Internet Security Test

Many Programs Offer Services that Incorporate Internet Security Tests

When it comes to internet security there are many programs available that claim to offer full protection for the average internet user. These programs come with a variety of labels but the aim of all of them is the same – to protect the laptop or personal computer from succumbing to viral infections that pose a number of threats to security. Many of the current internet security programs around today offer services that incorporate internet security tests and in this article we will cover some of the features of these types of programs and why they may or may not be the best choice for you.

The Importance of Internet Security

One of the biggest concerns that internet security programs are designed to address is the potential for viral infection. As hackers and programmers continue to develop viral infections the need for protection against the theft of personal data is increasing. With each passing day new viruses are being developed with the intention of stealing personal information such as social security numbers, credit card numbers and bank account information and it is up to Internet security companies to develop software that can protect against these malevolent programs. As malware, spyware and viruses continue to be developed it is up to these internet security companies to tweak their software to be able to identify and target these newly developed programs and protect against them. Without constant updates and upgrades to internet security software the vast majority of internet users would face infection of their personal computer or laptop and a loss of personal information that could result in complete identity theft! While it is certainly an inconvenience to have a credit card number stolen or an e-mail account hacked, losing your entire personal identity is not only inconvenient but it can take years to reconcile and in the mean time you face court costs, piling up of debt, foreclosure, repossession and much more! The importance of internet security in this respect is certainly something that should not be underestimated.

What Does the Term “Internet Security Test” Mean?

When talking about security software designed to protect your computer from any number of malware, the term “internet security test” is sometimes thrown around. While many people understand the terms anti-virus software, virus scan, malware scan and spyware scan, many people become confused when the term “internet security test” is used. The truth of the matter is that “internet security test” is less of an actual term and more of key terms strung together to describe any number of features of some of the more popular internet security software. In the next section of this article we will endeavor to explain just what this term can be interpreted to mean depending upon the context in which it’s used.

An Online Virus Scan

Online Virus Scans Mean that you Cannot Disable a Virus from Accessing the Internet to Send Data

Most often when the term “internet security test” is used it is used to refer to the ability to run an online virus scan to screen your computer for viruses or malware. The online virus scanner runs on a remote server and searches your personal computer or laptop for infected files and folders through the use of your web browser. One of the concerns with using an online virus scanner rather than a virus scanning software that you can install and run straight from your desktop is that if your computer is already infected with a virus keeping your laptop or personal computer connected to the internet can help the virus to propagate and obtain much of your personal information through your browsing history. Many people recommend disconnecting your computer from the internet if you suspect that it has been infected with any type of virus. Depending upon the particular type of virus you may be dealing with however; running a virus scan from your desktop may not be a possibility. Many times viruses are configured to disable any anti-virus software being run from your personal computer and the only solution may be seeking an online virus scan.

Online virus Scans Frequently Do Not Allow for Disabling, Quarantining or Deleting of the Infected Files

An additional concern with running an online virus scan rather than purchasing a full anti-virus software package to run from your computer’s desktop is the fact that many online scans do not offer the capability to quarantine or delete infected files once they have been located. Being unable to delete infected files is not the end of the world because many times files can be located and deleted manually without too much difficulty.

Online Virus Scans do Not Offer Constant Monitoring and Protection of Your Personal Computer

Online virus scan programs also pose a problem in that they do not offer constant monitoring of your personal computer or laptop. When purchasing a full anti-virus software and installing it on your computer you will generally always keep that software running on your computer so that it is actively monitoring for potential viruses and can prevent them from being installed before they take hold. While online virus scans can identify infected files once they have been infected, since they are not actively running they are not able to protect against the virus from taking hold in the first place.

Online Virus Scans Are Not Always Legitimate and Reputable Programs

Another concern that should be of particular concern to those less experienced with utilizing the internet is that there are a number of fake online virus scan applications available. These online virus scans advertise as being legitimate programs and even look as legitimate as can be; however, once they are clicked they can actually install viruses on to your personal computer. It can be very difficult to distinguish between a fake online virus scan and a legitimate one with so many different applications available on the web today, but generally a little research is all it takes to find out whether an online scan program is legitimate.

A Few Reputable Online Virus Scanning Programs

While there are quite a number of fake online virus scanners that actually cause more harm than good, there are also a number of legitimate online virus scanners that can provide online scanning services if this is your only option for eliminating a disabling virus. Some of these legitimate scanning programs include: ESET, Trend Micro House Call and Comodo.

Testing Your Computer’s Vulnerability to Internet Threats

Be Aware of Your System’s Vulnerability to Internet Threats

The term “internet security test” can also be used to refer to testing your computer’s vulnerability to internet threats through an online application. This type of program runs online through your computer’s browser window and scans ports of your computer and performs a number of Trojan and browser tests to determine how secure your computer really is against internet threats. After scanning your personal computer or laptop this service will provide you with recommendations as to how you can improve the security of your system and help to protect against any number of internet threats.

Be Aware of Fake Programs

As with online virus scanning services it is important when using an online scan to determine your system’s level of vulnerability to internet threats, that you ensure that you are using a legitimate program. Granting any online service access to your computer system can mean trouble if you do not know what you are doing and clicking on a fake scanner and granting it access to your system can quickly infect and disable your entire system. Fake programs can not only bring down your entire system but they can also steal and transmit your personal information which can and frequently does lead to identity theft. A quick online search can reveal whether or not the program that you intend to use to test the security of your system is a valid program worth installing or whether it is likely to infect your system and cause more harm than good.

