Free pc services are scattered across the web. They are the ones that make our browsing lives easier, and tweaks around some of the software that we may want to customize and modify. However, in almost equal numbers, there are also lots of malware and viruses that litter the web with nothing but digital pestilence.

Good thing there are a number of free online scanning services that can detect if your computer was recently a victim of a wild computer virus. But wait; are all online scanning services really that convenient? What if some of these scan pc free services are simply out there to pose as your allies in order to wreak havoc later on your system?

That, my friend, is what we need to vigilantly look out for. Even if you’re not an “internet noob”, it would be wise to always remember some of these fundamental warning signs.

When the Program Fools Around

Have you ever encountered an online program that somehow always manages to think up of an excuse to delay itself from what it is supposed to do? If you ordered an online scan, and it somehow just doesn’t start with the scan immediately, be alarmed. There is a high chance that the scan pc free service you had just accessed is a fake. Before it even asks for anything ridiculous, it would be best if you are to leave that page as soon as possible.

If there are Other Things “Attached”

Okay, so the online scan finally started, and it started quite as fast as you had expected. But while it was asking you to commence with the scan, it’s always asking for something else, something along the lines of installing some sort of software. Again, this is a red light that something is terribly wrong. If you found out that the scan pc free service requires you to do something else first, especially without a clear reason why, terminate the procedure, and go somewhere else.

If It Warns You of Something that Isn’t There

This trick has probably happened too many times already for regular citizens of the web. The situation starts when the scan pc free service instantly warns you of an immediate threat to your system. No, you haven’t really done anything wrong this morning, and even the porn sites that you went to last night were relatively safe. Yet it still insists that there is something wrong. There is something wrong alright, but it is not within your system, it is within the scan pc free service that you are planning to use.

If It Just Pops Out of Nowhere

Pop-up advertisements can really, really be annoying sometimes. But more than these harmless collections of moving pictures with logos, what could get to your nerves deeper is a scan pc free service that just pops out of nowhere. That’s right, out of nowhere. Visit a page and suddenly, poof! There’s a new tab in your browser with a notification that is practically begging you to use the service. When you see these kinds of online scan services, simply ignore, close the tab, go away from the page that triggered it, and continue browsing.

]]> http://www.scan.com/signs-when-you-should-not-trust-a-scan-pc-free-service/feed/ 0 http://www.scan.com/scan-online-virus-manually-using-these-four-tips/ http://www.scan.com/scan-online-virus-manually-using-these-four-tips/#comments Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:19:55 +0000 admin http://www.scan.com/?p=168 Scan Online Virus Manually Using These Four Tips

Virus comes in many different shapes and sizes, and can come from any data transfer session. While it is true that most viruses are often spawned to be distributed over the internet, most of these actually only cover one particular category within the technical definition of an online virus.

“So what other kinds of viruses could be classified as an online virus then?” You ask. Well, the classification could denote other criteria, such as the carrying method, the structure of the virus, and how it is “stuck” on the web. For example, the actual executable file is one type of virus, and another is a malware that is directly attached to a webpage.

Regardless of the classification and category though, it is still an obviously prudent decision to stay away from these, and if you use these four tips below as a rough guideline, there is a possibility that you may even not need to scan online virus threats using dedicated antivirus software.

Prepare the System Restore Program (or Anything Similar)

First and foremost, prepare the System Restore program if there is a considerable risk of infection on the hard drive. Despite the easy availability of anti-virus software nowadays, there are still malware that manage to get through, either because it is an unseen type or because there are programming holes in your own system.

Something that can tick the clock backwards to the point before the infection can be a handy tool to save you from virtually any kind of infection you’ll meet using the three other tips.

Try to See if There are Out-of-Place Files

If you have found a downloadable program on the web that seems suspicious (weird functions, unexplainable commands/function, etc.), try to have a look at the files first. Try to see if there are too many files. Here’s a very rough hint that might help: a malware would usually mimic the function of one or two of the files within the program, so try to search first for files that have a similar type and function.

