Best free online antivirus scan

McAfee free scan

2008-10-09T08:40:00.000-07:00

cAfee FreeScan helps you detect thousands of viruses on your computer. Based on the award-winning McAfee VirusScan engine, FreeScan searches for viruses, including the latest known "in the wild" viruses, and displays a detailed list of any infected files. Should viruses be found, FreeScan even provides links to more information about the viruses and what you can do to clean your system.

McAfee free scan

BitDefender online scanner

2008-10-09T08:33:00.000-07:00

Scan your PC for free
BitDefender Online Scanner is an on-demand virus scanner which incorporates the award-winning BitDefender scanning engines. You can use it to scan your system's memory, all files and drives' boot sectors, and to automatically clean infected files.

BitDefender online scanner

Panda free virus scan

2008-10-09T08:30:00.000-07:00

Panda ActiveScan 2.0
Are you really sure that your PC is not infected?

ActiveScan 2.0 is an advanced online scanner based on Collective Intelligence (scanning in-the-cloud) that detects malware that traditional security solutions cannot detect.

* Make sure your antivirus is offering you proper protection.
* Find hidden threats on your PC, such as rootkits, banker Trojans and malware designed to steal your identity.
* Simple, online disinfection of all malware detected on your PC.

Panda free virus scan

Symantec security check

2008-10-09T08:22:00.001-07:00

Test your computer's exposure to online security threats with free virus scan. Learn how free antivirus solution can make your computer more secure.

Details:
Symantec Security Check uses your operating system and Web browser information to:

* Make sure your system is compatible with Symantec Security Check
* Tailor Symantec Security Check to your Web browser
* Provide security tests relevant to your operating system.

Symantec online antivirus scan

Kaspersky free online virus scanner

2008-10-09T08:15:00.000-07:00

Kaspersky free online virus scanner is a great way to find out if you have any viruses or spyware on your machine without having to uninstall your current antivirus software or install a new one. Most importantly, you can see what viruses your current antivirus software let slip through!

The Kaspersky Online Virus Scanner scans your computer for malicious code and offers the same exceptional detection rates as other Kaspersky Lab products.

This free online virus scanner is very powerful and scans your machine very deeply, so it could take hours to complete. We suggest running it during a time of low activity. Take the Kaspersky Challenge and see what malware your current antivirus software missed - you may be surprised.

Kaspersky free online virus scanner

trend micro online free virus scan

2008-10-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

Trend Micro's FREE online virus scanner :

Trend Micro™ HouseCall is an application for checking whether your computer has been infected by viruses, spyware, or other malware. HouseCall performs additional security checks to identify and fix vulnerabilities to prevent reinfection.

trend micro online free virus scan

System Requirements:
Trend Micro’s HouseCall requires the following minimum system components:
Hardware:

* 133MHz Intel™ Pentium™ processor or equivalent
* 64MB of RAM
* At least 30MB of available disk space

Operating System:

* Microsoft Windows 98SE/NT4.0,SP6a/2000,SP2/XP,SP1/2003 and Windows MCE 2005
* Linux Distributions that supports libc6
* Solaris 2.6 and above

Software:

* Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) 6.0 or later
* Mozilla Firefox 1.0.5, 1.0.6, 1.0.7, 1.5
* Mozilla 1.7.12

Display:

* Monitor that supports 800 x 600 resolution at 256 colors or higher

Macintosh support requires the following minimum system components:

* Macintosh Computer with PowerPC G4 or G5 Processor
* MAC OS X 10.4 (Tiger)
* 512MB of RAM
* At least 30MB of available disk space
* Firefox Mozilla Firefox 1.5.0.1 and later

Important Notes about HouseCall 6.5
HouseCall 6.5 has two independent Core Engines to choose from:

1. The ActiveX Core Engine: to use this engine, please adjust here the IE browser’s Security level to Medium at least and be sure that signed ActiveX objects are enabled.
2. The Java VM Core Engine- to use this engine, please install the Java VM from www.java.com.

