Besides being free, the interesting thing about online virus scanning tools is that there is no need to install heavy anti-virus software that affects computer speed..
Online scanning tools are based on ActiveX or Java technology. They only install a very small application on the computer to scan and do not affect the computer's processing speed.
This is a list of reliable online virus scanning tools that you can use to scan suspicious files for viruses before running them on your computer without needing to install antivirus software.
The list is divided into 2 types: 1 is to scan the entire computer system, 2 is to only scan individual files.
Top reliable, free online virus scanning websites
The best online virus scanners
1. Panda Cloud Cleaner
Panda Cloud Cleaner is the successor to Panda's previous online virus scanning program, Panda ActiveScan. Panda Cloud Cleaner possesses more features than its predecessor. For example, you can use Cloud Cleaner to stop all unnecessary processes before starting a scan.
This helps Cloud Cleaner better discover malicious files hidden behind real processes.
Panda Cloud Cleaner is very easy to use. When the scan is complete, delete the malicious files. However, Panda Cloud Cleaner can take quite a while to complete the scan, so if you're in a hurry, use another option on this list.
2. ESET Online Scanner
ESET Online Scanner is one of the most thorough free online antivirus tools. ESET Online Scanner has a simple, easy-to-use user interface. ESET Online Scanner allows you to choose full scan, quick scan or custom scan. Additionally, you can also choose whether to automatically quarantine and delete malicious files.
This is quite handy if the online virus scanner gives any incorrect results.
3. F-Secure Online Scanner
F-Secure Online Scanner is the fastest free online virus scanner on this list. F-Secure Online Scanner is capable of finding the majority of malware and does not require installation.
Of the free online virus scanners in this article, F-Secure Online Scanner is the most basic. You don't have to select files to scan because F-Secure Online Scanner will perform the task on the entire system. Although it lacks some options, in return F-Secure Online Scanner is very easy to use.
4. Trend Micro online scanning tool
Trend Micro HouseCall: housecall.trendmicro.com/apac is an online computer testing application to detect viruses, spyware and other types of malicious code. In addition, HouseCall also checks computers to detect and patch potential vulnerabilities and attacks. To scan your computer, HouseCall also requires downloading a small file and launching it on your computer.
Virus scanning for online files
Online malicious file scanners differ from online virus scanning in that you only provide a single file sample, instead of scanning the entire system for malware. The individual malicious file scanner is responsible for scanning a file before executing it on the system, instead of quarantining it after the infection has occurred.
However, you can tell which files are malicious or find problematic files, and help security researchers update the definition of viruses.
Once again, it is important to reiterate that individual malicious file scanners are not a substitute for anti-virus software on the device. It only helps you check whether a file contains viruses or malicious code.
1. Virustotal.com
Virustotal.com is a service that analyzes suspicious files, can quickly detect viruses, worms, Trojans and all other types of malicious code. This is a free service, uses many anti-virus engines, automatically updates virus identification samples in real time. After downloading files from free file download websites, you should upload the file here to scan for viruses before installing it on your computer. The maximum file size that Virustotal can scan is 128 MB. File upload speed is quite fast, scanning is also fast, of course it depends on the connection speed of your home network. This website can also scan links to determine whether they are safe to visit or not.
Quantrimang.com has a fairly detailed article on how to use this online virus scanning tool. You can refer to How to make sure a file is safe before downloading?
2. Kaspersky Threat Intelligence Portal
Kaspersky is one of the best-known names in virus detection, and the company's Threat Intelligence Portal is a convenient way to quickly scan a single file for malware. Once opened, you can upload a file to the Threat Intelligence Portal. After analysis, Kaspersky will detail whether the file is malicious or not. You can also send IP address, file hash, domain name, etc.
Kaspersky Threat Intelligence Portal enables SOC and IR teams to build a comprehensive threat intelligence workflow, by providing tools to automate and extend analytical capabilities for threat detection threaten:
- Kaspersky machine-readable threat intelligence enables integration with existing security control systems including leading SIEM systems, firewalls, IDS, etc., enabling detection faster.
- Any detected threats can then be investigated in Kaspersky Threat Lookup and Cloud Sandbox. Historical data helps link information across different files, IPs, URLs, domains, hashes and threat names, revealing detailed intelligence data including whois, pDNS, GeoIP, file attributes, data statistics and behavior, download sequence, timestamps, etc.
- The reporting capability can then be used to enrich existing technical data with descriptions of the relevant threat actor's TTP, along with information on customer-specific vulnerabilities can be exploited to compromise networks.
3. MetaDefender
MetaDefender takes definitions from more than 30 antivirus engines and analyzes files for malicious activity. The process is the same as other tools, but MetaDefender allows scanning from files, IP addresses, URLs or domains, as well as CVE (Common Vulnerability and Exposure).
The MetaDefender user interface is quite neat and offers various analysis options.
If you want a quick online scan with accurate results, try F-Secure Online Scan. F-Secure Online Scan is easy to use, the scan takes just a few minutes and is capable of finding the majority of malware.
These free online virus scanners are great, but they are not an effective malware prevention tool. These tools do not provide real-time scanning and protection. In the modern world, that can have extremely serious consequences.
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