Trusted security tools & resources

Don't take chances on downloading unknown software.

- I have used and/or recommend these tools.
- If you are unsure of what tools are safe to download, use this list.
- Some of the tools can damage a perfectly good OS if not used with care.
- Use caution and only download from known safe sites.
- Always download from the software makers Website if possible.
- The software listed here is malware free, that does not mean that the site you download from is.

- Unless otherwise noted the tools below are FREE.
- Some are available as trial/shareware versions and have full functions during the trial period.


Safe download sites
(Any site with a bunch of free ScreenSavers is not safe!)

If your going to download anything regarding a security product, ALWAYS get it from the vendors website.

• AndyManchesta.com
• App-Stick Portable Freeware Directory
• Association of Shareware Professionals
• BearWare.info
• FileHippo.com
• Favorite Freeware
• Majorgeeks.com
• Malwarebytes.org
• Mozilla.org
• PortableApps.com
• SourceForge.net

Temp. file & history cleaners

• ATF-Cleaner
• CCleaner - Suggested download - CCleaner - Slim - No Toolbar
• CleanUp!
• Cleanup Assistant
• EasyCleaner
• Wise Disk Cleaner

Registry cleaners

Warning: Using registry cleaning tools unnecessarily or incorrectly could lead to disastrous effects on your operating system such as preventing it from starting. If your not 100% positive then leave it alone! Always make a back up of the registry first.

How to back up and restore the registry in Windows

• CCleaner
• Eusing Free Registry Cleaner
• Registry Mechanic - Paid
• RegSeeker
• Wise Registry Cleaner - Free & Paid

File shredders

• BCWipe - Paid
• Eraser
• File Shredder
• nCleaner
• Jack the Shredder - Paid
• Lavasoft File Shredder - Paid

Securely wipe hard disks

Caution: DBAN will automatically and completely delete the contents of any hard disk that it detects.

• Active@ KillDisk
• DBAN (Darik's Boot & Nuke)
• DBAN for floppy disks and USB flash drives

Tutorial: How to completely wipe all the data from your hard drive


Firewalls (use only one)

• Agnitum Outpost
• Comodo Firewall (Uncheck during installation "Install Comodo SafeSurf..", Make Comodo my default search provider" and "Make Comodo Search my homepage" if you install Comodo)
• Jetico - Free & paid
• Kerio - Sunbelt
• Online Armor
• PC Tools Firewall Plus
• PeerGuardian - IP Blocker
• ZoneAlarm Free
• ZoneAlarm Pro - Paid

Firewall help and info

Antivirus (use only one)

• a-squared Anti-Malware - Subscription only
• avast! 4 Home Edition
• AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition
• AntiVir Personal Edition
• ArcaVir - Subscription only - English & Polish
• BitDefender 10 Free Edition - Scan and remove only, no protection
• BitDefender - Subscription only
• BullGuard Antivirus - Subscription only - Multiple Language
• CA Anti-Virus - Subscription only
• ClamWin Free - Portable
• Comodo AntiVirus
• Dr.Web - Subscription only
• ESET Nod32 Antivirus System - Subscription only
• F-PROT Antivirus - Subscription only
• F-Secure Anti-Virus - Subscription only
• G DATA - Subscription only
• HAURI - Subscription only - English & Korean
• IKARUS - Subscription only - English & German
• Jiangmin Antivirus - Subscription only - English & Chinese
• Kaspersky Anti-Virus - Subscription only
• McAfee VirusScan Plus - Subscription only
• MicroWorld Escan - Subscription only
• Norman Antivirus - Subscription only
• Norton AntiVirus - Subscription only
• Panda Antivirus - Subscription only
• PC Tools AntiVirus
• Quick Heal Anti-Virus - English & Hindi
  
• RISING Antivirus
  
• Solo Antivirus - Subscription only
• Safe'n'Sec - 30 days full feature trial
• The Hacker - Subscription only - Spanish Language
• Trend Micro AntiVirus - Subscription only
• TrustPort Antivirus - Subscription only
• VBA 32 - Subscription only - Multiple Language
• VIPRE Antivirus + Antispyware - 15 days full feature trial
• Virusbuster - Subscription only - English & Hungarian
• Webroot AntiVirus - Subscription only

