Buzz
There are numerous tools available to quickly assess the security level on your computer. Below are some useful tools you can utilize. These tools can also alert you to vulnerable software installed on your computer. To test antivirus programs, Firewall, browsers, and security software on your system, readers, please follow the article below.
Assessing the 'strength' of antivirus programs
Certainly, you can't utilize antivirus software to assess the 'strength' of the antivirus program on your system - that would be a 'disaster.' If you want to check if the antivirus software on your system is 'strong enough,' you can use the EICAR test file.
Essentially, the EICAR test file isn't a virus - it's just a text file containing a harmless string of text 'EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS-TEST-FILE!'. However, antivirus programs are designed and 'trained' to recognize EICAR as a virus and respond to the EICAR file just like they would with a real virus.
You can use the EICAR file to test your real-time virus scanner and ensure that your system's virus scanner will 'catch' these new viruses. Additionally, you can use the EICAR file to test other antivirus programs on the system.
For instance, if you're running antivirus software on a Linux mail server and you want to double-check that it's functioning properly, you can send the EICAR file through the mail server and ensure that it is 'caught' and quarantined.
Note: It's important to check and ensure that all your antivirus programs are properly configured and functioning well, but this doesn't guarantee that these antivirus programs can 'catch' new types of viruses. There are increasingly new, more 'sophisticated' types of viruses, so you should be cautious with programs, software, ... that you download.
You can download the EICAR test file from the EICAR homepage. However, if you wish, you can also create your own EICAR test file by opening a text editor (such as Notepad), then copying and pasting the text below into the file and saving:
X5O!P%@AP[4\PZX54(P^)7CC)7}$EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS-TEST-FILE!$H+H*
Antivirus programs will react just like they would to a real virus.
Scanning Ports on Firewall
If you're using a router, the network address translation (NAT) feature of the router acts as a Firewall, preventing other computers on the Internet from connecting to your computer.
To ensure that your computer software is 'protected' from the Internet - either through a NAT router or through Firewall software if your computer is directly connected to the Internet, you can use ShieldsUP! to check the website. ShieldsUP! will scan your IP address ports to determine whether they are open or closed. You should close ports to protect vulnerable services from the 'wild west environment' on the Internet.
You should make sure to keep the Firewall on 24/7 for the best protection for your computer. If you're unsure how to turn on the Firewall on your computer, you can follow articles on Mytour.
Checking Web Browser Plug-ins
Web browser plug-ins are one of the common attack vectors today - these are software like Java, Flash, and Adobe's PDF reader. Make sure you have installed the latest versions and update plug-in versions if you want to be 'safe' when accessing the Internet.
Mozilla's Plugin Check website is quite useful for checking web browser plug-ins. Although designed by Mozilla, Plugin Check works on all browsers including Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera, and Internet Explorer.
If any plug-in is 'outdated', it's best to update to the latest version of that plug-in. If you have Java installed, you can simply uninstall Java - or at least disable Java in the web browser plug-in. You may have heard of the Java Zero-Day vulnerability, hackers exploit this vulnerability to 'compromise' users' computers.
Scanning Vulnerable Software
On operating systems with central software repositories (like Linux) or app stores (like iOS, Android, and the Modern environment of Windows 8), checking to ensure all your software is updated with the latest security patches is quite straightforward. It's all handled through a single automatic update tool. Windows computers lack this tool.
Secunia, an IT security company, has developed a free application called Secunia Personal Software Inspector to assist users in updating to the latest security patches.
After the Secunia PSI scan software is installed on your computer, it will scan and identify any outdated and vulnerable programs. While Secunia PSI may not know about all components of software ever created by Windows, this tool will help you identify which software you should update.
Of course, those tools don't encompass everything. And there's no way to ensure that the antivirus software on your system will 'catch' every type of virus ever created - because no antivirus program is perfect. And there's also no way to guarantee you won't fall victim to a social-engineering attack or phishing attack.
However, those tools will help you check and evaluate the level of the most important preventive measures you can use to avoid attacks.
