digital warrior, we've got you covered. On this week's episode of The Squadcast we talk to SecureWorks security researcher Ben Feinstein about staying safe online, keeping the hackers out, and more. Plus, Grant and Christina count down our five favorite free security downloads.
PCLive Security is a full featured security suite for Windows. It helps protect you from viruses, spyware, rootkits, keyloggers, and adware. Oh yeah, and it happens to be free. While there are several other free security applications out there, none come with quite so many features in one package.
PCLive Security includes the ClamAV antivirus engine, a bi-directional firewall, and a pop-up and adware blocker.
There's also a paid version that includes technical support, hard drive maintenance, and file optimization features for $4.95 per month.
PCLive Security runs on Windows 2000/XP/Vista machines. On the downside, the installation process takes forever, and once PCLive Security is up and running it seems to be a bit of a resource hog. Oh yeah, and it will try to uninstall any other anti-virus software on your PC when you run the installer.
ZoneAlarm has launched a public beta of a new security tool that basically puts your web browser into a sandbox. Visit sites you know are unsafe, check your bank statements on a computer that you know is infected with viruses and spyware.
We caught up with ZoneAlarm Director of Consumer Product Management John Gable at ShowStoppers in New York, and he told us a bit about the new product. ZoneAlarm ForceField sets up a "virtualized surfing" system, that prevents your PC from downloading malicious code from the web. It also prevents keylogging, blocks spyware, and scans downloads. There's also a private browsing feature that immediately erases all details of your browsing session once you shut down the browser.
ZoneAlarm ForceField is free while in beta, but will cost $30 when it's officially launched next year. The program works with Internet Explorer and Firefox (but not Opera), and is Windows only.
If you ever needed proof that big media and big government are a big crock of... well, let's just say look no further than the SPY Act. The U.S. House of Representatives already sold you down the river but, the bill is currently making it's slimy way through the Senate. The EFF has an action alert on how you can tell your Senator exactly what you think of making it legal for the recording industry to install spyware on your box.
The EFF's alert puts it succinctly, "The SPY Act is supposed to help stop spyware, deceptive adware, and other malicious software, but it is unlikely to do any good and could actually make things worse. If enacted, it would block lawsuits similar to the one EFF brought against Sony-BMG for infecting customers' computers with privacy-invasive copy protection."
The EFF did PC users a serious solid by slapping Sony for invading your machine through trojaned music CDs. This bill would essentially give the media industry carte-blanche to install what they wish any time you insert a disc you've paid for.
Looking for a better anti-virus program, but don't feel like shelling out any money? You might want to take a look at Active Virus Shield. Although this freeware bears the AOL moniker, it's basically a rebranded Kapersky Labs product.
Active Virus Shield doesn't take up much memory, runs a series of different scans, and can detect spyware as well as viruses. The downside is that up until now it was Windows XP only. Install it on a computer running Windows Vista and you'll be greeted with a BSOD, which could cause you to waste about two hours of your day using system restore and trying to uninstall/reinstall your previous anti-virus software. Not that we speak from experience.
And that's why we're not linking to the official download site right now. Because while AOL has released a new version that runs like a dream. But it's not available on the official download site. But Neowin and Softpedia seem to have the updated version. You'll also need to sign up for a free activation code. But we recommend doing that after you download the file (which should be AVS_v25.exe, not AVS.exe), just to make sure you don't accidentally download the wrong file from AOL. Of course, if you're running Windows XP, download any version you like.
You know how most anti-virus/anti-spyware software can take up to an hour to run, bogging down your computer in the process? Turns out there's a faster (if slightly less thorough) way to give your computer a quick checkup.
Panda NanoScan is a browser-based program that scans for viruses, trojans and spyware. Since the database sits on Panda's servers, there are definitions for you to download. You just need to install a 400kb plugin the first time you run NanoScan with Internet Explorer or Firefox.
NanoScan doesn't search every single file on your computer for malware. Instead it takes a look at all your active processes and a set of crucial files and folders. The result is a blazing fast inspection, which takes just about a minute to run. If you want a more complete scan, you can run Panda TotalScan, which is larger, takes longer, but performs a more thorough search.
Now the downsides. There's no support for Vista yet, although it's in the works. Also, NanoScan and TotalScan find problems, they doesn't fix them. Obviously these browser-based solutions also don't offer real time protection if you download an infected file. So they're not replacements for a PC-based anti-malware program like AVG Free.
Edit: TotalScan does have a disinfect feature. You have to register (free) in order to activate it.
If you ever needed proof that big media and big government are a big crock of... well, let's just say look no further than the SPY Act. The U.S. House of Representatives already sold you down the river but, the bill is currently making it's slimy way through the Senate. 