Gaming antivirus

• BitDefender Game Safe - Subscription only
• BullGuard Gamer's Edition - Subscription only
• nProtect GameGuard - Subscription only
• Norton AntiVirus Gaming Edition - Subscription only

Portable security

• a-squared HiJackFree
• Ad-Aware SE (only the SE Personal edition, Ad Aware 2007 is not portable)
• avast! Virus Cleaner
• AVG Rescue CD 7.5 (paid version)
• AVIRA Removal Tool
• CCleaner
• Clam Win
• CWShredder
• Dr. Web CureIt!
• Eraser Portable
• Malwarebytes FileASSASSIN
• HijackThis
• McAfee Avert Stinger
• McAfee VirusScan USB (paid version)
• Multi Virus Cleaner
• Portable Antivirus
• Process Explorer
• RogueRemover FREE
• RootkitRevealer
• Sophos Anti-Rootkit
• Spybot Search & Destroy
• WinPatrol USB Flash Edition

Spyware/Malware scan & removal
Some offer real time protection with the paid version

• Ad-Aware 2007 Free
• CounterSpy - 15 day trial
• Dr.Web CureIt
• Malwarebytes Anti-Malware - Free & Paid
• Pest Patrol - Subscription only
• RogueRemover FREE
• Spybot Search & Destroy
• Spyware Doctor
• Spyware Terminator - Without Web Security Guard
• SuperAntiSpyware - SUPERAntiSpyware Free and Professional comparison
• The Cleaner v5 Free
• WebRoot's Spysweeper - Subscription only

Rogue/Suspect Anti-Spyware Products & Web Sites

Online virus & spyware scans
Most of these require working ActiveX - Internet Explorer

• a-squared Web Malware Scanner
• BitDefender Online Scanner
• CA eTrust Antivirus Scanner
• ESET Nod32 Online Scanner
• F-Secure Online Scanner
  
• Kaspersky Webscan - Scan only - Does not remove what is found
• McAfee Free Scan - Scan only - Does not remove what is found
• Panda ActiveScan
• Panda's NanoScan - Scan only - IE or Firefix
• Symantec Security Check - Scan only - Does not remove what is found
• Trend Micro HouseCall - Works with Firefox or IE
• Zone Alarm Online Scanner - Scan only - Does not remove what is found

Online trojan scans
Require Internet Explorer

• ewido online scan
• Windows Security Trojan Scan - Uses the a² scanning engine

Virus & spyware blockers

• Comodo BOClean : Anti-Malware
• PC Tools ThreatFire
• SpywareBlaster
• Windows Defender
• WinPatrol 2007

Blocking Unwanted Parasites with a Hosts File
IE-Spyad
Tutorial: Using IE-Spyad

Anti-Trojan scanners

• a-squared Free
• TrojanHunter - free trial
• Trojan Remover - free trial

Keylogger detection

• Advanced Anti Keylogger - Paid
• Anti-keylogger - Paid
• Elite Anti Keylogger - Paid
• KL-Detector - Free
• Process Monitor - Free

Keyloggers: How they work and how to detect them

Rootkit detection
Rootkit scans can be easily misunderstood
It is advised to ask for help if you are not sure of the findings

• F-Secure Blacklight - Blacklight Tutorial
• Panda Anti-Rootkit
• Rootkit Revealer
• Sophos Anti-Rootkit
• Trend Micro Rootkit Buster

Dealing with the threat of trojan rootkits

Online website URL analysis & advisors

• Dr.Web online check
• LinkScanner
• McAfee SiteAdvisor
• Sitehound - Free to try
• Unmask Parasites
• vURL Online
• WOT Web of Trust

SafeSurf ® - The original Internet content rating system! - ICCS® Certified

For added security always keep your browser,
firewall and antivirus up to date!
Software Vulnerability Scanning - Secunia.com


Password managers

• KeePass
• KeyWallet
• Password Safe
• RoboForm

File/Drive encryption

• AxCrypt
• BestCrypt - Paid
• Dekart Light
• Lavasoft Digital Lock - Paid
• PGP Encryption
• PowerCrypt
• TrueCrypt

Comparison of disk encryption software

Analysis

• AutoRuns
• File Research Center
• HijackThis
• Process Explorer
• RunScanner
• StartupList
• Silent Runners

HijackThis log tutorials
Please ask for help in our forums when
using HijackThis if you are not 100% positive

