10 Free PC Security Tools

#1 Software Doorman
If you think your PC is infected by malware, you could try using Task Manager to check what's running, but there's no easy way to tell which processes are legitimate and which aren't. Unless, that is, you run software like System Security Guard.

You can get this from your free cover disc or download it from www.systemsecurityguard.com. Once it's installed, just click 'Security check' and the program will check all your running programs against its online security database, highlighting any potential dangers. It's not a complete solution - find something bad and you'll still have to remove it yourself - but it's still a useful way to identify malicious programs.

#2 Passwords Everywhere
File encryption is a great way to protect files from snoopers. If you're working on someone else's PC though, you may not have an encryption tool available. That's where Encryption Wizard comes in.

Designed for the US military, but free for anyone to use, the Encryption Wizard is Java-based. Get it from your cover disc or www.spi.dod.mil/ewizard.htm, and copy the EW-Public-3.3.4 jar file onto a USB key. You can now run it on any computer where Java is available. Once launched, just drag and drop files onto the program and enter a passphrase to encrypt them.

#3 Secondary Scanner
No antivirus tool will detect 100 per cent of threats, so it pays to have one or two alternative scanners around, just in case. F-Secure Easy Clean (from your free disc or www.f-secure.com) could be the ideal choice. The program is small and portable, so there's nothing to install. It's very simple, too. There's nothing to configure and no complex decisions to make. Just click the 'Scan' button and leave Easy Clean to check your system. Despite its minimal appearance, it still does a good job of removing many of the most common threats. It can even contact F-Secure's servers for information on the very latest dangers.

#4 Get Rid Of Rogue Apps
If you're stuck with stubborn malware which won't go away, you don't have to immediately install a completely new antivirus package. Most antivirus vendors produce a host of tiny portable tools that will scan your PC and try to remove any dangers. The ESET Rogue Applications Remover, for instance, specialises in exterminating rogue antivirus programs and similar menaces. Download it from http://kb.eset.com, or get it from your disc. It's a command-line tool, but very simple to use - just double-click the download file and it will checks for any dangers.

#5 Track File Changes
If your computer's hard drive is being accessed regularly and you don't know why, then you might be wondering if you've picked up a virus somehow and this is to blame for the activity. FolderChangesView (which is available on your free cover disc or http://www.nirsoft.net/) can give you more information on your folders.

Launch the program, and choose the drive and the base folder to monitor (we suggest that the default C:\ is a good place to start). Now click 'OK', then 'Keep watching'. The next time that a file is created, changed or modified anywhere in your base folder, FolderChangesView will tell you all about what is happening. Just looking at the names of the files and folders involved will probably reveal which of your applications is responsible for all the excess activity.

#6 Cancel Keyloggers
Keyloggers are a particularly dangerous type of malware, which burrow into your PC and then record everything you type: usernames, passwords and everything else. We can't think of much more frightening - it's like having someone watching over your shoulder at all times. KeyScrambler Personal can offer at least a little protection, though. The program encrypts everything you type in Internet Explorer and Firefox, so even if you are hit by a keylogger, it won't be able to steal your web logons. What about Chrome, Safari, other applications? The author also produces commercial versions of KeyScrambler which offer extra protection. Check the QFX Software site (www.qfxsoftware.com) or your free disc if you're interested.

#7 Log Your System Use
Has someone been using your PC without your knowledge? PC On/Off Time (from your free disc or www.neuber.com/free/pctime) may be able to help you find out. Just launch the program on your system and it'll immediately show you a daily timeline of when the computer was running for the last three weeks, so if someone has been firing it up at an odd time, it will be very obvious. Better still, there's no need to install any monitoring tools to make this happen. PC On/Off Time pulls all its information from the existing Windows Event Logs, which makes it lightweight. Everything you need is in a single 490KB file.

#8 Weed Out Problems
Is your PC is infected by something nasty, but your regular antivirus tool hasn't raised an alert? Then FreeFixer (from your free disc or www.freefixer.com) may be able to help. Essentially the program produces a lengthy report detailing all the common places where malware might hide: drivers, startup programs, browser toolbars, Windows services, Windows Explorer add-ons and more. Known safe files aren't displayed, so FreeFixer quickly draws your attention to potential problems, and if you're sure you've found something dangerous then the program can try to remove it in a click. Be careful though - FreeFixer is really only for experienced PC users, because you could break your system by deleting the wrong thing.

#9 Block Bad Access
The Windows Firewall gets a lot of criticism for its interface, which is where TinyWall (from your free disc or http://tinywall.pados.hu) comes in. This smart security tool extends the Windows Firewall, allowing the program to learn which programs should go online, and then automatically blocking everything else. TinyWall does a good job of preventing malicious files from tampering with your settings too. The only problem is that security is so tight that TinyWall may occasionally block legitimate programs.

#10 Keep Tabs On USB
USB drives are small, convenient and easy to carry around. Unfortunately they are also easy to forget and if you leave one plugged into a public computer then you're giving any passer-by free access to all your data. Free USB Guard (available on your free disc, or at http://www.myportablesoftware.com/) may be able to help, though. Set the program running and it will automatically monitor your computer, and if you try to shut down your system with a USB key connected (or a disc in the DVD drive), the program will pop up to warn you. Of course, this won't help you at all if you're leaving the PC running, but Free USB Guard is still useful enough to justify adding it to your portable security toolkit.