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Retroshare - A secure communications and file sharing software.

5/31/2012

    Retroshare is a very interesting piece of free and open source technology. Basically, it allows users to set up one or more shared folders that are accessible by others through an encrypted connection, and those users are identified by an encryption key that the user must share before access is granted. It also provides a secure method of direct communication and group chat between users on the peer network. Clear here for some awesome screenshots that will give you a good idea of what to expect.
    I did not know what to expect when I installed the software. It first asks you to create a profile, this indicates to the program (after you have it all set up) which folders are being shared and which peers can connect to you. Each profile can have different settings and shares and will have a separate encryption key. It then asks you to create an encryption key passphrase, this helps you access the key when signing in and adding peers.
    Once the program is installed you will see a sidebar and some tabs at the top. Some of the icons on the sidebar are shortcuts for functionality buried in the menus at the top. You can add friends by clicking on the add icon and then choosing which method you want to add them with. You will send them your key if you want them to be able to access files on your computer, and they will send you theirs if you want to access files on their computer. Chat functions work once at least one person has shared their key between the two of you. Friends can be assigned to groups and details can be entered like can be done with email.
    Sharing files is rather straightforward, appearing as a normal P2P transfer, if you are familiar with sort of thing. Multiple locations can be shared, the location shares are not encrypted however, merely the connection between peers. Once you have a share setup, your peers can browse your share location and download whichever files they choose. You can regulate the number of up and down shares, bandwidth, and other details in the settings panel.
    There is also a message function, separate from the chat feature that functions very much like email in that you can send it to multiple users and it is private to those users, unlike chat.
    Retroshare is a valuable little tool, especially for small businesses and home users that need to share file to peers and that require a secure connection and secure communications. I could imagine this tool being especially useful for employees of a small company who telecommute and do not have a VPN available, perhaps because the company has no network, or perhaps even no office.

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Avast Antivirus - Free

1/23/2012

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    As mentioned previously, AVAST Antivirus - Free is my choice of antivirus protection. AVAST has been around since June 1st, 2001, a long time for a company to offer a free product with the quality, effectiveness, and value that it offers. Most companies, but not all, go commercial paid after a couple of years, if they wait that long. While AVAST had a rough start, in more ways than one, it has become the premier free security product around the world, having achieved over 100 million users on December 8, 2011.
    So, what's all the commotion about? First, AVAST is an easy to use application, with a quick install. The program will prompt the user for an activation code, which can be had for free at the AVAST homepage. AVAST will never spam your inbox, as of yet I have not received even the first email after 10 years of use (excluding registration emails once a year). You must renew every year, but again, no spam and it is easy to renew the free version. See the screenshot below.

Simply click on the "register Now" link as seen above (you can click on the picture to enlarge it). Now, they do make the paid version a little easier to see on the registration screen, but the free version is right below it and not hard to find. Simple click on the free version, enter your info and you are good to go. Simply follow all the prompts.
The AVAST user interface (UI) has changed over the years. One of the complaints until recently (AVAST 6) is that the UI was clunky and unattractive. With AVAST 6 that has all changed. The interface is slick and attractive, with all functions organized with intuitive tabs as seen in the above and below screenshots. The manual scan screen, shown below, gives easy access to running a manual scan in the event you feel that something has infected your computer, or if you want to run a scan on removable media yourself, although AVAST does this for you as well.

One of the features of AVAST that I think is absolutely fantastic is the ability to manually set a boot-time scan. This happens before most of the services and applications are loaded so that it can work before any virus or malware is loaded into memory. By getting a virus or malware before it is loaded into memory, AVAST has no difficulty in removing the virus and it cannot replicate.

The Real-Time shields tab shows you the status of the 7 AVAST resident shields. Resident shields are basically the active scanners that are constantly working to keep your machine safe. The shields are : File System, Mail, Web, Peer-to-Peer (P2P), Network, and Behavior.

There is also the Additional Protection tab, which gives access to AutoSandbox, WebRep and Site Blocking. AutoSandbox allows AVAST to run programs in a protected virtual environment so that your Operating System protected files are not compromised in case of malware. WebRep places an icon in your browser that will show you a rating for any given site based on community reviews of that site, and Site Blocking allows to to block specific websites that may be suspicious or nuisance.

The Maintenance tab allows you to manually update the program and virus definitions, view registration information, view the virus chest, and take a look at the About Avast tab to see your version information, copyright, and credits.

The last tab is the market tab which allows you to review all of the AVAST commercial products. This includes all of AVAST top-rated products.

AVAST is currently the top-rated antivirus by Snapfiles.com and CNET.com both by editors and users.

