gHacks technology news » security-software

Antivir Maker Avira Changes Update System

Martin — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:03:44 +0000

We ran a post in the beginning of this month (read: Avira Antivir Update Hangs)that mentioned a growing problem that users of Avira Antivir were experiencing. The problem these users were experiencing was a permanent update failure during the virus definition update of the antivirus software. Some users were able to fix these difficulties by manually updating their Antivir installation, others were not able to solve the problem and decided to switch to other security software programs instead.

Avira made an announcement a few days ago where they addressed that problem somewhat. They mention that they have realized that “users of the free Avira AntiVir Personal had issues fetching the Updates in time recently”. This is not exactly the same issue but it could very well be related.

Avira therefor decided to implement the following two changes: Change the virus definition file format and use a content distribution network.

First, we switch from our current virus definition files (called iVDF) to a new format called nVDF. iVDF consists of 4 VDF files, while nVDF uses at least 32 files – we need to transfer less data for updating our virus definitions effectively in the future.

This means that we need to deliver about 25 MByte to every Avira installation starting today for switching to the new update system. This might lead to some delays for some users, especially for the users of our free version Avira AntiVir Personal. Just to get an idea about what we’re talking here: More than 100.000.000 Users are trying to get the update more or less on the same day. That is more than 2.5 Petabytes (or 2,500 Terabytes) of traffic.

The previous format used four files that contained all the virus definitions of the program. The new format splits those virus definitions in at least eight times that number so that it will take less data transfers to update the virus definition files (it theoretically could slow down as well if a majority of the files need to be updated as this would mean that more files need to be transferred than in the old update system, but that’s just speculation as there are no technical information available about the process at this point).

To ease the bandwidth bottleneck, we decided to additionally use a Content Delivery Network (CDN). We were first testing a CDN built up by our current Internet service provider. Shortly after activating the CDN, the redirectors – which redirect the update requests to servers close to the users location – were overloaded and couldn’t answer the requests anymore. The situation was solved a little later on, but the CDN isn’t big enough yet to spread this huge update in time. So we decided to switch to a global player in the CDN market to deliver the update.

The second change is the use of a content delivery network. Avira is building up their own CDN but had to contract a global CDN company to spread the massive update to all Avira users. It is likely that they intend to switch to their own CDN at a later time.

It does sound like a good plan though although the massive data transfer to bring the update to all Avira users could prove to be quite a challenge. Did anyone already receive the update?

Tags: antivir, antivir 9, antivir update, avira, avira antivir, security-software

Panda Cloud Antivirus Released Still Free

Martin — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:32:19 +0000

Panda Cloud Antivirus has been released today after months of being available as a beta version. The antivirus software, which has been offered as a public beta since April 2009, received more press coverage than conventional free antivirus software programs thanks to its cloud based approach. This approach moves some of the virus scanning away from the local computer system to the cloud, a location that Panda calls Collective Intelligence. The benefit of this approach is obvious. Instead of having to update the local antivirus database all the time with new virus information most of the updates are happening on the security servers in the Internet. It also means that information from all computer systems that run Panda Cloud Antivirus are automatically shared with all other users.

Bandwidth could be an issue but it is in fact not. Why? Because files do not necessarily have to be uploaded to the cloud if they are already known. And new files usually are known pretty quickly thanks to the millions of users that use Panda Cloud Antivirus. Privacy is ensured by scanning some file types locally including Word and Excel documents.

And version 1.0 introduces additional improvements over the beta versions and conventional antivirus software.

Panda Cloud Antivirus 1.0 introduces further improvement to its 100% cloud-based architecture protection model, which processes and blocks malware more efficiently than locally installed signature-based products, while minimizing the impact on PC performance. The 1.0 version boasts both improved bandwidth and performance impact over its already lightweight beta version. Traditional antivirus solutions consume approximately 15% of a PC’s resources (memory, disk space, etc.) while Cloud Antivirus 1.0 consumes a mere 3%.

Users who are interested in trying out Panda Cloud Antivirus can download it for free at the Cloud Antivirus website where it is available for most Microsoft Windows operating systems. Panda Cloud Antivirus was recently rated best free antivirus software at blocking known malware over at PC World.