Stealth Testing

What is Stealth Testing?

Stealth testing is another aspect of internet security tests. Online programs that run stealth tests run through your personal computer’s browser and determine whether your system is viewable or accessible by others using the internet. Stealth testing is also used by individuals utilizing firewall protection to ensure that their firewall is hiding your computer’s system ports. It is important to remain in “stealth mode” when working online because allowing your computer to be seen by others opens you up to the potential for viral infection and information theft.

Be Aware of Fake Programs

As with any of these programs that run online through the use of a browser, it is important that you are aware of the potential for fake programs. Scam artists often use a front of security software or online scanning services to gain access to your system and once they gain access you can be looking at a significant amount of damage that only a professional technician will be able to repair.

Browser Testing

What is Browser Testing?

Regardless of what type of browser you utilize on your personal computer or laptop it is possible for your personal information to be revealed if someone knows what they are looking for. Online browser testing services test your browsers security level to determine how secure your personal information is in your browser. Some of the things that hackers or programmers can obtain through an unsecured browser include: websites you frequent, your personal address, your internet service provider, credit card information, personal passwords and more.

How to Protect Against Unsecured Browsers Sharing Information

Running a legitimate browser test will determine just how secure your browser is and how you can protect against information being shared in the future. Depending upon your browser there are a number of settings that you can adjust to keep your personal information secure from prying eyes and a legitimate browser testing service will provide you with tips on how to implement these settings.

As always, ensure that you utilize a reputable company for browser testing services; it is just as easy for a disreputable service to steal your information during a “scan” as it is for a reputable one to determine how you need to secure your system.

The Online Trojan Test

What are Trojans?

Trojans are a type of virus that generally pose the biggest threat to any internet user. Trojan is a shortened form of the term “Trojan horse” and refers to any program that takes on the appearance of something else. Trojan’s are generally included in downloaded files or are attached to e-mails. Once Trojan’s find their way in to your system and you attempt to open them it may seem as though nothing harmful has occurred; however, in reality a virus has been unleashed on your hard drive that can be exceptionally difficult to get rid of. Trojan horse viruses can do an incredible amount of damage, while some smaller viruses will simply edit or install files that cause minor irritation and can be removed easily, others can cause all of your personal information from your hard drive to be transmitted. It is crucial that you protect your personal computer and laptop from Trojan infection at all times, this means installing a reputable virus scanning software that can actively monitor your computer from your hard drive at all times.

How Does an Online Trojans Test Work?

Just like other online based security tests for your system, an online Trojan test works by running through your browser to scan your system for the most common and most dangerous known Trojan horse viruses. Like many of the online virus scanning software however, these tests frequently only advise you of how to manually remove the virus yourself; they do not quarantine or delete the infected files. Manually removing a Trojan horse can be difficult particularly if you lack technical skills and if the virus has spread to multiple files within your computer system. Cleaning and removing only a select few affected files can result in the virus re-propagating and causing damage to your system. The test will probe ports on your system that are commonly used by Trojan’s to see if these ports have been “opened.”

The Online Exploits Test

What Are Online Exploits?

Exploits are anything that can take advantage of weaknesses in your computer’s system. There are a number of ways to protect against exploits from harming your computer including using firewalls and active virus, malware and spyware protection. Exploits generally come in the form of DOS attacks or Denial of Service attacks and a system that does not pass an online exploits test may crash or reboot. In general the online exploits test will detect just how vulnerable your computer is to exploits and it can also test firewalls and routers to see how stable they are and what your systems reaction to unexpected packets is.

Using an online test for exploits is a useful process to go through so long as you utilize a secure software provider. As with all of these online internet security tests using an entrusted provider can often result in more damage than not using any service at all.

The Internet Speed Test

One of the more common online tests that individuals perform on their computer systems is the internet speed test. While the internet speed test really doesn’t have too much to do with the security of your system, the speed of your internet can be impeded if additional unwanted processes are being run on your computer which can happen if your system is infected. Internet speed tests can also be used to determine whether your internet service provider is providing the level of service that you are paying for since many internet packages are priced according to the speed that they provide the user.

Internet speed tests work by testing both your upload and download speed by choosing a server located as closely to your personal location as possible and using your computer the host will send packets of information to and from your computer to determine how long this transfer takes. It is important for the service that you choose to pick a server that is located closely to you because it ensures that there are fewer influencing factors on the download and upload time on packets of information between your computer and the server.

One of the plusses in using internet speed features is that they do not require you to download any information to store on your personal computer; however, you should still make sure that you only use a service provided by a reputable name. Granting any software or service to your computer system without researching the company that owns the service is simply irresponsible computer operation.

Is It Worth It to Run Any of these Internet Security Tests?

Many of the services that are listed above in terms of internet security are services that can be obtained through a reputable anti-virus software; however, as it was mentioned above there are times when malware can disable your ability to run an anti-virus software from your hard drive and it becomes necessary to look for alternate resources. Some of these online security tests are much more likely to offer the services that you are looking for such as an online virus scan, where other services such as testing your internet speed are not as useful in determining the security status of your computer. Regardless of which of the internet security tests you decide to run on your computer system, one thing goes for each and every service – always ensure that you utilize a secure and reputable software provider. This tip cannot be emphasized enough because utilizing any software program that is less than reputable can cause irreversible damage to your computer’s hard drive and often end up installing the very viruses, malware and spyware that you are trying to avoid! When it doubt always research the software company as well as the particular software itself, it is always better to be safe rather than sorry.