Tools hakin9 4/2007

Security Stronghold Active Shield 4

System: Windows (Vista supported)

License: Commercial

Application: Spyware and Adware Scanning

Homepage: http://www.securitystronghold.com

Security Stronghold Active Shield 4 is a tool for protecting your computer against adware and spyware, trojans, dialers, trackware, and other malware..

Quickstart: Suppose you want to actively protect your Windows PC against spyware and adware, Trojans, dialer, keyloggers, trackware, and other kinds of malicious programs. Install and run Active Shield 4 from Security Stronghold. Active Shield 4 offers the ability to start up with Windows but can be run manually if desired. Double-click the Active Shield icon in the system tray to bring up the menu shown in Figure 1.

Active Shield 4 offers three security levels plus a user-defined custom level. Security levels can be set by clicking the shields on the main menu screen or by the options menu. The three pre-set security levels offered are low, medium, and high. The low level protects system folders and protects against malicious files and folders. Medium adds autorun list protection, browser settings and registry. High adds protection against malicious processes and protection against cookies.

Other options include the ability to set default responses toward threats (Ask, solve always, ignore always), blacklisted and white list programs, and the ability to undo any action committed by Active Shield.

If a scan for previously installed adware, spyware, Trojans, dialers, or other malware is desired, that function can be handled with the addition of True Sword 4 which completes the security suite. True Sword adds the ability to scan your PC for any threats already onboard, while Active Shield prevents new threats from being downloaded and installed. Operation of Active Shield is very simple. Active Shield runs in the background as a scanner according to user selected options. To demonstrate Active Shield’s scanner, I downloaded and installed Real Player, which generated the alert message shown in Figure 2.

Active Shield can download updates from the internet. Security Stronghold offers full-time, professional support.

Disadvantages: Only scans against incoming threats; requires True Sword to scan for previously installed threats. Does not include a virus scanner, even as an addition to the suite.