Beyond Antivirus Software: Eclectic PC Security Tools

Beyond Antivirus Software: Eclectic PC Security Tools

Relying on an ostensibly comprehensive antivirus suite just doesn't cut it anymore.

ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE IS crucial for combating viruses, malware, and hackers, but simply installing an antivirus program isn't enough. You also need to use strong passwords; keep your system, software, and Web browser plug-ins current; and use a good firewall.

Luckily, a number of tools and senvices go beyond what antivirus programs offer, performing security audits of vulnerabilities that the big-name software packages miss. Here are five to check out.

Qualys BrowserCheck

An outdated browser or plug-in can give intruders a security hole to exploit, so keeping your Web soft­ware up-to-date is a must. Qualys BrowserCheck (browsercheck.qualys.com) is a free service that scans your browser to see if you're running old or insecure versions of popular plug-ins or add-ons such as Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash,Java, and Windows Media Player.



In Windows, Mac, or Linux, you can run a quick scan from any of the popular browsers. Once Qualys finishes the scan, it lists the plug-ins it examined and whether your versions of them are inse­cure; it also links you to the newest plug-in versions.

Alternatively, you can conduct a full scan after installing the Qualys BrowserCheck plug-in, which supports Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome on Windows—it offers no Mac or Linux support. This full scan checksall supported browsers you have installed, and can also check for other system vulnerabilities. At the end of the process, Qualys displays a list of the results.
Secunia Personal Software Inspector (PSI)

Secunia Personal Software Inspector is a free download that scans your PC for vu Inerabilities. If PSI finds one, it will try to download and install relevant updates automatically. Otherwise, it helps you fix the issue manually. PSI notifies you via its system tray icon if other applications require a manual update. You can open the utility to find your Secunia System Score, a list of programs that need updating, and a list of the software that it found to be up-to-date. If your score is below 100, you’ll find icons for the vulnerable programs, wh ich you can click on to resolve the issue.

Password Security Scanner

NirSoft's free Password Security Scanner utilitv scans for passwords stored by Windows programs and Web browsers, and tells you how strong they are. You can then strengthen the weak ones. (For tips on creating strong passwords. Though you don't see each actual password, you do see the username and site associated with it. After you install the utility, it scans your PC and shows details about your pass­words, such as their length, the types of characters used, and their strength.

ShieldsUp

ShieldsUp is a free, Web-based port scanner that tests your Internet connection for possi­ble security holes, such as incorrect fire­wall settings. ShieldsUp scans all ports, or you can instruct it to scan a specific port or range of ports, including File Sharing ports (to make sure you're not offering direct access to your files) and Common Ports (to check the most fre­quently used ones). In addition, you can evaluate your Web browser headers for privacy and tracking issues, and test to see if your PC is susceptible to spam.

If results show open ports, you can investigate your PC's or router's firewall setting sand try to close or secure them.

Belarc Advisor

Belarc Advisor (www.belarc.com) is free for personal use, and scans your PC's hardware, network connections, and software for insecure settings and other weaknesses. Its browser-based report, geared more for techies than home users, lists detected issues along with links to instructions for fixing them. It shows your overall security status via three scores: Security Benchmark Score, Virus Protection, and Microsoft Security Updates. Click a score to see details on your hardware specs, user accounts, peripherals, networking, and more.