The Best Malware Removal Tools Reviews: we look at the top 5 tools to remove trojans, spyware, viruses and other malware from your computer.
When it comes to malware, there is one thing we can all agree on – we do not want them attacking our computers. Even Warren Buffet believes that cyber threats are the biggest threats to be ever levelled against mankind!
Not scared enough? How about this? In the recent statistics on cybersecurity, it was reported that about 1.76billion records were leaked worldwide, in January 2019 alone with these numbers expected to rise in the course of the year.
These records included CVs from MongoDB which lost 854GB of data and even worse, the cyberattack on Oklahoma’s government, which resulted in the major leaks and exposure of up to 7years of investigations by the FBI.
Terrifying, right! Well, in addition to the data leaks and many other, malware and ransomware attacks are expected to setback business, as well as organizations by more than $11.5 billion – in 2019 alone.
Going by these numbers and the 71% of Americans worried about the security of their financial and personal information or the 67% worried about becoming victims of fraud and identity theft, it’s clear that we need to enforce robust security measures in our computers, now more than ever. As they say, it all starts with us!
One of the cybersecurity measures you could employ is the investment in the best malware removal tools around. But just before we look at some of these tools, do you know exactly what malware is?
What is a Malware?
Malware stands for malicious software. It refers to any and all programs or processes created with harmful or criminal intentions, and purpose. Computer viruses are the earliest known versions of malware, and they represent programs that will infect other computer programs using their code, replicating every time that infected program runs. The old virus malware didn’t have any malicious payloads.
Today, however, the malware coders have upped their games with the arrogant ‘look at me’ attitudes as they are in the game for the money. Having discovered how Trojan horse programs are lucrative, the coders are now creating malicious programs that lock you out of your computer system, unless you pay them.
The black hat hackers are now sending the personal/ financial data they collect from innocent individuals, governments, and organizations to the malware HQ where they install more programs, in the processing earning per-installation cash.
The other spyware tools used by cyber hackers include trojans used as spyware, keylogger spyware, bots, and the worst, ransomware.
How do malware removal tools help?
These tools launch comprehensive or full antivirus scans, rooting out all pre-existing malware issues. To ensure the best protection for your devices, consider scheduling regular scans.
But you shouldn’t leave the hard work to the malware removal tools; you could launch your first line of defense with on-access scanning. By online-access scanning, we mean the use of VPNs and other tools for your protection.
Best Malware Removal Tools
1. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
Malwarebytes Anti-malware is one of the most effective malware removal tools as it not only runs deep scans; you will also receive the daily updates. And it is free (though you have to pay for the premium plan).
If you suspect a malware infection, you might want to make Malwarebytes Anti-malware your best security friend.
Upon your installation, you will get a 14-day free-trial period applicable for the premium edition. During the trial period, you will access preventative tools such as the ones offering specific protection from specific ransomware attacks, as well as real-time scanning.
Two weeks after the end of the free trial period, and if you don’t pay for the premium service, your subscription plan reverts to the free basic version. While you have to activate the free plan manually, this is one of the best security tools you could have.
The other reason why Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is a top-rated malware removal tool has to do with their recent move to purchase Adwclearner, a tool that targets and then removes all annoying programs trying to hijack your browser by adding unwanted/ unnecessary toolbars, resetting the default settings, or even changing the homepage.
Pros
- This tool will detect threats like ransomware and adware, among others.
- It works well alongside other antivirus programs
- The scan is lightning-fast
- It removes most malware samples
Cons
- There might be a conflict with other security
- You cannot access on-demand/ real-time scans after the end of the 14-day trial period
2. Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition
If you are only looking for a preventive solution for your computer, one to replace your current antivirus software, know that you could never go wrong with the free edition of Bitdefender Antivirus.
Bitdefender Antivirus boasts a dedicated anti-malware engine that will help you avoid dangerous infection of your files while mopping out any and all pre-existing issues.
Among others, the best feature offered by Bitdefender is the ability to scan all files and folders that look suspicious. For these scans, all you need to do is to drag and drop the files/ folders into Bitdefender’s home screen. As you can already imagine, the best place to use this antivirus is in your downloads folders.
The best bit is that any malware or simple unpleasantness detected by the malware removal tool will be quarantined swiftly after which you can dispose of the problem. The other reason why Bitdefender makes to our list is that it’s quite an unobtrusive program.
Just beware of its Protection Shield which will alert you to any malicious attempts that could compromise your system. Keep in mind that if you need total protection of your device by Bitdefender, you might want to invest in the premium version of the antivirus, Bitdefender Total Security.
This solution offers an unimaginable level of security as a single package that is well-integrated.