Tags: antivirus software, panda, panda antivirus, panda cloud antivirus, security-software, windows software

Windows 7 Firewall Control

Martin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:34:23 +0000

The firewall in Windows 7 is a solid software firewall. It is by far not as advanced as third party firewalls but it does a good job at protecting a computer system running Windows 7. The functionality of the firewall has been improved ever since Microsoft starting shipping Windows XP versions with the software firewall. It does lack several features that most third party firewalls offer including usability enhancements like displaying prompts whenever an unknown application tries to create a connection to a private or public network.

The Windows 7 firewall will block the connection if the application has not been configured previously in the Windows Control Panel. The configuration can be strenuous especially in the beginning right after the first start of the operating system.

That’s where the Windows 7 Firewall Control steps in. The free version of the software program adds those application prompts to Windows 7. It displays a prompt whenever an unknown application tries to connect to the Internet.

This gives the user in front of the computer the option to enable or disable all traffic or enable only incoming or outgoing traffic. The selected setting will be stored in the program’s main interface only. This is one weakness of the program as it does not sync the settings with the Windows 7 Firewall. This is problematic as it means that the configured settings will be gone if the Windows 7 Firewall Control gets uninstalled. The reason for not syncing is that Windows 7 Firewall Control works independently from the Windows 7 Firewall. It does grab the configuration at startup but does not communicate with the firewall after that.

A pro version of Windows 7 Firewall Control is available offering additional features. Both versions can be downloaded at the developer’s website. (via Windows 7 News: Windows 7 Firewall Control)

Tags: security-software, windows 7 firewall, Windows 7 Firewall Control, windows firewall, windows software

Double Anti-Spy Professional Review And Giveaway

Martin — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:09:04 +0000

The anti-spyware niche and the security software niche in general are crowded with lots of companies competing with their software programs for market share. It is difficulty to get a foothold in that market even with a good product as other factors than the product’s effectiveness play a role in the market. Double Anti-Spy Professional is an anti-spyware software for the Windows operating system. It’s main feature that sets it apart from other anti-spyware programs is the use of two spyware engines to scan and protect the computer system. Experienced users might know this concept for example from the online virus scanner Virustotal or the security software Hitman Pro which also utilize multiple engines to achieve better results. The main reason for multiple engines is a better hit ratio as no single detection engine will catch 100% of malicious software.

The focus of Double Anti-Spy Professional is a complete spyware protection of computer systems running the Microsoft Windows operating system which includes protection against spyware and adware but also against other forms of malware including backdoors, computer bots and trojans.

The installation of the anti-spyware software and the interface of the program have been designed with ease of use in mind. The program will always start up with the status report window which will display relevant information like the date and time of the last scan, the freshness of the definition files or the results of the last scan. The four buttons on the left side are used to switch between sections of the software.

Double Anti-Spy Professional can perform three types of scans: A quick scan that will only scan important locations, a full scan to scan all files and locations and a custom scan that the user can define individually. A full system scan is recommended after installation and updating the definitions to find all traces of spyware that might be located on the computer system.

The anti-spyware software protects the computer system from spyware that tries to attack the PC. It does so by actively monitoring the system for suspicious files. The depth and level of protection can be configured in the Active Defense section of the program.

Here it is possible to configure the active defense and email defense settings to block and quarantine files and software before it can become a threat. Email defense works with several popular desktop email clients including Microsoft Outlook, Windows Mail and Mozilla Thunderbird.

The very same menu can also be used to schedule scans and add programs and files to a whitelist or blacklist.

The fourth and final tab Settings can be used to configure the different scans that Double Anti-Spy Professional can perform, set the update check interval, configure a proxy server and scan optimizer or disable Windows Explorer automatically if it is running on the system to avoid compatibility problems.

Now, how good is the anti-spyware software? Avanquest show test results conducted by AV-Test on their homepage which tested Double Anti-Spyware Pro against PC Tools Spyware Doctor and Webroot Spy Sweeper. Other tests have not been published yet and it is not even possible to find the AV-Test results anywhere on the Internet. But what about the two engines that the security software is using? According to users on some web forums the program is using the engines of Outpost AntiSpyware + VIPRE (CounterSpy) which both did receive good reviews and recommendations.

Update: The software is using the following engines: Double Anti-Spy includes Sunbelt’s VIPRE (Engine A) + Outpost AntiSpyware combined with Virus Buster SDK (Engine B)

Verdict:

Double Anti-Spy Professional utilizes two scanning engines from respected companies to protect the computer against spyware which makes it more effective. Resource usage was a bit high on a Windows 7 test system if the window of the program was active (about 80 Megabytes). The program itself is compatible with Windows XP and 32-bit or 64-bit editions of Windows Vista and Windows 7. More information are available at the Double Anti-Spy Professional homepage.

