So discreet and dangerous PC spies are! To defeat them, use these free programs. They are the best allies of your antivirus in the crusade for privacy.
There are viruses whose only mission is to spy on other programs. Known as spyware, this type of virus goes unnoticed and collects all kinds of data, from e-mail passwords to images captured by the webcam (yes, it does!). To infect the PC, it takes advantage of security’s flaws in the programs we use daily, as well as our own innocence. We are often the ones who install fraudulent software. Then how to protect our privacy?
Fortunately, detecting spyware is easier than it sounds, because even a virus has to comply with the rules when running on Windows. This allows you to use special programs to remove them forever from the PC. At the same time, it is possible to strengthen Windows defenses to prevent any spy programs from harming you before it is detected.
Here are the best anti spyware programs in Windows. They are free and can be used together or separately. Download as fast as possible to strengthen your PC against digital snoopers and pushy governments. They are really powerful free anti-virus programs to protect your PC from Viruses and spyware, and give your PC best protection.
Zemana AntiLogger: No One Will Know What You Key
Some hide the spy-virus in memory to capture everything you type and send it via the internet, no matter it is passwords or chats. This type of spyware is called keyloggers.
Zemana AntiLogger is a free anti-keylogger program. What it does is to establish a secure route between your keyboard and the program you are typing. This prevents other programs from knowing what you do with the keyboard.
Once installed, Zemana will work without you doing anything. The green icon indicates that Zemana is already protecting your keyboard against espionage. And if for some reason you want to disable it, you can do it with the right mouse button.
Norton Power Eraser: the anti-malware missile
Imagine the power of Norton Antivirus gathered in a single file of three megabytes. A portable antivirus program does not require installation and removes any malware for free.
Norton Power Eraser is just that, an emergency antivirus program that you can download and use as many times as you want. It detects and removes almost everything. If you already use an antivirus, NPE is a second option to consider.
The only disadvantage of Norton Power Eraser is the aggressive search for suspects, which could result in the deletion of any legitimate file unintentionally. But I’ve spent years using this tool and it never happened.
ZoneAlarm Firewall: the keeper of your connection
Imagine a spy-virus that has managed to circumvent all defenses and wants to send data over the network. There is also one last bastion he must overcome: the firewall.
ZoneAlarm Firewall is a free firewall for Windows. He acts as the doorman of a building, controlling who enters and leaves through the network at all times. And if there is a suspect, it will block.
“But Windows already has a firewall,” you will say. Yes, but it has not the same efficiency as ZoneAlarm, it even informs the level of confidence of each program.
Kaspersky Rescue Disk: the disk that saves your life
There are virus-spies that are so dangerous and difficult to remove, if you try to clean from the desktop, it is almost impossible or very slow and complicated.
Kaspersky Rescue Disk is a free CD / DVD antivirus that can boot the PC and disinfect completely without starting Windows.
This record saved my life more than once. With it, you have the same feeling of playing an antivirus bomb on your hard drive: fast and thorough cleaning. Try Kaspersky Rescue Disk now!
WebCam On-Off: Disables the web camera with one click
Do you use a laptop with an integrated webcam? If you are afraid that someone can record it without your agreement, you have two choices: to destroy the camera or to disable it from Windows.
On-Off WebCam is a simple utility for you to disable and activate the webcam without having to go to the Device Manager in the Windows Control Panel.
The WebCam On-Off window could not be simpler: the indicator tells you if the camera is turned on or off. You only need to press one of the buttons to change your status. You will no longer cover the lens with a piece of paper.
Sandboxie: quarantine the suspects
When running an unknown program, you can cross your fingers and wait for antivirus detection … Or you can put it in a safe space and analyze the degree of danger of it.
Sandboxie creates a secure space where you can open any suspicious file without affecting your data. Even the most dangerous virus, such as Cryptolocker, you can manage to skip its “fence”.
If the program is not what it looks or turns out to be dangerous, you can close it by the same sandbox or even delete all the files it contains or generated there.
Detekt: Find Government Spyware
Some governments are so concerned about their citizens that they cannot leave them alone, even using the PC. And we witnessed examples of government spy-viruses, called policeware.
Since the NSA scandal, several human rights groups have worked together to create a tool with capable of detecting virus-spies. This free application already exists and is called Detekt.
In an independent test, Detekt was able to find two fearsome spyware, njRat and XtremeRAT on a PC that had McAfee and Malwarebytes installed. Is it not really worth having Detekt on the desktop?
Important: Detekt does not remove spyware, it only detects.
Antivirus needs all the help you can give
No matter how hard they try, traditional antivirus programs are not able to detect all threats. So we need you to complement the protection with the tools I just presented. And if you know more utilities, do not hesitate to recommend them in the comments. The battle against spyware requires collaboration.