Check for Weird Sounding File Names

If you think that pinpointing out-of-place files is too hard for you, then why not just search for the malware using its name. There are actually no straight rules for this tip though, as the developers of the malware could simply think of any type of silly or vague name. But you can use a guide format that is a bit similar to the previous tip.

Try searching for a name that sounds really odd for a file, like a name that is too simple to know its function. For example, the names Clampi and Kido are names of Trojan viruses. You could also look for or a combination of seemingly “congruent” numbers and letters that forms a discernible identification pattern.

Conduct a Preliminary Research about its Filename

Finally, if you have pinpointed all of the suspicious files that you can find, take the next step and do your own “sweep” to scan online virus threats using a simple search engine. Simply type in the name of the suspicious file on the web, and attach a complementary keyword like “virus” or “malware”. If anything positive pops up, check the links. If you can find the appropriate information that confirms your suspicions, then congratulations, you have just manually found a virus on the web.

]]> http://www.scan.com/scan-online-virus-manually-using-these-four-tips/feed/ 0 http://www.scan.com/mundane-but-serious-situations-where-a-scan-online-antivirus-service-may-not-be-the-best-option/ http://www.scan.com/mundane-but-serious-situations-where-a-scan-online-antivirus-service-may-not-be-the-best-option/#comments Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:18:40 +0000 admin http://www.scan.com/?p=166 Mundane but Serious Situations Where a Scan Online Antivirus Service May Not Be the Best Option

Yes, we all understand the benefits of running an online scan. It can be done without the need to install it on the system, it can be done without interfering with other malware detection programs you have on your computer, and best of all, the procedure can be done in an easier manner.

What if these benefits are negated by something that would make you unable to do the scan in the first place? Though they may be very convenient, there are just some situations where a scan online antivirus service isn’t just the best option around.

When the Infection Prevents the Unit to Perform Normally

Many viruses and malware, aside from being able to access areas in your computer where they should not go to, also have the annoying capability to fill up the data traffic of your system. Oftentimes, these nasty digital critters would attempt to bloat your computer’s memory, and clutter up the command queue given to the processor.

If you unit slows down considerably due to the severity of the infection, a scan online antivirus service might only serve to make things a lot slower. It would be a lot more efficient to let dedicated antivirus software handle the problem remotely.

If the Infection Prevents the Unit from Even Booting

But viruses and malware do not just lower the performance capacity of your PC, as it could also alter the settings of the operating system so that you would never be able to boot it normally. When this happens, there is naturally no way for you to get an online scan antivirus service, because you can’t even activate the operating system properly to open a web browser.

Even if you could successfully boot a Windows machine to safe mode with networking, the browsing components that are needed (Javascript, Flash, etc.) to use the online program might not even be present.

When the Unit Has Underlying Hardware Issues

If your computer suddenly does something outside the capability of the virus or malware that affects it, there might be a hidden hardware problem. As suggested, this problem is usually not apparent, and may sometimes appear or disappear depending on the near-random variables that affect it. For example, unseen static electric build-up might affect the performance of the LAN terminal, causing the internet connection to malfunction even without the intervention of an unwanted program or software.

You’ll have to leave the option for an online scan antivirus service first here. It is important to address the hardware program first if it causes more distraction.

If the Internet Connection has Low Speeds

Lastly, if your internet connection speed isn’t that fast, then there isn’t really anything that you can do to quickly end the problem. Even if an online scan can complete the download of the required components in an agreeable time frame, you’d still have to put up with the time required to complete entire scanning procedure. In a network connection that is probably even slower than a chemical rocket trip to the nearest star, it would most likely look as if you are going to wait for an entire lifetime.

Unlike the first three reasons though, this reason is more of an issue of practicality than an inevitable necessity to abandon the option. Instead of forcing yourself to use the slow internet connection to finish the online scan, a free antivirus program performing a run-time boot scan could be a couple of “warp drive factors” more efficient.

The primary convenience of an online scan revolves around the idea of independence. An online scan service is relatively free from being shackled to a single device or unit, and is capable of conducting accurate scans as long as the internet connection stays stable throughout the entire session.

