Anti-Trojan Software Reviews

Anti-trojan Software Reviews

Anti-trojans - how we reviewed What is a Trojan Horse? About us Anti-trojan suggestions

A survey of the best anti-trojan programs
from Tech Support Alert

Since the time I created this site the problem of malware infection has both escalated and changed in character. At the same time anti-virus products have become much better at detecting trojans. As a result of these developments I no longer recommend for most users the routine use of a separate anti-trojan program such as those listed below. I've left these now dated reviews on this site for reference purposes only. Indeed those faced with removing an existing trojan infection will find the trojan removal capabilities of some of these products useful, particularly the free version of Ewido (now known as AVG anti-spyware). For my latest security recommendations check out the editorial column in the most recent issues of my newsletter - Gizmo, May 2007.

Most folk harbor the belief that they are totally protected from malicious trojan horses by their anti-virus scanner.

The bad news is that many anti-virus scanners give only limited protection against trojans. Just how limited can be gauged from the fact that Norton Anti-Virus 2004 missed every single trojan in the test data set we used in these series of reviews. Other anti-virus programs didn't do much better.

For the best protection against trojans you really need a specialist anti-trojan program in addition to your anti-virus software. Simple as that.

At Tech Support Alert we identified 44 currently available anti-trojan / trojan remover programs. After a lot of culling and testing we ended up with only eight products we felt were worth reviewing in detail. On completing detailed reviews of these, we felt we could only recommend five products. To see how we reviewed, click here.

All the recommended products listed below, offer good protection against trojans and have powerful trojan removal capabilities. All would make valuable adjuncts to your anti-virus program and firewall in providing your PC with maximum protection against a hostile attack.

We've made recommendations on the products that impressed us most, but we suggest you read the reviews and make your own decision. Without doubt, the best product is the one that best suits YOUR needs.

Outstanding Anti-trojan Programs

Trojan Hunter Editors Choice: Best for most users
Trojan Hunter's sophisticated multifaceted detection capabilities allow it to detect insidious modern trojans with an ease that is only bettered by TDS-3. Unlike TDS-3, it has a friendly user interface which means that it can be used even by inexperienced users. As a trojan remover its performance was outstanding. Add to that the fact that it's fast, technically sophisticated and is very well supported and you have a winning combination. Click here for full review

Ewido
Ewido is a new product that managed to impress us immensely with its a technically sophisticated design yet is relative ease to use. It detects trojans almost as well as Trojan Hunter, has a fast scanner and has an excellent trojan remover as well. As an added bonus it has proved to be an excellent performer in removing some difficult-to-remove spyware products. The only thing that stopped us awarding this product the Editor's choice rating was the lack of an in-product help system and meager web based support resources. Click here for full review

TDS-3 Note: This product was discontinued by the developer on 22nd July, 2005
If you want the highest level of protection against trojans that is currently available, then you need TDS-3. However be prepared to pay for its extraordinary level of security in terms of product complexity and resource usage. TDS-3 is a reassuring product for experienced users but a daunting one for many others. Click here for full review.

Highly Recommended

A Squared (a²⁾
We liked a² a lot but unfortunately some of its most attractive features are yet to be fully implemented. When these are delivered in the upcoming version 2 we anticipate a² will leap directly into our "outstanding" category. As of the moment though, it is a work in progress. Click here for full review

The Cleaner
This is a well established and easy to use product. The folks behind The Cleaner have, in the last 12 months, put a lot of work in expanding the product's signature database and this shows in markedly improved detection rate. However its slow scan speed will be a problem for some users. Click here for full review.

Other Programs Reviewed

BOClean
A few years back BOClean was arguably the best anti-trojan monitor on the market and attracted a loyal following even though it lacked an on-demand scanner. Now other anti-trojan vendors offer monitors that perform just as as well as BOClean and include an on-demand scanner as well for the same selling price. However for those prepared to trade convenience for ultimate protection, BoClean is still a viable option. Click here for full review.

Tauscan
Tauscan is a is an easy to use program with a very fast scanner. It offers reasonable detection capabilities though well below the top products. We can't help feeling that Tauscan is looking a little dated compared to new products like Ewido. Click here for full review.

Pest Patrol
This program does a lot more than detect and remove trojans; it will also detects spyware, adware and a variety of other undesirable pests. However when it comes to the specific task of detecting trojans, PestPatrol is largely outclassed by the dedicated anti-trojan products covered in this review. Click here for full review.

Advertisements:

The Best Backup Software: 18 backup programs reviewed and rated but only one get "Editor's Choice"

Inkjet Printer cartridges: The best places to buy cheap inkjet cartridges. We looked at 47 seven sites but could only recommend eleven.