Giveaway:

We have ten download copies and licenses for Double Anti-Spy Professional. Just leave a comment below for a chance to win a copy. Every comment in the next 24 hours will take part in the draw and the winners will be emailed. The email will contain the download link, license key and instructions.

Tags: anti-spyware, avanquest, double anti-spy professional, Double Anti-Spy Professional Review, giveaway, offers, security-software, windows software

SafeOnline Protects PCs Even If They Are Infected

Martin — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:42:51 +0000

I have been working for one of the biggest financial organizations in Germany. One of our jobs was to deal with customers who had fallen pray to phishing and other malicious attacks. The attacks in the beginning were not sophisticated at all including emails with errors, no personal information and even some from other organizations that the customer had never dealt with before. The phishing emails started to get more professional and it became harder to educate customers about the dangers.

SafeOnline is a security program developed by Prevx that is available as a standalone software or as part of Prevx 3.0. This program, according to its developers, is able to protect PCs against many forms of phishing and pharming even if they are infected.

How is it done?

The core protection lies in the ability to block keyloggers, screen scrapers, man-in-the-browser attacks, session hijackers, clipboard grabbers, and a number of other threats commonly installed by trojans like SilentBanker, Bancos, Zeus, Torpig, and Curtwail onto thousands of PCs daily. Rather than focusing on being able to identify the threats themselves, SafeOnline works to isolate the browser from the rest of the system even if unknown threats exist that try to steal data from the user. System level malware generally attempts to read data from the browser but Prevx introduces a layer in-between the browser and the rest of the operating system, tricking the threats into thinking that they have successfully read and transmitted the user’s credentials outside of the system when they have not. Unlike other solutions, Prevx SafeOnline works with the user’s existing browser, without requiring the use of a specialized browser so there is no need for the user to change their browsing habits – protection is applied seamlessly and silently in the background.

This sounds like a reverse sandbox where the contents in the sandbox are protected from the rest of the computer system. According to Prevx it offers protection against

* Man-In-The-Browser
* Phishing attacks
* Keyloggers
* Screen Grabbers
* Cookie Stealers
* Info Stealing Trojans such as ZEUS, MBR, Goldun, and Silent Banker

Prevx has contacted several banks in the UK offering their product for free to the bank’s customers. Six banks so far have shown interest in the product. These banks had special requirements according to PC World that included that the product would work with other security software and would not force the banks to change their websites. The security product was able to meet all of these requirements.

Verdict: The main question here is if it is really safe. Will it really defeat all keyloggers and phishing attacks? What if the security software fails do to so? What if users feel overconfident using the software? It might work as an extra layer of defense on a PC system but it might take a while before the company can build enough trust in their product. Thanks Dante for the tip.

Tags: banking, phishing, prevx, safeonline, security-software

Microsoft Security Essentials Rated Highly In AV-Comparatives Test

Martin — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:29:07 +0000

Most tech savvy users have their personal favorite when it comes to antivirus software. Be it security software from Kaspersky, Symantec, Trend Micro, AVG, Avira or Avast: Everyone seems to have a favorite that gets recommended to other users who inquire about the best antivirus solution. Lately, Microsoft has joined the ranks of recommended antivirus solutions with its security software Microsoft Security Essentials.

The latest test by independent security researchers AV-Comparatives is another confirmation that Microsoft has developed a solid security software for the Windows operating system. The latest test concentrated on virus and malware removal capabilities of selected free and commercial antivirus products.

The test itself pitted sixteen different security products against ten malware samples. Six of the sixteen security software programs received an advanced plus rating. Among them Microsoft’s Security Essential product which was also the only free product to score the highest rating and one of three that scored a good rating in the two tested fields removal of malware and removal of leftovers.

While the test certainly does not make Microsoft Security Essentials the best free antivirus software that is currently available as Lee described it over at the Download Squad it certainly can be seen as an indicator that Microsoft has delivered a quality software program for the Windows operating system.

The test results are available in a pdf report on the AV Comparatives website.

