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Spyware Terminator

This spyware scanner and removal tool does the job, but enabling some functions may cause slight slowdowns.

Spyware Terminator's crisp, clean interface uses simple buttons and tabs to operate and set options. The latest spyware signatures are automatically downloaded, and the real-time protection keeps baby-sitting to a minimum. Real-time protection monitors key spyware types and Windows objects, though slight system slowdowns depend on your machine. Those features and the simple scheduler will make this app appealing to novices.

Advanced users will appreciate Spyware Terminator's flexibility. Setting the sensitivity of various scans is as easy as moving a slider. Experienced users will want to enable the built-in antivirus tool, which extends the power of real-time analysis by comparing program code against a database of known viruses, Trojans, and worms.

From set-it-and-forget-it users to those delving into virus code, all will find Spyware Terminator flexible, simple, and effective, key measures of a good antispyware tool.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is a surprisingly effective freeware antimalware tool. It's a relatively speedy malware remover, with the quick scan taking about 8 minutes even with other high-resource programs running. The heuristics engine proved on multiple computers during empirical testing that it was capable of determining the difference between false positives and dangerous apps.

The app has some nice features rolled in, too. It supports multiple drive scanning including networked drives, context menu options including a scan-on-demand for individual files, and the FileAssassin option under the More Tools section for removing locked files. The interface is simple, but pleasant-looking and well-organized. Tabs live just below the oversized logo, with few options per tab to keep down the clutter. The installation process was fast enough, but interestingly offered up the well-kept changelog and an instant definition file update.

Do note that the real-time protection is restricted to the paid version, as is the scheduler for updates and scans. Overall, though, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is a responsive malware remover that does what it should with a minimum of fuss.

IObit Security 360

The Overview tab is the main window and contains links for immediate Smart scans, definition file updates, a "security analysis," which evaluates potential exploits in your system and includes Windows security patches, and a status update window. This tells you whether your real-time protection, automatic scans and updates, and heuristic-based scans are on or off. Automatic scans and updates and scheduled scans, are restricted to the paid upgrade. The Scan tab lets you initiate a Smart scan, a Full scan, or a Custom scan, and the Protection tab lets you toggle your real-time protection status. It seems a bit odd that a user would want the separate controls the program offers for "known malware" and "unknown threats."

The Tools tab gives you seven useful system security tools. There's a Hijack scan for power users, a Security Holes scan, a Passive Defense that disables cookies in Firefox and Internet Explorer, and ActiveX in IE, and an Unlock and Delete tool for getting rid of files your system thinks are in use. There's a Privacy Sweeper that will clean not just cookies and cache but saved forms, download history, and other Internet traces in all major browsers, as well as utilities like archival tools, multimedia players, and other applications. Annoyingly, a PC Tuneup option takes you to the download page for another IObit program, but users on the go will like the custom portable version that you can launch from a USB key. Security 360 eats about 50MB of RAM when idle, with a Smart scan taking about 6 minutes and a full scan finishing in 45 minutes, making this one of the fastest in its class.