Following the trend of online applications, there is a growing number of online anti-virus apps that can analyze and detect viruses on your system without requiring you to have an anti-virus tool installed on the computer. Of course, this is no replacement for the traditional desktop security software. First, these online anti-virus tools don’t prevent viruses from entering your system, but only work when the system has already been infected. Second, they usually don’t provide you with a cure for the infection, but only with the diagnosis.
Online anti-virus apps can be divided into two main groups: those which analyze a single file with multiple different anti-virus engines, and those which analyze a bunch of files with one single anti-virus tool.
Multiple Analysis
VirusTotal – analyzes your file with 37 different anti-virus tools. You have the option to send the file via SSL for higher security. The service is usually not very overloaded, which makes it quite fast.
ViruScan – similar to the previous one, but with 20 different anti-virus tools. ViruScan is fast and efficient, but features a quite unattractive interface.
NoVirusThanks – another similar online anti-virus tool with 23 different analysis engines. You can also search for specific files using the MD5 Hash.
Virus.org – online analysis tool with 22 engines. The only drawback is that the file size is limited to 5 MB, so if you want to scan a larger file you’ll have to look elsewhere.
VirScan – The largest online multiple anti-virus service, featuring 39 different engines – though a bit slow as well. File size is also limited, but to 10 MB this time.
VirusChief – a slightly more modest online anti-virus with 10 different engines. Oddly enough, the list lacks many important engines such as NOD32, Kaspersky or Virusscan.
Filterbit – Filterbit allows you to upload files up to 20 MB in size. The drawback is that it only features 8 anti-virus engines, but at least it does the job quite fast.
Single anti-virus analysis
Rather than analyzing just a single file, these online anti-virus tools scan the whole system and inform you of the presence of any viruses on your computer. The ones marked with an asterisk can actually remove the viruses from your system; the rest are just diagnosis tools.
- BitDefender Online Scanner* – Requires Internet Explorer / ActiveX.
- ESET Online Scanner* – Requires Internet Explorer / ActiveX.
- F-Secure* – Requires Internet Explorer / ActiveX.
- Kaspersky – Requires Java.
- McAfee Freescan – Requires Internet Explorer / ActiveX.
- OneCare Live* – Requires Internet Explorer / ActiveX.
- Panda ActiveScan – For Firefox (extension) and IE (ActiveX).
- Symantec Security Check – Requires Internet Explorer / ActiveX.
- TrendSecure HouseCall* – Requires Java or IE/ ActiveX.
Via: OnSoftware Spain
