If you are on the lookout for a freeware file recovery tool, then Recuva is one of the first tools to be considered. It can recover the data or files, which have been accidentally deleted or which have become unusable because of some damaged or formatted disks.

Recuva file recovery tool also allows you to recover your MS Word documents, which have not been saved because of sudden crash of MS Word. You can also use Recuva to recover your lost iPod music files from your disk.

And the best part is that it has a complete version, which allows you to take this file recovery tool, wherever you go. And it also allow you to recover files from disks, which have become unusable because of damage or formatting errors.

Features:

Here is a complete list of useful features, which Recuva have.

1. Undelete files on your computer: Deleted a file by mistake? Recuva brings lost files on your computer, USB drive, camera or iPod.
2. Recovery from damaged or formatted disks: Even if you’ve formatted a drive so that it looks blank, Recuva can still find your files on it.
3. Recover deleted emails: Emptied your email trash and need it back? Recuva’s got you covered with full support for Microsoft Outlook Express, Mozilla Thunderbird, or Windows Live Mail.
4. Recover deleted iPod music: Deleted music from your iPod or MP3 player? No problem, Recuva will get this back for you along with any additional track data.
5. Restore unsaved Word documents: Did Microsoft Word crash or did you forget to save that important Word document. No problem with Recuva! As it can intelligently rebuild Word documents from their temporary files.
6. Quick-Start Wizard: If you need your files back right away without fiddling with options, Recuva’s Quick-Start Wizard is the answer.
7. Deep Scan: Recuva can find most files within a minute. Or, set the Deep Scan to look for more deeply-buried results.
8. Securely delete files you want to erase forever: Want to protect your deleted files? Recuva also allows you to permanently erase any traces of deleted files.
9. Portable version: Take Recuva with you wherever you go with the portable version.
10. Full Windows OS support and many languages: Recuva has support for every modern version of Windows and 37+ languages.

Here is a nice video, which shows the basic functionality of Recuva, the file recovery tool.

[Download Recuva]

If you are searching for a decent Internet Security suite for free, then here is your chance. You can download Norman Security Suite 8 absolutely free from their own website without paying a dime.

Remember, this promotion is not for their latest version of the Security Suite, which at present is running with no. 10. But still it is an offer worth considering for the freebie watchers.

About Norman Security Suite

Norman Security suite is a package of necessary components to combat against Virus and Threats, Malicious activities on computer. It promises to protect you from spywares and hackers with its firewall and makes secure when you are on computer, whether you are using on-line banking, chatting, emailing, playing or just surfing the net.

Features:

• Automatic Virus and Spyware protection recognizes, blocks, and removes unwanted programs such as viruses, worms, trojans and other varieties of destructive program code. These unwanted programs, also called malware, can jeopardize your privacy and identity, and reduce computer performance.
• Proactive malware protection with Norman SandBox®, DNA Matching and Exploit Detection. These technologies protects against new and unknown malware, keeping your personal data resistant to the daily influx of newborn threats.
• Protects email, instant message attachments, Internet downloads, and web browsing from malware like viruses, spyware, trojans, and other threats that may enter your computer.
• IMPROVED! Antispam keeps your inbox free from unwanted junk mail. The spam engine with a detection rate of nearly 98%, stops unwanted, fraudulent and phishing emails ensuring uninterrupted service delivering the emails you really need.
• Parental Control protects you and your family by limiting access to specific web sites. The system is based on pre-defined rules preventing selected user groups from accessing undesirable websites containing pornography, weapon information, or other inappropriate material.
• IMPROVED! Advanced Firewall provides real-time protection against hackers and malicious web robots by filtering inbound and outbound traffic as well as alerting you to any attempted attack.
• Antiphishing protects you from emails leading you to give away personal information or credit card information that can be misused.
• Rootkit detection uncovers and removes hidden code utilizing stealth mechanisms.
• Protection against malware masquerading as an authorized application by utilizing a check summing technique.
• Auto-update of all modules runs silently in the background, as any new security update will automatically be downloaded and installed silently.
• Low system resource usage and memory footprint. Stay protected with minimal system impact.
• oSecurity status and activity summary gives you security health status at a glance.