• Tutorial from Merijn
• Tutorial from Malware Help.org

Specialized free removal tools
You may need to know the virus or spyware
name to use some of these

• avast! Virus Cleaner Free Download
• AVG Specialized Removal Tools
• BitDefender Specialized Removal Tools
• F-Secure Virus Removal Tools
• Griftsoft/AVG Vcleaner
• Kaspersky Virus Removal Tools
• McAfee Avert Stinger
• Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool
• Trend Micro Damage Cleanup Engine
• Sophos Virus Disinfection
• Symantec Specialized Removal Tools
• Panda QuickRemover

Program & file identification

• Answers that Work
• BleepingComputer File database
• BleepingComputer Startup List Database
• Computer Task Database and Spyware Directory
• PC Pitstop Known-Programs Database
• Spyware Data File List
• Spyware Encyclopedia #1
• Tony Klein and CastleCops list of BHOs
• WhatIsThatFile.com
• Windows Startup Online

Suspicious file scanners
These will not remove malware but will help
identify if a file is infected

• Anubis - Must be a Windows executable not more than 2 MB
• avast! Online Scanner - 512 KB File size limit
• Avert® Labs WebImmune - Free Registration required
• ClamAV COSS File Scanner - 500 KB File size limit
• Comodo Instant Malware Analysis
• Dr.Web File Check
• Eset On-line Scanner - In Slovak
• FortiGuard Virus Scanner & Submission - 1 MB File size limit
• JoeBox
• Jotti's Malware Scan - multiple engine scan
• Kaspersky File Scanner
• Microsoft Malware Protection Center - Results via email
• Novirusthanks.org - multiple engine scan
• Norman Sandbox Information Center - Results via email
• Sunbelt Sandbox - Results via email
• Surf Right Malware Analysis - Results via email
• PC Tools Threat Expert File Scanner - Results via email
• VBA32
• VirusChief - multiple engine scan
• Virus.Org File Scanning Service - multiple engine scan
• Virustotal - multiple engine scan
• VirSCAN.org multiple engine scan

Remove stubborn files/programs

• Pocket Killbox
• Revo Uninstaller - Guide - Using Revo Uninstaller
• Unlocker - Guide - Using Unlocker
• Your Uninstaller 2008! - 21 day trial

General purpose/all in one fixes
These tools can fix some Browser and Internet problems
caused by malware.

• Dial-a-fix
• IEFix
• FixPolicies.exe by Bill Castner Tutorial
• LSP-Fix

Web browsers

• Avant Browser
• Internet Explorer 7
• Mozilla Firefox with NoScript and Adblock Plus
• Opera

Vulnerability testing

• Drivers Update Software by RadarSync
• eicar THE ANTI-VIRUS OR ANTI-MALWARE TEST FILE
• Leak Test
• Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer
• PC Pitstop
• Secunia Software Inspector
  
• Security Test Sites
• Shields UP!

Software updates & definitions

• Calendar Of Updates
• FileHippo.com Update Checker
• Microsoft Windows Update
• Secunia Online Software Inspector (OSI)
• VersionTracker
• WinUpdatesList (Service Packs and Hotfixes)
• Windows Server Update Services (WSUS)

Malware databases

• AVG Virus Encyclopedia
• Avira Virus Info
• BitDefender Virus Encyclopedia
• Computer Associates Spyware Information Center
• Computer Associates Virus Information Center
• ESET Threat Encyclopedia
• F-Secure Spyware Description Database
• F-Secure Virus Description Database
• Fortinet Virus Encyclopedia
• Kasperksy's VirusList.Com
• McAfee Avert Labs Threat Library
• Microsoft's MMPC Encyclopedia
• Norman Virus Descriptions
• Panda Encyclopedia
• Panda Security - What is spyware?
• Secuna Virus Information
• Sophos Threat analyses
• SpywareGuide greynet applications
• Symantec Security Response
• Symantec Threat Explorer
• Trend Micro Virus Encyclopedia
• VirusBuster Encyclopedia

Virus hoax warnings - Wikipedia Virus hoax

• F-Secure Hoax Description Database
• Hoax-Slayer
• McAfee Hoax Warnings
• Panda Hoax Warnings
• snopes Virus Hoaxes & Realities
• Sophos Hoax Warnings
• Symantec Hoax Warnings
• Trend Micro Scams and Hoaxes

Test Your Urban Legends IQ