Tags: antivirus software, av-comparatives, microsoft security essentials, security-software, windows software

Panda Internet Security 2010 [free]

Martin — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:28:57 +0000

Seems that some security companies and software developers are going crazy on the launch day of Microsoft’s new operating system Windows 7. Panda Security is the latest security software developer that will be offering one of its products for free on October 22. That’s right; Users who visit the promotion website on that day can grab a one year license of one of Panda’s flagship products. Now what does Panda Internet Security 2010 offer to Windows users?

Anti-malware Protection (including personal firewall, antivirus protection, wifi monitor, instant messaging protection and proactive protection)
Identity Theft Protection (anti-phishing, anti-banking trojan engine and anti-rootkit technology)
Safe Internet Browsing (anti-spam filter, parental control features, web filter and information filter)
PC Backup including 2 Gigabytes of online backup storage

October 22, 2009 is the magical 24 hour period when ordinarily pricey things turn into free things. Well, Panda Security is now compatible with Windows 7, so why not pair the two? Register on this glorious day for ONE FREE YEAR of Panda Security’s anti-virus protection. Prevent viruses, malware, Trojans, worms, identity theft, online banking and other threats from infecting your PC. Internet Security is ultra light-weight because it’s using “cloud” technology so it won’t hinder your computer from operating as freely as it can. Because the only free thing we can think of that isn’t good is a computer virus.

Users who want the free license for Panda Internet Security 2010 need to visit the promotion website on October 22 (the countdown on the page is showing that the offer starts in 8 hours and 44 minutes from the time of posting this article).

Registration on the page is mandatory on October 22 to receive the activation code per email. A download link is already visible but not yet activated. The promotion website can be accessed by following this link. An overview of Panda Internet Security 2010 is available at the Panda Security website.

Tags: antivirus software, offers, panda, panda internet security, security-software

Remove Fake Antivirus Software Programs

Martin — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:51:04 +0000

Fake antivirus software programs, also called rogue security software, are programs that seem to be antivirus programs when in fact they are not. They either are disguised viruses, trojans or try to sale another product to the user. Like “normal” trojans rogue security software is often difficulty to remove from a computer system as it usually uses background processes to protect uninstallation or tampering. Remove Fake Antivirus is a portable software program for the Windows operating system that has been designed to uninstall 27 different rogue antivirus software programs from the computer system. The following rogue security software programs can currently be removed with Remove Fake Antivirus:

Cyber Security
Alpha Antivirus
Braviax
Windows Police Pro
Antivirus Pro 2010
PC Antispyware 2010
FraudTool.MalwareProtector.d
Winshield2009.com
Green AV
Windows Protection Suite
Total Security 2009
Windows System Suite
Antivirus BEST
System Security
Personal Antivirus
System Security 2009
Malware Doctor
Antivirus System Pro
WinPC Defender
Anti-Virus-1
Spyware Guard 2008
System Guard 2009
Antivirus 2009
Antivirus 2010
Antivirus Pro 2009
Antivirus 360
MS Antispyware 2009

A click on the start button will initiate the process of removing these rogue security software programs from the computer system if they are installed. It starts by stopping running processes and removing the programs from the computer. The program seems to be updated fairly regularly by the software developer which makes it likely that new rogue antivirus programs will be added to future versions. Remove Fake Antivirus is available for download at the developer’s website. (via Raymond)

Tags: portable software, remove fake antivirus, rogue antivirus, rogue security software, security-software, windows software

Trend Micro RootkitBuster

Martin — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 21:30:59 +0000

Most security software programs that are available these days provide protection against rootkits as well. There are on the other hand a few security programs that deal solely with rootkits. One of them is Trend Micro’s RootkitBuster which has just been released in a new version which adds the ability to detect rootkits that hook the NT function “IofCompleteRequest”.

The portable software program is a rootkit scanner that scans for hidden files, registry entries, processes, drivers, and Master Boot Record (MBR) rootkits. The minimalistic interface makes program usage simple and straightforward. Users can either click directly on the scan button to perform a system scan for all forms of rootkits that can be detected by Trend Micro RootkitBuster or deselect some of the forms first before starting the scan.

Hidden objects will be displayed in the scan results in the program interface during the scan. It is possible to view the log file as well which contains additional information that are not displayed in the program itself. The difficulty part begins here. Users need to distinguish between harmless and dangerous files. Not every file that is listed in the program or log file is dangerous in nature. The best way to find out is to look at the suspicious file first and perform a search on the Internet afterwards.

