Secunia Personal Software Inspector (PSI)
PRODUCT : Secunia - Personal Software Inspector [FREE PC Security for Home Users]
OFFICIAL SITE : http://www.secunia.com/
DESCRIPTION :
The Secunia PSI is a FREE security tool designed to detect vulnerable and out-dated programs and plug-ins which expose your PC to attacks. Attacks exploiting vulnerable programs and plug-ins are rarely blocked by traditional anti-virus and are therefore increasingly "popular" among criminals.
The only solution to block these kind of attacks is to apply security updates, commonly referred to as patches. Patches are offered free-of-charge by most software vendors, however, finding all these patches is a tedious and time consuming task. Secunia PSI automates this and alerts you when your programs and plug-ins require updating to stay secure.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS :
-Supported Operating Systems (32 & 64 bit):
Microsoft Windows 7
Microsoft Windows Vista
Microsoft Windows XP - Service Pack 2 or later
Microsoft Windows 2000 - Service Pack 4
-Privileges:
To install and run the Secunia PSI you will need administrative privileges.
Connectivity
Access to Secunia servers (encrypted) via SSL and access to Microsoft Windows Update servers, see also Software Requirements below
-Software Requirements:
Windows UpdateThe latest version of Microsoft Update. You can determine whether or not you are running the latest version of Microsoft Update by visiting update.microsoft.com. If you are able to check your system for missing updates through this tool, your system should function properly with the Secunia PSI.
-Hardware Requirements:
There are as such no additional hardware requirements. If your computer can run any of the above mentioned Operating Systems, then the Personal Software Inspector should also be able to run.
LANGUAGE SUPPORT :
Spoiler (Click to View)
HOW IT WORKS :
The Secunia PSI works by examining files on your computer (primarily .exe, .dll, and .ocx files). These files contain non-specific meta information provided by the software vendor only. This data is the same for all users, and originates from the installed programs on your computer - never from their configuration. Please read the privacy statement available at the bottom of this page and through the Secunia PSI application for more details about how information from your computer is used by Secunia.
After examining all the files on your local hard drive(s), the collected data is sent to Secunia's servers, which match the data against the Secunia File Signatures engine to determine the exact applications installed on your system.
This information can then be used to provide you with a detailed report of the missing security related updates for your system.
PURPOSE OF SECUNIA PSI :
The Secunia PSI is an invaluable tool for you to use when assessing the security patch state of software installed on your system. It constantly monitors your system for insecure software installations, notifies you when an insecure application is installed, and even provides you with detailed instructions for updating the application when available.
It is NOT the purpose of the Secunia PSI to detect whether your system has already been compromised or if local changes, settings, or missing requirements could cause the Secunia PSI to report incorrect results. The Secunia PSI relies on the meta-data of executables and library files. The Secunia PSI does NOT conduct an integrity check of the individual files, rather, it checks whether a specific program is vulnerable according to the reported version numbers and not whether the files have been compromised or replaced by other users or programs.
The Secunia PSI is not a replacement for other security measures such as anti-virus or personal firewalls, the Secunia PSI is a great supplement to other security measures such as anti-virus and personal firewalls as it helps preventing exploitation of often overlooked exposures.
Additionally, it is important to understand that the process of identifying insecure software installations on any system involves many different factors and, in rare cases, may result in incorrect detections. Should you encounter such a situation, please send us your feedback and all relevant information at [email protected].
PRIVACY STATEMENT :
-Communication
All communication between your system (The Secunia PSI) and the Secunia servers (psi.secunia.com) is conducted via an encrypted connection (SSL). Effectively protecting against eavesdropping of the data and the results being exchanged with Secunia.
Data
-All data sent to Secunia is treated as confidential
The Personal Software Inspector collects unique text strings and data about executable files and installed applications on your system, including hostname and langroup, and Microsoft KB numbers. This data is analysed by the Secunia File Signature engine to determine the exact applications installed on your system. No other data is collected from your system.
This can in turn be used to provide you with a detailed report about the specific missing security related updates on your system. The data sent to Secunia is non-personal data only. The data is generic, standardised, and originates from installed programs on your computer.
All data will be deleted automatically no later than 12 months after you terminate using the program or immediately after you cancel your registration.
Secunia will not share or sell specific data about individuals with any third parties. Only aggregate statistical which can't be related directly to any individuals will be published and shared with third parties.
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