Download Links:

For 32 Bit OS: http://download.norman.no/nss/dnbnor/DNB_NormanSecuritySuite_800x86_ALL_R06.exe

For 64 Bit OS: http://download.norman.no/nss/dnbnor/DNB_NormanSecuritySuite_800x64_ALL_R06.exe

Rogue Antivirus today are one of the biggest threats to computer users. They pretend to the legitimate security software and once they find entry to your system, display lots of advertisements and fake warning messages, all claiming that your system is infected with lots of malware and spyware and the only way out is that you purchase the full licensed version of the rogue security software.

But the fact is that full version of the rogue is simply incapable of providing any sort of security to your system and your money has gone down the drain, besides leaking your private information like credit cards to the untrustworthy hands.

These rogue antivirus try all sorts of tactics to remain invisible to the already installed legitimate software in your computer. The malware like Conficker often turn-off the security software silently to hide their presence of themselves. This class of malware is termed as retro-antivirus.

And reports indicate that retro-antiviruses are getting more and more aggressive in their approach and they have now started to use the social engineering tactics to trick users into uninstalling their genuine and legitimate security software like Symantec, Microsoft, AVG, Spyware Doctor, and Zone Labs, before installing AnVi Antivirus.

Symantec, the noted security vendor in a related article, has stated that they display warning messages, which suggests that the security software is downgrading the performance of their computer and they need to turn it off and reduce its potency. If they user gets trapped in the fake warning message, these malware installers use the uninstaller applications of these security software to uninstall them and thus, exposing the user to the cruel malware installation.

Be safe, be warned and be alert. Remember, no security software, howsoever smart and howsoever costly, can provide you absolute security in this world where security vendors are increasingly losing the ground to malware developers and distributors. Exercise caution while surfing the web and this will ensure your privacy and PC Security is never compromised.

[Symantec Report]

File Encryption has been a well-known procedure for the safety and protection of your important and confidential files. People know it well, but still shy away from it most of the time, because of lack of awareness and complexities involved. They do not want to go through the hassles of a complex file encryption and decryption software and also sometimes they shy away from using a paid software for such a job.

If you are one among such people, would you not like to consider using a tiny freeware utility, which allows you to provide you file encryption and password protection with just a simple right click.

Yes its possible now with Right Click Encrypter. It changes your right click menu and adds an entry. Whenever you click on the icon of the file to be encrytped you will find an option to encrypt the file, which allows you to encrypt that file with your chosen password.

The time taken to encrypt the file will depend upon the size and type of the file to be encrypted.

[Download Right Click Encrypter]

A boot sector is a sector of a hard disk, floppy disk, or similar data storage device that contains code for booting programs stored in other parts of the disk. A master boot record (MBR) is the first sector of a data storage device that has been partitioned. Since code in the boot sector is executed automatically, boot sectors have historically been a common attack vector for computer viruses. To combat this behavior, the BIOS often includes an option to prevent writing to the boot sectors of attached hard drives.

In case, the hard disk of your computer is infected with such a virus and you want to perform a boot sector fix on the hard disk, then you can try Avira Boot Sector Antivirus Tool. This freeware tool is provided by the noted security vendor Avira and is available for free download from their website.

The search and repair tool contains a signature-VDF as well as a user interface (ANTIVIR.EXE). If you want to search for boot sector viruses using the AVE32.EXE go to the commandline and enter: AVE32.EXE -allboot. If you want to use the user interface, then you can start ANTIVIR.EXE. Press ALT-F to open a window where you can choose which boot sectors to scan by entering T. Keep your boot sector clean and secured against malware with Avira Boot Sector Repair Tool!

[Download Avira Boot Sector Repair Tool]

What is CoolWebSearch (CWS)

CoolWebSearch (also known as CoolWWWSearch or abbreviated as CWS) is a well-known spyware program that installs itself on Microsoft Windows based computers. It first appeared in May 2003.

CoolWebSearch has numerous effects when it is successfully installed on a user’s computer. The program can change an infected computer’s web browser homepage to coolwebsearch.com, and although originally thought to only work on Internet Explorer, recent variants affect Mozilla Firefox as well as others. It can also create pop-up ads that redirect to other websites including pornography sites, collect private information about users and slow the speed of infected computers.

Coolwebsearch uses innovative techniques to evade detection and removal, and as such many common spyware removal programs fail to properly remove the software.