The amount of information offered pales to that of other rootkit detection programs just as Rootkit Unhooker. That’s probably the biggest disappointment that Trend Micro has not changed the level of information that is presented to the user.

Trend Micro operates a service where users can submit suspicious files which are then analyzed by the Trend Micro team. Files that are not needed anymore can be deleted right from within the program’s interface. Trend Micro RootkitBuster is a portable software program for the Windows operating system which can be downloaded from the Trend Micro website. Users who want to test it extensively can download rootkits from the rootkit.com website.

Tags: rootkit, security-software, trend micro, trend micro rootkitbuster, windows software

Microsoft Security Essentials Final Available

Martin — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:14:32 +0000

Microsoft has released the final version of their security software program Microsoft Security Essentials to the public. The software which has been released to a limited amount of beta testers earlier this year is now available for download at the new Microsoft Security Essentials website. The software program is provided as a 32-bit download for Windows XP and a 32-bit and 64-bit download for Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Microsoft Security Essentials will check if the operating system is genuine before proceeding with the actual installation of the program. The system requirements lists other requirements like a version of Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox, 140 Megabytes of free hard drive space or a computer system with at least one Gigabyte of computer memory.

The program will update the virus and spyware definitions on the first startup and perform a system scan afterwards. The quick scan (that’s what it is called) can actually take some time to complete depending on the files and processes of the operating system. Users who have been using the beta of Microsoft Security Essentials liked the low resource usage of the program. It’s been using roughly 46 Megabytes of computer memory which is more than acceptable. CPU is on the other hand used quite a bit during scans. The computer memory usage will not change at all while the cpu usage drops to zero during times of no active scans.

Interested users can download the final version of Microsoft Security Essentials from the official Microsoft website.

Tags: microsoft, microsoft security essentials, security essentials, security-software, windows software

Scan And Detect Spyware And Suspicious Files In Windows

Martin — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:54:18 +0000

Hijack This is probably one of the most popular security tools to scan a computer system for spyware and suspicious files. It’s rather cryptic reports makes it sometimes difficulty to distinguish between harmless and potentially dangerous files on the computer system. That’s what the comparable software program Free Fixer tries to make better

Free Fixer will also scan various critical components of a Windows operating system including running processes, autostart entries, Browser Helper Objects or TCP/IP settings. The difference becomes obvious after the report is being displayed on the screen. Free Fixer will for example whitelist critical system files which means that they will not show up in the default report. This is done to decrease the number of entries that are displayed making it easier for the user to concentrate and analyze the remaining items. There is however no way of displaying whitelisted items in the application, something that the developer’s might want to consider integrating in their security software program.

Another important difference is the “more info” link that is displayed next to each item that was found during the scan. A click on the link will open a page (in Internet Explorer) on the developer’s website that is listing information about the specific entry. Files from trusted companies like Apple or Mozilla are highlighted in green giving the user another indication of potentially safe applications and processes.

The program displays delete or repair checkboxes next to each entry that has not been whitelisted or indicated as being trustworthy. Additional information like the system path are displayed for each item which, combined with the link to display more information on a website, can be a great asset of identifying potentially dangerous items quickly.

Free Fixer is compatible with most versions of the Microsoft Windows operating system (including Windows Xp, Windows Vista and Windows 7). A download is provided at the developer’s website.

Tags: free fixer, hijack-this, security-software, Spyware, windows software

How To Run Commercial Antivirus Software Without Paying For It

Martin — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:54:20 +0000

This article is not about illegal methods of obtaining software products. But read on if you are interested in how you can protect your computer with the latest antivirus software without having to pay for it. The principle is simply. Most antivirus companies are offering test versions of their products. These versions can usually be tested for 30 or 90 days. All you need to do to protect your computer with antivirus software is to install a new product every 90 days. This means that you need four antivirus products, preferably the most reliable ones that are offering 90 days of testing. You start again with next year’s edition of the first antivirus software that you started with. If there are not enough 90 day trials you switch to 30 day trials instead or use a free antivirus software to fill gaps in the 12 month cycle.

The following links point to antivirus software programs that can be downloaded as trial versions. These trial versions can be used for either 30 days or 90 days without payment.

Which antivirus software developers are offering 90 day trials?

McAfee VirusScan Plus [link]
McAfee Internet Security [link]
McAfee Total Protection [link]
Norton Antivirus [link]
Norton 360 [link]

Which antivirus software developers are offering 30 day trials?