“Great, so does that mean I no longer need dedicated anti-virus software for my PC?” Of course not. Even though online virus scans can be very convenient, they would always have their limitations. Just take a look at some of the inherent problems related to a panda online scan.

The Service Package Reality

When a panda online scan invites you to try out its capabilities, it does so at the hidden context that it would not actually clean the mess that it would detect. That’s correct, even though an online scan service may be completely free, they would usually not offer you the malware sweeping service. They are simply there literally to scan your computer.

What is worse in these situations is that, while the panda online scan would eventually lead you to a page where they would offer the cleanup service, they would only do so at a price. The online scan would seem to be a simple bait to get their potential customers to pay up to continue the “interrupted” service. Of course though, as soon as people learn that they need to cough up cash to complete the session, they usually leave, and ignore the results given by the scan.

Executables Confusion

Another issue in a panda online scan is the way the downloaded components are treated by your dedicated software. Some of the files might be considered as an infected file or malware by your software, depending on how it was scanned and which of the anti-virus software are used. Don’t sound the alarm yet though, because it’s a bit hard to think that these files are deliberately infected. It would promptly defeat the purpose of the scan from the legitimate security company (though this may also be another business strategy if you know what we mean)

A file being treated falsely as a threat is a fairly common problem already though, and if you have dedicated software that can remove the “problem”, you might as well ignore the warning first and do the follow-up sweep after the scan (to obtain comparative data). Do not attempt to disable the anti-virus software if it does not allow you to ignore the files however, because there is little confirmation on the web for the moment if the files are really infected or not.

Despite these negative points we advise that you do not forget that a panda online scan is still a relatively good malware scanning service (in terms of operation). It still has the proper downloadable components needed to quickly finish the scan, and the company that owns the service itself has a few other options to help with your PC security.

Though of course, if you’re talking about alternative options, there might be a lot more out there that is better than this…

High quality virus protection is defined by two strong factors, the capability to accurately detect actual virus and malware, and the capability to completely erase them from a unit. While many of our dedicated installed software could do this normally, the game is usually different for online scanning systems, as they are usually not dependent on the specifications of the unit’s hardware and is “ignorant” of the limitations of the operating system that you use.

But there are online scanning services that seem to ignore these differences. One of these services is the Online Scan Kaspersky Lab, and it is definitely one of the best, if not the very best, online scanning service that you could ever use.

Introduction to One of the Best

The Kaspersky antivirus software has been one of the known primary players in the data security area. While the playing field for installed software has been a bit harsh for Kaspersky due to a number of unique features that sets each type of software apart, it has continued to provide excellent service to those who had chosen the software.

The online version is not much different. In fact, with a few fundamental rules for a typical antivirus twisted around, it would turn out that the constant and preserved features of the Online Scan Kaspersky Lab could be far superior to any other online scanning service.

Online Scanning Performance of One of the Best

A primary contributing factor to its scanning performance is the flexibility of the options that were not lost when it became an online scanner. Because of this, it does not seem to hold a distinction from the fully installed software version, and holds two very important advantages that further preserve its scanning prowess.

One, you can properly scan a selected section of your computer as if it was installed. You can set and command the online scanner to check individual files, folders and drives, something that most other online scanners are incapable of doing.

Second, the speed of the scanning procedure itself is quite fast, again resembling that of ordinary installed software. In fact, depending on the connection speed, we could even technically say that it is faster than installed software, because the components needed for the scan can be downloaded very quickly.

A Little Imperfection Makes it Better

Not everything is completely perfect for this powerful online scanner though, as users of the Online Scan Kaspersky Lab may want to know and learn that the service only provides detection. It is not designed to sweep away malware and viruses that it would find on your computer.

But there’s really no need to worry about this, because there are two indirect supporting features of Kaspersky’s online scanner that negates this “detection only” limitation. Meet the virus removal tool and rescue disk, two utility software programs that are both readily available at the official website. After scanning the unit for infections, you could simply pop in these quickly downloadable utility software programs for a fast, easy fix of most of your computer’s malware problems.

