Zemana AntiLogger – An Ounce of Prevention

Benjamin Franklin could have been talking about the Internet, and malware, when he reportedly said – “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Curing a malware infection caused by today’s sophisticated malware is much more difficult than it has ever been, and I’m convinced, that removing the malware we’re going to have to contend with in 2010, will be incrementally harder still.

Even today, malware tends to write itself into multiple parts of the operating system, and in many cases it can hide its files, registry entries, running process and services, making the infection virtually impossible to find, and remove, without causing operating system damage.

In the coming year, an average computer user who has to deal with even more complex malware infections, will be left with little choice other than having the infected machine worked on by a certified computer technician, who will have the tools, and the competency, to determine if the infection can be removed without causing system damage.

We’ve previously discussed Keylogger malware here, and how to employ an ounce of prevention by using highly regarded SnoopFree Privacy Shield, a free application, which unfortunately, is compatible with Windows XP only.

Because Keyloggers, a particularly sinister type of malware, that monitors every keystroke a user types on a computer’s keyboard, are often executed as part of a rootkit, or a remote administration (RAT) Trojan horse, they can be extremely difficult to detect, and remove.

While it’s true, that many good quality malware and spyware detection tools should capture Keyloggers, and a properly configured Firewall should prevent all authorized connections, the reality is – this is NOT always the case. Keyloggers in fact, can disable Firewalls and anti-malware tools.

Since my personal home machines now run on Windows 7, I can no longer protect against Keyloggers using SnoopFree Privacy Shield, so I had to find an alternative. Unfortunately, I could not find a freeware substitute application. However, I did find a competitively priced application, Zemana AntiLogger, following a reader’s recommendation, which I’ve been testing for a week or so.

I was immediately impressed by this application, particularly the system defense function. The application intercepted proposed changes to system files NOT picked up by other security applications on my system including WinPatrol, which really surprised me!

Since I use a Webcam extensively for communicating, I was more than happy to see the active Webcam protection offered by Zemana AntiLogger, which was immediately apparent.

Test Screens:

This is an example of a Zemana warning, triggered by my launching an anonymous proxy application which by design, injects code into my primary Browser. By checking an appropriate check box I established a rule, permitting this action in future.

This is an example of a Zemana warning, triggered by my updating both Microsoft Security Essentials and Malwarebytes definition databases which, in each case, will make changes to system files. Simply checking a check box establishes a rule, which will permit this action in future.

This is an example of a Zemana warning, triggered by a screen capture utility I was in the process of using. If this had been an illegal activity. I would of course, have received the same warning. Again, simply checking a check box establishes a rule, which will permit this action, by this utility, in future.

Fast facts:

Secure your Internet banking and financial transactions

Protect information in emails and Instant Messages

Protect keystrokes from spyware

Protect all screen images

Webcam Logger protection

System Defense

No need to download latest virus signatures

No need to know or detect the malware’s signature

No need to wait for updates from a virus lab

No need to scan files

Proactively looks for suspicious activity

Catches not just the usual suspects, but also sophisticated “zero day” malware

Prevents theft of data via secure connections (HTTPS / SSL)

Does not slow down your PC

Easy to download, install and use

Future-proof

System requirements: Windows Vista, XP and 7 compatible

All the signposts point to 2010 being a banner year for cyber-criminals. Being prepared and being aware, while not a panacea, will continue to be a key element in mitigating risk exposure.

If keylogger protection, and maintaining your privacy is a concern, you might consider adding this application to your security toolbox.

This application is not freeware, but you may download a 15 day trial version at: Zemana

If you found this article useful, why not subscribe to this Blog via RSS, or email? It’s easy; just click on this link and you’ll never miss another Tech Thoughts article.