Kaspersky Antivirus [link]
Kaspersky Internet Security [link]
Bitdefender Antivirus [link]
Bitdefender Total Security [link]
Bitdefender Internet Security [link]
ESET Smart Security [link]
ESET Nod32 Antivirus [link]
Trend Micro Internet Security Pro [link]
Trend Micro Internet Security [link]
Panda Security Antivirus [link]
Panda Antivirus Pro [link]
F-Secure Internet Security [link]
F-Secure Antivirus [link]

Please let us know in the comments if we have missed a product.

Some notes: This article does not rate the antivirus software programs. There might be free programs out there that are comparable to the listed antivirus products. The only problem with this method is that users need to install different antivirus software regularly. This not only means more work for the user but also the requirement to get used to new software products.

Many antivirus companies are running promotions every now and then that offer longer trial versions for download. This will obviously help tremendously.

Any thoughts or ideas?

Tags: antivirus, bitdefender, f-secure, kaspersky, norton, panda, security-software, symantec, trend micro, virus

F-Secure Health Check 2.0 Beta Ditches ActiveX

Martin — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:08:31 +0000

F-Secure Health Check is a web application that can perform a health check of a local Microsoft Windows operating system. A health check is basically divided into three areas of interest that are checked and an assessment in the end that lists possible solutions to the problems encountered. Area one will check for installed security software and display information about their state, e.g. if an anti-virus software or desktop firewall is installed and turned on.

Area two will do the same for backup software. It will list installed backup software and inform the user about the state that the installations are in. Area three which is probably the most interesting one to many Windows users will check various critical software programs and compare their version with the one in the F-Secure database. Health Check in this step checks programs like Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, the Adobe Flash plugin, Mozilla’s Firefox or Sun’s Java runtime.

The information in the solution tab obviously depend on the results of the system scan. A solve button will be displayed if problems have been found in one of the areas that have been investigated by the program. The solutions do fall a bit short, at least in the security tab as the program suggests to use F-Secure products to solve the problem.

It is only natural that a company wants to promote their products. The web application would however be useful to more users if they would have added some choice to the diagnosis. The new beta version of F-Secure Health Check 2 has ditched Microsoft’s ActiveX technology for Java. This means that it is now compatible with a wider range of Internet browsers. The developers list Internet Explorer and Firefox only but it has been successfully tested with Google Chrome as well which increases the chance that other web browsers that support Java will run the application fine as well.

Users who want to give F-Secure Health Check 2 Beta a try can go to the F-Secure website to run it from there.

Tags: f-secure, health check, Security, security check, security-software, web application

Prevent Blocks Basic Operations In Windows

Martin — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:30:05 +0000

Prevent is a little application for the Windows operating system that will block basic file operations while running. This can be useful for users who want to prevent that other users access and manipulate files on their computer system while they are away. This might not always be the perfect solution though as many users prefer to lock the computer system instead to prevent unauthorized access. Prevent however might make sense where access is allowed to the computer system, e.g. on a family computer.

Prevent will block the following operations while running on a computer system:

Stops Cut
Stops Paste
Stops Copy
Stops Delete
Stops Copy To
Stops Move to
Stops Send To
Prevents renaming
Disables Task Manager’s End Process button.

Users who work with the computer system while Prevent is running will not be able to copy and paste information or copy, delete, rename or move files on the system. A hotkey is available to stop the Prevent program from running so that the operations become available again. The system is obviously not fool proof. It is for example possible to use another program like Process Explorer to kill the process.

Prevent is available at the Windows Club website.

Tags: block access, computer access, prevent, protect computer, security-software, windows software

Use USB Flash Drives To Lock Windows

Martin — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 13:55:24 +0000

A running Windows section can either be locked manually by the user or automatically. Either way the user needs to enter a password before work can continue. Predator offers another option to Windows users. The program can prepare an USB flash drive so that it is being used to lock and unlock Windows sessions.

A Windows session would be locked by simply removing the connected USB drive from the computer system. Connecting the USB flash drive again would unlock the system. This without having to enter a password to do so.

Predator needs to prepare an USB flash drive before it can be used for that purpose. This process writes a keyfile on the USB device that is read by the software program whenever a computer needs to be unlocked.

The user needs to specify a backup password as well. This backup password can be used to unlock a session if the USB flash drive is damaged or not available at all.