]]> http://www.scan.com/top-notch-web-virus-protection-with-online-scan-kaspersky-lab/feed/ 0 http://www.scan.com/the-top-5-software-to-use-for-a-mac-virus-scan/ http://www.scan.com/the-top-5-software-to-use-for-a-mac-virus-scan/#comments Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:15:07 +0000 admin http://www.scan.com/?p=160 The Top 5 Software to Use for a Mac Virus Scan

The Mac OS has been known to be fairly resistant from most kinds of malware and viruses. This does not mean that the software itself is robust enough to protect its own self from harm, but there is rather a noticeable shortage of threats for any of the computer units that use the operating system.

However, even though it might seem that there is no chance for your Mac OS machine to be infected, that still does not mean that you should neglect installing the proper anti-virus software in case a threat actually arrives that can infect other systems. Here’s a very simple, point guide that would help you decide on the right software to use for a Mac virus scan.

Intego Virus Barrier

This very simple and a bit intuitive software is probably your best bet for a good Mac virus scan in terms of available options and overall versatility. It covers all of the available scanning and threat cleaning options that you could see on any system, and it is capable of a proxy update, something that can only be done by select antivirus software. It does need a tiny tweak in customer support however.

Norton Anti Virus

One of the standard players in the Windows security arena, the Norton Anti Virus turns out to be the number two software for a Mac virus scan. As with its Windows version, it is packed with all of the scanning and cleaning options that you would need. The only noticeable problem with the latest version is that it can’t seem to be used on older systems (it can only be used on the Mac OS X Lion), and it could run pretty slow when the system goes even a bit below the required specifications.

Bitdefender Antivirus

The Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac crunches up with the same level of protection and ease-of-use of our two previous contenders, sweeping through the system and smashing all the infections that might go loose on other operating systems. When it comes to the number of available features however, this software seems to go a little underhanded.

Kaspersky Anti-Virus

Taking the fourth spot of the best antivirus for Macs, the Kaspersky Anti-Virus maintains its performance level by widening the scope of its malware scanning system. It also scores quite nicely on some of its other capabilities like the number of features available. Keep an eye on its efficiency however, because it apparently “misses” a lot despite having the same default scanning system used by other more competitive software.

ESET Cybersecurity

In terms of raw specs, the ESET Cybersecurity does not differ much from the Kaspersky, it has a good scope of protection, average features and ease-of-use. It even has a small bonus that it can be used quietly in the background more than some of the higher contenders. It goes in the fifth place however, because of all of the “service trade-offs” that it has such as the occasional malfunction of a few features of your other Apple devices when it is running.

]]> http://www.scan.com/the-top-5-software-to-use-for-a-mac-virus-scan/feed/ 0 http://www.scan.com/straightforward-impression-straightforward-service-with-an-fsecure-online-scan/ http://www.scan.com/straightforward-impression-straightforward-service-with-an-fsecure-online-scan/#comments Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:08:51 +0000 admin http://www.scan.com/?p=153  

Straightforward Impression, Straightforward Service with an FSecure Online Scan

Conducting a virus scan can be a simple job. All you need to do is to diligently search for a good and free program that you can install and run on your computer. The processes are usually easy, and sometimes quite intuitive; even a person who is not that knowledgeable with computers can finish the operation at some degree.

But despite what these programs can typically do, sometimes we still need something more. Reasons for requiring other virus “cleaning” services may vary, but in the end you would need something that can do the same job from a different angle or perspective. That’s where data protection business entities arrive at the idea of an online virus scan, and in this article we would discuss one of the non-mainstream virus scanning services out there, an FSecure online scan.

The Straightforward Anti-Virus Service

When an anti-virus software company markets their products to potential clients, they always bring the attention to the product itself. FSecure does things a little bit differently, as it instead markets the entire business entity into the online software that they introduce.

Although the introduction of their services and business reputation is rather neat at their website, the procedures for the services themselves are rather uncomplicated. An FSecure online scan presents the typical simplicity found on most online virus scan services, and it would seem like an anti-virus service from a relatively small independent business firm. Since the focus of their business is data protection, their scanning services are completely free, and their customers can simply redirect their own selves to the “service catalog” if any serious fix is required.

