Windows How-To: Safely Downloading and Using a Free Security Suite or Scanning Tool

P. T. Barnum said it best when he dropped these words, "There's a sucker born every minute." Barnum's words still ring true today, especially in terms of securing your computer from hackers, corruption and identity thieves.

Let's put it this way, there are some rather nasty security tool decoys out there within cyberspace. Some play games with legitimate computer protection software identities, some take advantage of human nature to mislead the masses via search advertising and infomercials and most of them use at least a few tricks to grab you. I intend for this guide to be a reference for what to avoid, what is totally safe and list good tips for getting around the most despicable traps out there.

 First things first: what should we avoid while trying to download a free spyware and virus protection software tool? The long and short begins with name recognition: if it's something that doesn't make sense as a known security tool, stay away from it. Anything that doesn't have a reliable security name behind it should be regarded as an obvious fake unless we have seen otherwise (ParetoLogic being one surprising example). Anything that plays on an established name for parodial effect is also to be avoided. Targeted security tools have included Spybot Search & Destroy (by using a look-alike name) among others. Especially be on the lookout for something that offers to scan and remove malware, but then takes only seconds and asks you to pay for the removal of supposed,"issues."

But perhaps the best tool of all is your own common sense. If anything says "free scan and removal" or has misleading or non-sensical advertising, then it's probably not a good idea for anyone to be using it in the first place. If you see a TV ad that says that "even if you run security software, you may still have viruses entering your system" or the effective equivalent, forget it. That is usually false fearmongering (and usually it's just promoting scareware). Let's put the record straight, anything that looks or sounds too good to be true is probably just that.

In fact, practically any one of the scammer tricks listed below (as listed in a FTC bulletin) can serve as yet another series of red flags:

• you may get ads that promise to “delete viruses or spyware,” “protect privacy,” “improve computer function,” “remove harmful files,” or “clean your registry;”
• you may get “alerts” about “malicious software” or “illegal pornography on your computer;”
• you may be invited to download free software for a security scan or to improve your system;
• you could get pop-ups that claim your security software is out-of-date and your computer is in immediate danger;
• you may suddenly encounter an unfamiliar website that claims to have performed a security scan and prompts you to download new software.

Continued: How to separate what's entirely safe apart from the worthless junk