Predator will not harm any files that reside on the USB flash drive during the process. It offers several additional options that are used to configure the process in more detail. This includes enabling support for multiple monitors, setting the screen darkness, hiding all desktop items or minimizing all windows.

The screen will go black whenever the user removes the USB drive from the computer system.

Predator will write events to a log file that can be used to analyze attempts to access the computer system. The software will also change the keys on the USB drives frequently to prevent that a copied keyfile can be used to access the system.

Predator can also be configured to sound an alarm whenever someone tries to access the PC. The software is a viable alternative for users who (have to) lock their Windows sessions frequently.

Tags: lock windows, predator, security-software, usb flash drive, Windows, windows session, windows software

F-Secure Exploit Shield Protects Against 0-Day Web Browser Exploits

Martin — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 10:00:45 +0000

One of the major security threats that computer users face in the last years are web browser exploits. These exploits use 0-day vulnerabilities to infect web browsers that have not been patched to protect against the vulnerability. It does not always have to be the user’s fault if a web browser has not been patched yet. It can take hours or even days before browser developers are able to release a patch that is protecting the web browsers leaving the browsers vulnerable to attacks in the time between.

Some plugins and add-ons help against these types of exploits and attacks. Notable is for instance the NoScript add-on for the Firefox web browser which disables script unless the user has explicitly given permission. The problem with these exploits on the other hand is that they might appear on trusted websites in the form of manipulated banner advertisement.

F-Secure Exploit Shield could be the solution against most of these attacks and exploits. The security software program, which is currently offered as a beta version for Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox, uses a vulnerability shield and proactive measures to protect computer systems against these forms of attacks,

Vulnerability shields offer patch equivalent protection. They are usually hotfixes created by F-Secure employees that protect against known web browser exploits. The proactive shield on the other hand uses heuristics to identify and block unknown or unidentified web browser exploits.

F-Secure Exploit Shield can be downloaded from the Labs section of the company’s website. It is currently compatible with 32-bit editions of Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 and protects Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer web browsers on these computer systems.

Tags: exploit shield, f-secure, f-secure exploit shield, firefox, internet-explorer, security-software, web browser, web browser exploits, windows software

Norton 360 Review

Martin — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:21:22 +0000

Norton was renowned back in the days when I started using personal computers for resource hungry security applications that could slow down computer systems significantly. I decided to skip Norton products for my whole life like many other users at that time. There are still many tech savvy users who avoid Norton antivirus and other software programs from Norton because of how they performed ten or more years ago. Norton software programs have on the other hand received lots of praise from computer magazines and reviewers. That’s the moment the idea for this review was born. I wanted to know if Norton antivirus and Norton 360 were as good as the press thought they were or if they were still the heavyweight security suites that would bog down a system noticeably.

I contacted Norton with my proposal and they were all for it. I quickly received a review copy of Norton 360 and started the test about a month ago. Norton 360 is Norton’s top of the line product that combines all features of Norton Antivirus, Norton Internet Security and some additional ones exclusive to this version. Users who install Norton 360 get among other features an antivirus solution that protects against all forms of malware (including bots, rootkits, viruses, trojans and spyware), a software firewall, email protection, web browser protection, identity protection, a file backup solution, secure networking and PC tuneup modules.

This can look like overload to some users but the first surprise awaits during the installation of Norton 360. The installation is quick and painless. A system restart is required after installation of Norton 360 which was not noticeably slower than before. One point of criticism that has haunted Norton products for years seems to have been taken good care of by the Norton developers. Both the system start and the system itself do not feel noticeably slower than before (startup and shutdown time is probably in the region of 1-2 additional seconds at the most). That’s great and somewhat unexpected considering the past.

Norton 360 itself runs pretty much automated. It is a good idea to tweak the settings at least once. This includes disabling modules that are not needed (e.g. if you run a firewall you might not want to run another one, same for the backup solution or web browser protection). The purpose of an all-in-one solution like Norton 360 on the other hand is to be the one program that is needed to secure the PC. Users who only need specific modules might want to consider the two other Norton products Norton Antivirus or Norton Internet Security instead.

The interface of Norton 360 on the other hand could confuse some users as it opens several modules and options in new windows. It’s not that seldom that two or even three Norton 360 windows are open at the same time. Uses who are looking for advanced options need to go into the settings of the security software program.

