Antimalware scanners complement anti-virus programs, the so-called second line of defense. We show the five best of them.

Every year, the number of attacks caused by cybercriminals and malware is increasing, in which both private users and corporations, and even entire cities, suffer. From year to year, hackers and creators of various types of viruses improve their creations, creating new methods of getting into systems and surveillance of their owners. The dangers include Trojans, keyloggers, rootkits, as well as malicious files such as adware and spyware that threaten our privacy. To properly protect against various types of malware, it’s a good idea to install a tool that will protect your hardware and confidential personal information from the effects of ransomware-type infections. Every person using the Internet should consider installing a scanner that is supposed to search the computer for threats, and then give us a report of errors found. Often these types of tools are referred to as the second line of defense because they are a perfect complement to anti-virus software. Meet the best anti-malware scanners that were in our list.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free – the best malware scanning program

is one of the better programs for removing malware from computers with Windows installed as well as macOS. Thanks to the fact that the tool is available in the Polish language version and has a simple to use user interface, everyone should be able to handle Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free. It mainly offers three scanning modes: full, fast and instant. The user has a complete report and a module at his disposal to indicate files or folders that will be skipped during scanning. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free will also work as a spec to detect and remove so-called system spies that are hidden in various folders in your computer’s memory. Users after installing the program additionally receive a free trial of the Premium version.

AdwCleaner – scanning and repairing system components in one

It is a very efficient computers. The application will detect the advertising components present in the system displaying unwanted windows and banners, spyware and malware that change key settings of web browsers. The great advantage of the program is that it does not require installation and can be run even from an external storage medium, such as USB. The program is very popular all over the world, and it is mainly due to the effectiveness of detecting various types of unwanted components on your computer. AdwCleaner will also be useful for scanning additional items that save to disk during the installation of some programs without our consent. An interesting feature is the repair panel, restoring the system firewall, proxy server and TCP / IP internet connection to default settings, and resetting the Microsoft Edge web browser, Internet Explorer and Google Chrome.

SpyBot – Search & Destroy – automatic or advanced scanning

Protection against spyware is of great importance if we want to prevent others from using our personal data and browsing results. For this, SpyBot – Search & Destroy, whose task is to scan the system for malware. The application is not only able to remove spyware, but also detects and removes keyloggers, while providing a tool to quickly update the signature definition database with the latest virus data. To make sure our data is secure, SpyBot – Search & Destroy automatically backs up any deleted file. After scanning, the report list includes information such as location, threat level, type, category and short description. In the program, we can rely on automatic scanning or set the search parameters yourself in advanced options.

ComboFix – a powerful tool for professionals

This is one of the more advanced and effective malware removal tools. ComboFix is ​​available for free for non-commercial applications for equipment running on the Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8 platforms. The time to scan our computer depends on the degree of its infection, so for some it will take several minutes and for some longer. After the search, the user gets to view the text file with the log, thanks to which we will find out what programs and elements have been removed. Before starting the operating system scan by ComboFix, a Windows restore point will be created and the system registry will be backed up. Due to the fact that during program operation it is necessary to strictly follow the displayed messages, ComboFix is ​​not recommended for novice users. Omitting one of the steps or incorrectly executing the command may lead to damage to the system files, and thus to computer problems.

IObit Malware Fighter – several modules to protect your computer in one program

IObit Malware Fighter is a software that copes well with threats, and its huge capabilities are closed in an accessible user interface that makes the whole process short and trouble-free. IObit Malware Fighter offers various approaches to increase computer security – it is able to scan it for suspicious elements, while paying attention to the dangers lurking in the browser. The main window is the place where you can initiate the scanning process, and there are two options – cursory and detailed scanning. If you choose the second option, we can indicate the catalog that will be searched for a specific threat. The paid version of IObit Malware Fighter is also equipped with additional functions such as “Safe Box”, which limits access to files and folders containing confidential data or “Safe Guard”, where we can choose one of several engines protecting our system and guaranteeing its full security .