Some versions of CoolWebSearch can be installed through drive-by installation, in which a computer browsing a webpage automatically installs CWS. CWS itself attempts to evade others by not labelling its ads, not providing an EULA, not providing any data about itself and not having a website. Certain variants insert links on random text, leading to advertiser websites. Other attempts to access websites are redirected to pay-per-click search engines that may install more malware display ads. Some variants of CWS also add links topornography and gambling sites to the user’s Desktop, Internet Explorer’s bookmarks and history. Certain versions attempt to edit users’ trusted sites and modify security settings as well as to hide from removal programs. Variants are often named for the effects they have such as msconfig, Msoffice, Mupdate, Msinfo and Svchost32.

How can I remove the Coolwebsearch virus

Trend Micro CWShredder is the premier tool to find and remove traces of CoolWebSearch.

CWShredder removes these browser hijackers. CoolWebSearch installs dozens of bookmarks–mostly to porn Web sites–on your desktop, changes your home page without asking, and continually changes it back if you attempt to correct it. Furthermore, it significantly slows down the performance of your PC, and introduces modifications which cause Microsoft Windows™ to freeze, crash or randomly reboot.

This tool will find and destroy all traces of the CoolWebSearch hijacker on your system. Trend Micro CWSShredder includes:

• Redirections to CoolWebSearch related pages
• Redirections when mistyping URLs
• Redirections when visiting Google
• Enormous IE slowdowns when typing
• IE start page/search page changing on reboot
• Sites in the IE Trusted Zone you didn’t add
• Pop-ups in Google and Yahoo when searching
• Errors at startup mentioning WIN.INI or IEDLL.EXE
• Unable to change or see certain items in IE Options
• Unable to access IE Options at all

And did we mention that it is a freeware?

[Download CWSShredder]

Instant Messaging is still having its utility and importance despite the tremendous growth of social networking platforms like Twitter and Facebook. They are part of the lives of many of us, who use to spend lot of time on computers interacting with friends, colleagues and co-workers.

But, Security of the Instant Messaging conversation has always been a concerned for security-cautious users. Ordinary IM Chat clients do not provide any sort of encryption and IM security. They are vulnerable to hacking attempts and a determined hacking attack can easily access the conversation being carried over your Internet connection.

One of the solutions to this problem lies in the encryption of the IM conversations to ensure a secure IM session. BitDefender Chat Encryption is a freeware utility from the noted security vendor BitDefender, which keeps your instant messages safe from hijacking through a simple and automatic encryption process. This tool delivers IM privacy in a snap by securing all your communications via Yahoo! Messenger 8 and Windows Live Messenger 8.5.

It works nicely with most of the IM Chat Clients and the installation is simple and easy. You just have to ensure that BitDefender Chat Encrypting tool is installed at both the user computers. A simple way to ensure that your online buddies, with whom you frequently do the IM sessions, have this utility also installed on their computers.

[Download BitDefender Chat Encryption]

An Indian startup Hidden Reflex, has recently launched a web browser, which has an antivirus built within it. Nicknamed as EpicBrowser, this feature-rich Internet browser is built on the open source Mozilla Platform and has a built in antivirus and antispyware powered by the noted security vendor ESET.

It would benefit the users to save money by performing regular virus scans on EPIC for free. Every file downloaded on EPIC would be automatically scanned. Further, the user would be given an option to manually scan the system or individual folders for any virus and any infections found would be healed completely.

Yet another notable feature of this browser-with-a-difference is it sidebar. It has a feature-rich sidebar, which allows you to access your favorite sites and networking site profiles like Twitter, Facebook, Orkut and many others with just a single click. Besides this, there are many other utility applications like a free word processor, a to-do tool, snippet app, timer and most importantly it allows you to access your files and folder from the browser itself.

It allows you to choose from more than 1500 themes to suite your taste.

Presently, EpicBrowser is targeted towards the Indian users, but if you feel like interested ten you can use it other parts of the world as well.

[Download EpicBrowser]

USB Sticks and Flash Drives have virtually transformed the way people used to carry their files and data with them. The convenience offered by their small size and plug-and-play feature is simple unmatched.

But this convenience comes at a price. The price of carrying the risk of loosing your sensitive and private data stored on the USB Drive, if you ever happen to misplace it, lose it or somebody steals in in an unfortunate case. But if you are careful enough, and you safeguard the data stored on the USB drive with some decent USB Protection Software capable to providing security with hard encryption and passwords, then you can be pretty sure about the security of the data.