A click on any of the modules in the Settings of Norton 360 will open display advanced configuration options. No direct help or explanation is offered there which can be problematic if the name of the setting does not explain what they do (anyone want to guess what Early Load or Sonar Advanced Protection in Automatic Protection under Antivirus do?). A click on the question mark will open a Windows help file that explains the settings in detail. It would be more comfortable if at least some explanation was given directly in the menu (for example by hovering over a name).

These settings on the other hand are very detailed. It is possible to enable some modules that are not enabled by default (for example Microsoft Office Automatic Scan, Advanced Events Monitoring or enabling Silent Mode). Advanced users should take their time and take a detailed look at the settings provided.

Norton 360 is a security software program that is ideal for users who want an all-in-one protection that requires barely any configuration. It might on the other hand also be an interesting alternative for uses who like to configure their security software programs as much as possible which is something that Norton 360 offers as well. The best part (if you ask me) is the confirmation that Norton security programs are not slowing down computer systems noticeably anymore.

Tags: antivirus software, norton, norton 360, norton 360 review, security-software, symantec, windows software

Peer Block Continues Where Peer Guardian Left Off

Martin — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:45:34 +0000

Peer Guardian is without doubt a popular security software that uses blacklists to block connection attempts to a computer system. Various blacklists are provided including those listing IPs of anti-p2p organizations, government and educational IPs but also adware and spyware servers. A problem that users of Peer Guardian experience are crashes and several other issues which can be mainly attributed to the fact that the security software has not been updated in the last two years.

Peer Block is a fork of Peer Guardian that tries to address these issues. It is actively developed and provides the same functionality (but with less problems) than Peer Guardian.

Users can download Peer Block from the official website. It offers a selection of IP blacklists that can be subscribed to. By default only the P2P blacklist is selected during setup. It is possible to select other blacklists which will then be updated at the first startup of the application.

Regular updates of the blacklists are configured automatically with the option to change the frequency in the settings. The interface itself looks like the Peer Guardian interface.

Peer Block supports all popular Microsoft Windows operating systems including Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP. It is the perfect alternative for users who are experiencing problems with Peer Guardian or prefer a software that gets updated regularly.

Tags: ip blacklist, p2p software, peer block, peer-guardian, security-software, windows software

Microsoft Security Essentials Beta Now Available

Martin — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:00:24 +0000

Microsoft has made available the public beta version of their new free antivirus software program Microsoft Security Essentials which was formerly known as Morro. The antivirus software is available for 32-bit editions of Windows XP and 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows Vista and Windows 7.

It was formerly speculated that the beta would be limited to users from the United States, Israel, China and Brasil. This is apparently not so as it was possible to download the Microsoft Security Essentials Beta from Europe. Having said that it is clear that there is no IP check at this point in time. A Windows Live account is required to initiate the beta download of the antivirus software and it could be that there are checks in the background that check the system language or country of the Windows Live account.

The start page contains a quick survey that has to be completed before the download options become available after logging in. You can read a first review in the Microsoft Security Essentials leaks article here at Ghacks.

It would be interesting if users from other countries (that Microsoft excluded from the beta) can also download the Microsoft Security Essentials antivirus software. The Security Essentials website contains information about the product and the link to Microsoft Connect from where the security program can be downloaded.

Tags: antivirus, antivirus software, microsoft security essentials, morro, security essentials, security-software, windows software

Increase Laptop Security With Alarm

Martin — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:20:03 +0000

If you travel a lot and take your laptop with you then you occasionally encounter situations where you have to leave the laptop unattended for a short period of time. This can be caused by the sudden urge to go to the bathroom or ordering another coffee. You could gather everything and take the laptop with you but most users will probably leave the laptop and leave it unattended which is an invitation to thiefs.

Laptop security can be increased by installing a small application on the system that checks if the laptop is connected to an A/C adapter. Laptop alarm will play a sound as soon as the laptop gets removed from the power supply.

It has to be noted that this method of protecting a laptop is far from perfect. It would for example be possible to close the lid of the laptop to avoid the alarm going off. Alarm comes as a portable executable or installer and has to be configure with a sound file. An alarm mp3 file is provided by the developer of the software program.

Other options are running a Python script that makes use of a laptops accelerometer to detect someone moving it. All of these methods are not fool proof but add a new layer of security that could prove to be very effective especially if the laptop thief does not power down the laptop immediately.

Tags: alarm, laptop, laptop alarm, laptop security, laptop theft, security-software, windows software

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