The trojan horse

2008-10-09T07:59:00.000-07:00

We have all heard the term Trojan Horse, but what exactly is it? A Trojan Horse is a destructive program that masquerades as a harmless application. Unlike viruses, Trojan Horses do not replicate themselves, but they can be just as destructive. One of the most dangerous examples of a Trojan is a program that promises to rid your computer of viruses but instead introduces viruses into your computer.

The Trojan can be tricky. Who hasn’t been online and had an advertisement pop up claiming to be able to rid your computer of some nasty virus? Or, even more frightening, you receive an email that claims to be alerting you to a new virus that can threaten your computer. The sender promises to quickly eradicate, or protect, your computer from viruses if you simply download their “free”, attached software into your computer. You may be skeptical but the software looks legitimate and the company sounds reputable. You proceed to take them up on their offer and download the software. In doing so, you have just potentially exposed yourself to a massive headache and your computer to a laundry list of ailments.

When a Trojan is activated, numerous things can happen. Some Trojans are more annoying than malicious. Some of the less annoying Trojans may choose to change your desktop settings or add silly desktop icons. The more serious Trojans can erase or overwrite data on your computer, corrupt files, spread other malware such as viruses, spy on the user of a computer and secretly report data like browsing habits to other people, log keystrokes to steal information such as passwords and credit card numbers, phish for bank account details (which can be used for criminal activities), and even install a backdoor into your computer system so that they can come and go as they please.

To increase your odds of not encountering a Trojan, follow these guidelines.

1. Remain diligent
Trojans can infect your computer through rogue websites, instant messaging, and emails with attachments. Do not download anything into your computer unless you are 100 percent sure of its sender or source.
2. Ensure that your operating system is always up-to-date. If you are running a Microsoft Windows operating system, this is essential.
3. Install reliable anti-virus software. It is also important that you download any updates frequently to catch all new Trojan Horses, viruses, and worms. Be sure that the anti-virus program that you choose can also scan e-mails and files downloaded through the internet.
4. Consider installing a firewall. A firewall is a system that prevents unauthorized use and access to your computer. A firewall is not going to eliminate your computer virus problems, but when used in conjunction with regular operating system updates and reliable anti-virus software, it can provide additional security and protection for your computer.

Nothing can guarantee the security of your computer 100 percent. However, you can continue to improve your computer's security and decrease the possibility of infection by consistently following these guidelines.

2008 Security Watch

2008-10-09T07:54:00.000-07:00

2008 Security Watch - What is this year going to have in store for us?

There is a lot going on in the information security space. 2008 looks to be an interesting year in these regards. Below are some things to watch for in 2008, some of them are good and, unfortunately, some aren’t.

First the good news:

- We are getting a lot more serious about our security. This has a lot of reasons behind it. For example, new privacy laws are mandating organizations to tighten their security. Look to see more consumer privacy laws passed in the coming year and more tightening of security systems.

- Authentication requirements are increasing. This is closing in large security holes. Corporations are requiring a great deal more of authentication to get into secure systems (this also is on the bad news side)

- There is a plethora of sophisticated programs to help us be more secure and they will continue to get better. Competition right now is strong in the security industry sparking a lot of innovation.

- ISPs are now taking on the responsibility to help us with our security. Take AOL's recent commercials as a good sign that others will follow the trend.

Now the bad news:

- Securing our networks is costing us. Most companies are globalizing their organizations and making them secure costs a lot of money. It will get worse before it gets better.

- Authentication requirements are increasing. This is getting claustrophobic. Corporations are requiring a great deal more authentication to get into secure systems (This is also on the good news side) Unfortunately, for the end user, it is one more thing to be unhappy about, not unlike airport security lines.

- Hackers are getting more sophisticated. For example, Botnets are becoming more complex and harder and harder to catch and stop. Do a search on botnets on the Internet. They really are causing a whole lot of problems, but it does not stop there. The number of viruses and malware out there is staggering.

- Spammers keep finding more creative ways to fill our email boxes. Don't look for this trend to stop anytime soon.