Pros
- It’s easy to use
- Unobtrusive
- Great scan feature for files and programs
- Its interface is simple and clean
- It is an Award-winning antivirus program
- The Plus plan offers additional features like ransomware protection and VPN
- It’s optimized for Windows
Cons
- It doesn’t have specific settings or options
- You should be ready for alerts
- You have to pay more for the parental control function
- It has limited iOS support.
3. SUPERAntiSpyware
SUPERAntiSpyware might not have the cleanest interface, but it could be the difference between clean files and a compromised system. It’s quite easy to use, and in the free edition of this malware removal tool, the tool detects all types and forms of malware, including spyware and adware. SUPERAntiSpyware will also remove traces of the malware fast, and with great efficiency.
So, if suspect that a file has malware or is malware masquerading as a safe executable file, SUPERAntiSpyware’s threat labs will analyze the file’s or folder’s behavior then take the necessary action. While SUPERAntiSpyware isn’t as fast as many of the tools you will find, it gets the job done, especially if your computer’s resources are running low.
You might also like this malware remover because it allows you to control the types of files that can be scanned and whether the removal tool should follow the shortcuts or if it should check zipped files or archives. Therefore, if you are always downloading programs in archived form, SUPERAntiSpyware will check the contents of the file before you can extract the contents.
Keep in mind that you need to run scans manually and on the regular.
Pros
- It’s easy to use
- It checks archived files before extraction of contents
- It’s quick
- The malware remover is highly effective
Cons
- The interface could be better
- It might slow down your computer
- You have to perform the scans manually
4. Emsisoft Emergency Kits
If you are looking for a portable app that will help you and the rest of the family, especially if you are now the family tech support specialist, you might like this Emsisoft Emergency Kit. It comes as a very handy USB stick or as a cloud storage system which you can use anywhere. Its small size 9591MB) also means that you won’t be spending a lot of time setting it up.
This kit works great against malware infestation and like every other malware removal tool, it boasts a huge database of threats (current) meaning that you will have a computer that’s free of most, if not all manner of malware threats, now and in future. To run scans, you need to be connected to the internet.
Internet connection further ensures that your system and the malware removal system have all the current/ necessary updates. After the kit’s update, this malware remover will scan its system first, before scanning your PC for any threats and quarantining all threats detected. The isolated files will be deleted when you reboot your PC.
Pros
- It’s available as a portable app
- Its command-line allows use by pros
- After an update, it first scans and cleans itself before scanning the rest of your computer files.
Cons
- It is not the most effective tools
- The installation and update processes are rather slow
5. Adaware Antivirus Free
Adaware Antivirus is the other option you could try, especially if you wish to replace your current antivirus or just to work on a new anti-malware supplement for your Windows operating system.
Adaware works well for individuals building their malware toolkits from the ground as it creates a virtual environment from which suspicious programs could be analyzed to check whether they behave like malware or not.
This analytical process is called the heuristic analysis process, and it comes in handy when you are trying to check the authenticity of .exe files and other suspicious files.
The design of this Antivirus means that you are protected from malware at all times, and the best bit is that the protection offered by this malware remover also applies to new malware that is not listed in Adaware’s database of known dangerous threats.
Since all these processes take place in the background, you don’t have to worry about the antivirus affecting what you are doing. And if you are into gaming, you could suspend the processes, albeit temporarily, for the best performance during your next gaming session.
The other reason why this antivirus solution is top-rated for malware protection and deterrence is that it will scan your downloads before you run or install them, protecting your computer system form malware infections and infestations thanks to the filtration of their potential point of entry.
You might also like this application if you are looking for a protective solution to enhance the performance of your existing antivirus software. Adaware lets you run two anti-virus apps, giving you a choice of scanning in real-time so that there is no conflict created among the different antivirus tools.
Pros
- No conflict with other antivirus applications
- It’s easy to use
- It scans files at their point of entry
- It’s unobtrusive as it only runs in the background
Cons
- It doesn’t have a web-filtration system
- No VPN
Conclusion
It’s important to look at all a malware removal tool’s features beyond malware and antivirus protection.
While an antivirus protection tool enhances the security setup of your computer, you also need a reliable firewall that will fight off outside attacks while preventing other programs from abusing your network. You also need a local spam filter application or utility to prevent email spams, as well as parental control software that will steer away kids from unsafe and inappropriate websites.
Therefore, in your search for the best malware removal tools, you might want to invest in a security suite rather than a standalone tool with fewer features. To enhance the security of your setup, you need always to back up your data, clean your system, and engage the best password management systems.
With the best malware protection system, you will safeguard your computer from all forms of malware and even ransomware, saving more money in the process. The products reviewed above are some of the best you could invest in for the safety of your data.