Layout of the Online Scanning Procedure

Before the online program starts scanning your computer, they would of course first need to activate the application and send it to your machine. As always, a prompt will appear telling you about the identification certificate of the application that would run the FSecure online scan. The time to download the entire interface is quick, as it can be finished under a minute or two.

The entire scanning procedure itself though can be rather slow. It would constantly require the download of additional components as the program progresses with your scan (it would download a few components whenever you perform a different task). This creates a slight delay that can sometimes be annoying, although as an online procedure one should probably be already prepared for this.

The exact efficiency of the FSecure online scan service is not that bad, and it is just quite about right for any typical online scanning service that you can find on the web. It would be best if you proceed with a scan with internet speeds of about at least 2Mbps though, if you don’t want to be bothered by the bit component download lag that it makes. Oh, and don’t forget to take their recommendation for the “Quick Scan” option seriously.

For those of you who want to use the FSecure online scan procedure to see the actual program in action, you can go to this page:

http://www.f-secure.com/en/web/labs_global/removal/online-scanner

So here you are surfing the web, seemingly finding some cure or anything that would free your computer from the illness that it is currently suffering. As you continue your digital journey, you come across what you think you are looking for: a free online scan. The questions that would probably be important here are: should you use this service? Is it trustworthy? Would it actually fix anything?

We know that it is a bit hard to trust something that is free on the internet, but the fact is that most of these online services are actually quite safe to use. You just need to find the right ones using some of these free scan online tips that we are about to give you:

Remember that it is a Scanning Procedure

A free online scan is a simple scanning procedure. No matter how different one service is from another, and regardless of how trustworthy the company offering the service is, there is just no guarantee that they would go beyond that. They would scan your unit alright, but there is a large probability that it would be just that. No recommendations, no tips, no sweep.

You might find other free scan online service that would offer a fix, but these would usually charge you with a little extra. Now that wouldn’t be free anymore would it? Anyway, just remember that scans are just scans and you’ll probably be less frustrated than some of the first people who tried out the service.

Stay Away from Forced Scans

A friendly, online scan offer would simply provide a small suggestion to try out their service. A forced scan on the other hand, would try to get the user to initiate the scan through any method. Both scan offers can be “politely” declined by simply closing the tab or going to another page, although we would suggest doing it faster for the latter service.

One of the most common methods that these forced free scan online service use is the “fake scan” method. It provides you with as much proof as possible to justify the scan procedure. It would try to mimic the system environment and show you false data, all the while guiding you to a button that says “start scan”. You would never know if the service has other ulterior motives for the operation (like, making your computer more ill), so it’s best to move away from that page quickly.

Don’t Listen to Each Thing that One Service Says

After accepting and completing the free scan online service, try to skim through the possible infections that it has detected. Afterwards, if you are lucky that there is an option to clean up the mess, DO NOT START THE SWEEP FIRST. Try to search for another safe free scan online service for you to get a second opinion on things.

The logic behind this tip is simple and very obvious. Just like when consulting multiple doctors, you would want to see if another program could independently confirm the condition of your computer before you consider a treatment procedure (the cleanup).

Needless to say, you need to have a stable internet connection first before commencing the online scan. If the data transfer rate is quite turbulent, or your home network suffers from high data traffic, it would be advisable to postpone the scan until things calm down. It’d just make the scanning procedure A LOT slower, and there is a risk that you’d have to repeat it if the connection is suddenly lost.

Computer Scan Online, Is it Worth the Trouble?

There are many ways that you can scan a computer for viruses. The first method is to manually search for suspicious software that is secretly operating in the background of your system. The second method is to install antivirus software in your computer and let the program do all the work for you. The last common option is to avail a computer scan online service, where an online program would proceed to remotely check your systems for malware.

Of all these three options, the third option sounds the easiest, as it only involves simple web browsing. But there are actually several positive and negative aspects of this option that makes it less favorable to some people. If you want to know if a computer scan online service is worth the trouble for your system, you need to thoroughly know its advantages and disadvantages first.