There are a few decent USB encryption utilities available for download. We also have earlier carried reviews of a few USB Protection Software like USB Safeguard and BitLocker on the Go on this blog. Today we have come across yet another great software, which does the job just perfectly.

Welcome to EncryptStick.

Encrypt Stick™ is simple to download and easy to use. Important files that need to be secure are stored within encrypted Vaults. An unlimited number of vaults can be created on any type of writeable storage (hard drives, flash drives, network servers etc.) Encrypt Stick™ Vaults can’t be seen on a computer unless the USB is inserted and the correct password entered.

The best part of the software is that it leaves no footprints on your computer as it has to be operated directly from within the USB Stick itself. It resides on and runs off a flash drive, and will run on both PCs and Macs.

It also comes bundled with a password manager and a virtual keyboard, which makes it a complete security package in itself. Encrypt Stick™ is powered by the world’s strongest encryption algorithm. ENC Security’s polymorphic encryption method creates unique encryption algorithms based on the hardware ID of each USB flash drive.

What more would you ask.

And did we tell that it is a freeware software for personal use. The freeware version is a stripped down version of their feature-rich Pro version, but fr average user, the free version does the job just fine.

Features of EncryptStick – A Useful and Free USB Protection Software

Here is an impressive list of features of this freeware tool.

• Works with Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7.
• Works on any serial numbered flash drive.
• Simple installation takes less than 5 minutes.
• 512 bit Polymorphic Encryption.
• Can create unlimited Invisible encrypted vaults folders on any PC.
• Create invisible encrypted vaults folders on CD’s, DVD’s and external hard drives.
• Shred/Military wipe of deleted files.
• Application runs on a flash drive not a PC.
• Application leaves no footprint on host PC.
• Free Lifetime updates.
• Encryption and Decryption speed of 500Mbs.
• Encrypted files cannot be infected with Viruses.
• Ability to use multiple USB flash drives on the same computer.
• Locked files are safe from prying eyes if device is lost or stolen.
• No minimumstipulations for CPU or memory.
• Application is less than 4 MB.
• No installation of software or drivers on host computeris required.
• No set storage limit to invisible encrypted vaults folders.
• Compression of files, thus increasing flash drive storage.
• Password is not shared with an administrator.
• Able to edit any documents on the fly without decrypting.
• Simple user friendly interface.
• Live search feature.
• On-line support system.
• Multiple window view modes, list, icon and columns.
• Instant lock button.
• Change password at any time.
• Timeout feature, grants user to set a defined time to lock their flash drive.

Here is a nice video, which gives an idea about the basic functionality of this useful USB Protection Software.

[Download EncryptStick]

The menace of spam email messages is growing by each passing day. Estimates indicate that as many as 86% of total email messages sent and delivered are spam emails. And they are not just sent for fun anymore. Spam Emails are now an organized crime and some of them are able to cause a serious threat to the privacy and security of the victims.

Email Spam Filtering is something, which is just evolving over time. It is a catch-22 scenario. Spammers device newer ways to increase their success rates and Email Spam Filters burn their midnight oil to catch them as effectively as they can.

Email Spam Catchers always perform in a trade-off mode. Generally they look for different aspects of an email messages to decide whether it is a spam message or not. They analyze the subject line, sender domain, header fields, message content, and so on. And if they go a bit more strict in their filtering, chances are that the legit email messages may find their place in the Spam folders. And if they choose to express some leniency, some of the spam messages may find their way to the recipient’s inbox.

A New Concept – Cloud based Email Spam Filters

Cloud based Email Spam Filters work on the principles of a community of users helping each other to identify spam messages. As soon as any of the user reports a spam email, its fingerprints are notified to the central servers and when the same message is received by somebody else, the central servers directs to to the Spam folder.

CloudMark DesktopOne – The Freeware Email Spam Filter

CloudMark has recently allowed a freeware version of their Email-client based spam filter for personal and non-commercial use. It is a stripped down version of their feature-rich Pro version, but can serve the basic needs of an average computer user willing to have a good qaulity spam filter for his email clients.

The installation is pretty simple and with a few mouse clicks, your set is all ready to protect you from spams.

[Download CloudMark DesktopOne]