A few weeks ago I wrote about an outbreak in computer viruses and while the outbreak appears to have slowed down, it would be a very bad idea indeed to let your guard down. In fact, in light recent virus and malware activity, this would be a great time to batten down the hatches.

There are a ton of tools out there that help protect your computer and there are just as many opinions as to which ones are the best. I'm not for a minute going to suggest that the tools I recommend clean all of the junk from your computer, or that they are even all that easy to use. I have found them to be effective however and use them extensively.

I will warn against installing any old antivirus or antispyware tool you might come across though. More often than not, these tools are malware (malicious software) themselves and actually do more damage than they fix. A good example is Antivirus 2009. This software not only is not a real antivirus product, it pops up false virus warning and according to 2-spyware.com:

"Like any other of it's predecessors, Antivirus2009 uses trojans, such as Zlob or Vundo, to spread. These trojans lurk in porn/warez websites disguised as video codecs, and, upon entering the system, floods the user with popups and fake system notifications, supposedly to inform him of an infection. While the system at hand may indeed be infected, Antivirus 2009 will inform the user of this regardless of whether it's true or not. The point of this disinformation is to convince the user he is infected and therefore needs an antispyware program to dispose of the threat. The user might click on one of the pop-ups or notifications, all of which claim they will take him to a legitimate security tool, but try to make him purchase Antivirus2009's "licensed version" instead."

Some real antimalware tools -- and those that I use -- include:

RootKitRevealer

Rootkits are a special type of malware that hide from many antimalware products.  RootKitRevealer is a Microsoft product that can help detect rootkits. It can be found at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-ca/sysinternals/bb897445.aspx

RUBotted

Fairly new to the antimalware game, RUBotted can help determine of your computer is part of a botnet - a group of infected computers controlled by an group of people who probably don't have your best interests at heart. Find it at http://www.trendsecure.com/portal/en-US/tools/security_tools/rubotted

Spybot Search and Destroy

The venerable Spybot Search and Destroy has been around for some time now and has always been free of charge. Spybot Search and Destroy has a lot of advanced features so have a look beyond just the scanner portion. It can be found at (there are rip-offs out there so play it safe and only use this site) http://www.safer-networking.org

HiJackThis

An advanced tool that will help get rid of hard to find malware, HiJackThis is the easiest tool to use. Fortunately there are a number of forums available where you can post your HiJackThis report and experts will help you decipher it. Find it at http://www.trendsecure.com/portal/en-US/tools/security_tools/hijackthis

SpywareBlaster

Once your system is clean, you can help keep it clean by installing this preventative software. Find it at http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

CCleaner

Not really an antimalware tool, CCleaner helps you clean out all the junk that's accumulated on your computer and may just take some nasty stuff with it. Visit http://www.ccleaner.com/ for more information.

It's interesting to note that all of these products are free of charge and there are no restrictions on personal or commercial use. Surf safely!