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RevoUninstaller

1/9/2012

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Windows Add/Remove programs is frequently almost useless. When run it is supposed to initiate the programs uninstall program and remove it from the system. The problem is that is all it really does, so if the program's uninstall utility is poorly written, or designed to leave elements for whatever reason, then there are leftovers that can hog space, corrupt your system, or function as malware and act in ways you either don't want or are unaware of.
This is where RevoUninstaller comes into play. RevoUninstaller is a wonderful little tool, I have it installed on all of my computers and I find it essential in keeping my computer in to notch shape. When you run RevoUninstaller it brings up a list of all installed programs. You then click on a program you want to uninstall. It will ask you if you want to uninstall the program and after clicking yes a window comes up prompting you for the mode. I keep mine set in moderate mode, this allows for a full uninstall while limiting the potential for deleting crossed registry entries, yet deep enough to provide optimal cleaning for your system. Click next and the program's built-in uninstaller will be activated. When the built-in installer is completed it may prompt you to reboot. DO NOT do so at this time. If you reboot now, Revo will not be able to completely remove all of the remainders from the program's uninstaller. Click next and Revo searches for leftover registry entries and files/folders. There may be two windows that are shown next, one for registry entries and one for files/folders. These windows will show leftovers and give you the option to delete if so desired. If no windows show and Revo prompts you to finish don't worry, it simply means your program had a well built uninstaller. Occasionally Revo will let you know that some remaining files will be deleted on reboot.

RevoUninstaller also has other features. It has an Autorun Manager which will allow you to control which programs run on Windows startup. It has a tools screen that has shortcuts to often used windows utilities. And finally a junk files cleaner. It also has a Hunter mode which creates and drop target that you can drag and drop program icon on to easily uninstall.
All-in-all I recommend RevoUninstaller for every computer. It helps keep you computer from having unnecessary registry entries and a cluttered file system, also freeing up space.

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Threatfire - http://www.threatfire.com/download/#

6/26/2011

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    Threatfire is an anti-malware program. The developers call it an antivirus, but I personally wouldn't classify it as such, which I will discuss in a bit. Threatfire is free of course, but there is a pro version that offers other features.
    Threatfire is an active scanner that detects malware in realtime using behavior based analysis. It can help protect you from viruses, worms, trojans, spyware, rootkits, buffer overflows & more. The free version (for personal and home use) has automatic updates, free online support, and has the capability for advanced custom rules. The pro version also has on-demand scanning, telephone support, ten "intelliguards" (realtime scanners), commercial use, and scan scheduling.
    Threatfire is different than most anti-malware programs out there. Most anti-malware programs or antiviruses use signatures, or algorithms that identify the malware specifically and are derived from the malware itself, to identify whether piece of software is a virus or has been infected by one. This is a good method, because the malware is targeted accurately based on proven data. However, the drawback is that brand new virus' potentially haven't had their signatures identified yet, or haven't been downloaded into the anti-malware database. Threatfire is different. It uses behavior-based detection to target malware. Behavior-based detection means that Threatfire monitors the activity of software and will flag it for user attention based on what it is trying to do to the system. This method does not rely on time sensitive signatures, but on the software itself so that it can potentially catch brand new malware as its created.
    Now, with the above in mind, I cannot say that I agree with Threatfire's self definition of antivirus. Just my opinion, but with the precision of signature based detection there is a reduction in accuracy in that it relies on the user to determine whether or not a particular behavior is malware. This is not to say that Threatfire is not accurate, quite the opposite as Threatfire can get malware based on behavior rather than possibly outdated signatures.
    In the end, what I really mean to say is that Threatfire is a great anti-malware program that can get problems before they can get you, even the brand new ones. But I recommend using it with a traditional antivirus such as Avast for complete coverage.

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About Freeware

    Freeware is software by professional and amateur programmers that is provided free of charge, normally for home use only but occasionally for business use as well. These programs are often as good or better than versions you may purchase in the store or online. Like commercial software, they usually come with a license of some sort, which is often found on the first or second screen during setup and to which users NEED to pay attention. These licenses define usage rights for that program.
    Open Source software is a type of software that is defined by Dictionary.com as "Relating to source code that is available to the public without charge. Open-source code is often enhanced, improved, and adapted for specific purposes by interested programmers, with the revised versions of the code are made available to the public." Most often these software are free like freeware, but without restrictive licenses that sometimes accompanies freeware and always accompanies commercialware.
    One of the WD Services techs specializes in testing software and has created The List, a list of freeware and Open Source software he has personally tested. As a special service for WD Services visitors, we will post a review of one of these applications. Additionally, WD Services will be happy to test any free or Open Source software and provide a review, free of charge. Just use the comment form on our contact page and we will review the software and post our findings on this site!

Retroshare - A secure communications and file sharing software.

Avast Antivirus - Free

RevoUninstaller

Threatfire - http://www.threatfire.com/download/#

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