We all know that there is not a single antivirus software on the market, either free or commercial, that detects 100% of malicious software. Some users help themselves by adding additional layers of protection to their system. This can be virtualization or sandboxing, or the installation of another security application. Others use online services such as Virus Total to check suspicious files online against more than 30 different antivirus engines.
X-Ray, a new portable software by our blog partner Raymond.cc, is a security software for the Windows operating system that combines Virus Total scanning with options to submit files to antivirus companies for manual inspection.
The program asks you to drop one or multiple files into the program interface. You can then start the analysis right away by clicking on Get Recent VirusTotal Report or Send to VirusTotal.
The first computes the hash and submits it to VirusTotal to retrieve previous analysis results (if available). The second sends the file to VirusTotal to run the analysis. The first is faster but results may come up blank if no one submitted the program for analysis before.
Program alternatives are available to submit files to Virustotal. This includes the official Virus Total Uploader among others. Most however do not support retrieving previous reports from the service.
What sets X-Ray apart however is the option to submit suspicious files to antivirus companies for manual review. Before you can use the functionality, you need to setup your email correctly in the program.
The program requires you to enter an email server, port, and username and password. A test button is available to test the settings.
You can configure the preferred submission method for some companies. Available for selection are by email or web form, both of which are processed automatically.
Once you have setup the email provider you can start sending files for analysis. A click on the button in the main interface submits the current file to all companies. Some companies may display captchas as part of the submission process, but that’s the only thing you have to enter before the file is submitted.
The response time depends on may factors, it can take a day, a week or even longer than that. Some companies may not respond at all. But since you are submitting the file to a lot of different antivirus companies, chance is good that you will receive timely responses from some.
X-Ray’s unique approach makes it a must have for Windows users who need to make sure that a file is clean before they run it on their system. And since it is portable, it can be added easily to a troubleshooting tools DVD or USB drive.
Windows users can download the latest version of X-Ray from Raymond’s website.
© Martin Brinkmann for gHacks Technology News | Latest Tech News, Software And Tutorials, 2011. | Permalink |
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Post tags: antivirus, virustotal, windows software
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