Advantages of a computer scan online service:

1. As mentioned earlier, it is hassle free when it comes to the simplicity of the procedure. The instructions to use it are clearly stated as you browse.

2. The service can be used anytime, anywhere and regardless of the machine used. This universal freedom allows you to independently scan multiple separate units by just using the exact same computer scan online service.

3. Being able to remotely scan the computer can help you avoid a “scanning bias”, if the malware or virus is already embedded within the system before the antivirus software was installed.

4. No need for long installations and system restarts. Simply click through the instructions, start downloading its components bit by bit, and commence scanning immediately.

Disadvantages of a computer scan online service:

1. A stable internet connection is needed throughout the entire session of an online scan. If you have a turbulent internet connection, or if the speed is slow, the scan could take a very long time. It could even be interrupted halfway, forcing you to repeat the procedure.

2. You may want to limit the service to a “Quick Scan” option for a computer scan online service. Even at moderately good internet speeds, a full scan would still take a lot of time to finish.

3. The services would usually only scan your system. They would not offer to fix or clean up the problems unless the service has clearly stated that it would do so. You’ll have to be little bit more diligent to find the scanning service that would complete the entire procedure.

4. Even if they do offer to clean up your system, many of these online scanning services would be simply used as bait, to get potential clients to buy their computer security products and services.

Using theses information about an online scan’s advantages and disadvantages, weigh your urgency for the scan and the allotted time for a session. Try to know for yourself if you really need the online scan, or would just want to use installed antivirus software to do the job.

Comparative Performance of Bitdefender Online Scan Service against Other Online Scanners

The Bitdefender online scan service is one of the most efficient online antivirus services that feature overall balance and scanning flexibility. It fulfills the role of the traditional installed software, because its scanning speed is quite fast. It also has a number of different configurations and options that are quite reminiscent of a full software program. Of course, we know it still has limitations, but the benefits that it can give to your system far exceed the shortcomings that it has.

But are you curious to see how it would actually fare when we put it side by side with other online scanning systems? Here we prepared five of the most popular and best online scanning services to see the actual comparative performance of the Bitdefender online scan service.

Bitdefender versus Kaspersky
The battle is very tough when a Bitdefender online scan service is pitted against the top online scanning competitor on the web. In terms of actual functionality though, our opinion is that Bitdefender more or less just fares about the same rate, with no actual discernible points that could determine its superiority. In addition, both are also just used for detection.

Bitdefender versus Trend Micro Housecall
This contender could easily defeat Bitdefender, if the competition was simply to see who has more features and options. After all, unlike Bitdefender, the Trend Micro Housecall would readily sweep away and clean the viruses after the scan. It does poorly in actually detecting all malware however, something that Bitdefender is very good at.

Bitdefender versus F-Secure
If F-Secure meets Bitdefender in a file-scan per file-scan match, the outcome would probably be a tie, though the numbers would probably lean a bit towards Bitdefender. However, if F-Secure tries to compete in a general speed (download and scan speed) competition, Bitdefender might leave its competitor light years behind.

Bitdefender versus Windows Live OneCare
As we go down the line of the best online scanners we see huge, almost polar differences that set Bitdefender both near (in terms of overall score) and apart (in terms of separate criteria score). Like the Trend Micro Housecall, the Windows Vista-only Windows Live OneCare wins against Bitdefender when it comes to the number of features. The overall score though still balances out, because Bitdefender is not exclusive to just one operating system.

Bitdefender versus Panda Active Scan
The result of a competition between Bitdefender and Panda Active Scan can be described as more or less the same as when it fought against Kaspersky. Panda Active Scan could even win the competition, because it also offers sweeping capabilities (although the service has a price tag), but the result is still a tie due to its technical problems that not present in Bitdefender.

Do these comparisons seem a little bias to you? Perhaps, but these mock competitions are simply written to compare the features and capabilities of each online scanning service side by side. If you try to analyze a little deeper, you would notice that each and every “competition” actually gives a simple neutral result, meaning a tie in terms of total evaluation.