Control processes, stalk anomalies and vulnerabilities, detect rootkits, remove malware: we offer you 10 tools and best practices for an effective action against the virus.
1. The Windows Task Manager
On a Windows computer, the task manager can provide information to identify suspicious processes. To detect them more easily, so it is best to know exactly the legitimate process.
Note, however, since a malicious program can sometimes hide behind a normal process. To detect anomalies, it is sufficient to observe the memory consumption and processor resources. The malware will be in some cases greedy, even if cybercriminals are now looking to exercise discretion.
2. HiJackThis
HijackThis is a free utility very powerful, but not necessarily easily accessible. Its function is to scan a system to list the parameters that may have been altered by malwares such as spywares or adwares.
The scan done, HijackThis creates a report very useful for diagnostic purposes (keep the log once healthy to have in the future an image of your system). On many forums, users bring their technical knowledge to help less experienced users to decrypt the report.
Sites like HiJackThis.de Security and NetworkTechs.com offer to copy the log provided by the application and obtain an automatic analysis. Download HijackThis by clicking here.
3. GetSystemInfo
Kaspersky offers a tool comparable to HiJackThis: GetSystemInfo. The utility performs a system analysis and generates a report (sysinfo.txt). Thanks to parse line editor, then it is possible to obtain an automatic analysis and therefore useful information to identify the causes of dysfunction.
Caution: As with HijackThis, it is better to be an experienced user to understand the reports and act accordingly, including ignoring certain recommendations made by the application.
4. Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer
Prevention is cure. To block the virus before infection, it is sometimes enough just to detect and correct vulnerabilities in your system. For this, there are various vulnerability scanners on the Internet, including free, as Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer.
MBSA allows to audit vulnerability locally or via a network domain name or IP address range. In a report, the tool lists the risk settings (eg guest account active) and missing patches.
5. Check third-party softwares with Secunia
MBSA focuses on vulnerabilities in Windows. Secunia offers to users additional tools (online) as they may, in addition, scanning hundreds of softwares developed by publishers other than Microsoft.
A computer confines itself to a rare operating system. Therefore ensure the security of different softwares installed on the workstation can prevent many infections.
6. Use an antivirus software
No vulnerabilities, no malware? Unfortunately, this is not always easy, especially when a virus that runs on a computer, exploits an unknown vulnerability (zero-day exploit).
In these situations it is preferable to have an antivirus software, although none of these technologies is infallible. This is why it is not necessary to get your bank card. Several free antivirus softwares have proven themselves as Avast and AVG. The antivirus software from Microsoft, Security Essentials, can provide a solution, although it is perhaps still too recent to make it possible to judge its quality.
7. Microsoft MSRT
Antivirus softwares are sometimes criticized for their memory consumption. A software lighter as Malicious Software Removal Tool can in some cases represent an alternative, or rather a complement.
Like any software of this type, it will analyze the position, detect threats and propose to delete them. Its advantage is to be directly updated from Windows Update.
8. SUPERAntiSpyware
If installing software over Microsoft gives you hives, do not worry, good substitutes are available for download, with SuperAntiSpyware.
This tool allows the removal of spywares, adwares, viruses, trojans, keyloggers and other dialers and worms. For users who are trapped by the fake security antivirus software 2009, SuperAntiSpyware is able to uninstall it. This is not true for all antivirus softwares.
9. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
Unknown but effective, without being infallible, especially in the detection of rootkits. MBAM is available as a free or paid, with the latter in a mode of real time protection.
Light, MBAM performs scans quickly and, in most cases can detect and remove malwares.
10. GMER
If MBAM did not work, it is still possible to use GMER. Behind its minimalist interface, if not austere, it is a utility that efficiently detect and remove rootkits.
For users who do not want to multiply softwares, it may be preferable to opt directly for a generalist as a security suite. You will have to pay an average price between 50 and 70 euros.
Tags: Antimalware Software, Antispyware Software, Antivirus Software, Downloads, Rootkit Protection, Security, Softwares, Tips and Tricks
