For years, Autorun-based malware has topped as the most common way of infecting windows, with notorious representatives such as Trojan.AutorunInf, the Conficker worm (Win32.Worm.Downadup) or Worm.Autorun.VHD.
Autorun-based malware commonly spreads through infected portable media such as USB flash drives, CD/DVD tools, portable hard drive etc. So it is better to press cancel button when a autorun window opens & scan before opening portable media.
There is also another way to stop the autorun from auto executing by immunizing the portable media by using Bitdefender USB Immunizer or Panda USB Vaccine.
Bitdefender USB Immunizer is 1.2 MB in size and doesn’t require any installation meaning it is absolutely portable. Just double click the downloaded file in zip and a window will open as shown in image below.
Bitdefender USB Immunizer offers protection in two modes by Immunizing USB & the whole computer.
The Immunize option allows you to immunize your USB storage device or SD card against infections with autorun-based malware. Even if your storage device has been plugged into an infected computer, the piece of malware will be unable to create its autorun.inf file, thus annihilating any chance of auto-launching itself.
The Immunize Computer slider allows you to toggle the autorun feature On or Off for any removable media (except for CD/DVD-ROM devices). If you accidentally plug in an infected USB drive that has not been immunized, the computer will not auto-execute the piece of malware located on the USB storage device.
Download the Bitdefender USB Immunizer.
Panda Security were one of the first to introduce USB immunization feature with their best known Panda USB Vaccine. Panda USB vaccine must be installed to immunize USB.
Panda USB Vaccine offers protection by immunizing USB Devices & Whole computer.
As you can see in the figure above during the installation process if you check Hide tray icon & Automatically vaccinate option, the Panda USB vaccine will not be visible in the tray and it will automatically vaccinate any new USB devices inserted which is not immunized.
If you check Enable NTFS file system support, all portable hard drives / external hard drives (not vaccinated) will be vaccinated.
Computer Vaccination
The free Panda USB Vaccine allows users to vaccinate their PCs in order to disable AutoRun completely so that no program from any USB/CD/DVD drive (regardless of whether they have been previously vaccinated or not) can auto-execute. This is a really helpful feature as there is no user friendly and easy way of completely disabling AutoRun on a Windows PC.
USB Vaccination
The free Panda USB Vaccine can be used on individual USB drives to disable its AUTORUN.INF file in order to prevent malware infections from spreading automatically. When applied on a USB drive, the vaccine permanently blocks an innocuous AUTORUN.INF file, preventing it from being read, created, deleted or modified. Once applied it effectively disables Windows from automatically executing any malicious file that might be stored in that particular USB drive. The drive can otherwise be used normally and files (even malware) copied to/from it, but they will be prevented from opening automatically. Panda USB Vaccine currently only works on FAT & FAT32 USB drives. Also keep in mind that USB drives that have been vaccinated cannot be reversed except with a format.
Download Panda USB Vaccine.
My verdict: Panda USB Vaccine is better than Bitdefender USB immunizer as it is able to vaccinate CD/DVD-ROM devices. But as far as protection both software's are good.
Autorun-based malware commonly spreads through infected portable media such as USB flash drives, CD/DVD tools, portable hard drive etc. So it is better to press cancel button when a autorun window opens & scan before opening portable media.
There is also another way to stop the autorun from auto executing by immunizing the portable media by using Bitdefender USB Immunizer or Panda USB Vaccine.
Bitdefender USB Immunizer is 1.2 MB in size and doesn’t require any installation meaning it is absolutely portable. Just double click the downloaded file in zip and a window will open as shown in image below.
Bitdefender USB Immunizer offers protection in two modes by Immunizing USB & the whole computer.
The Immunize option allows you to immunize your USB storage device or SD card against infections with autorun-based malware. Even if your storage device has been plugged into an infected computer, the piece of malware will be unable to create its autorun.inf file, thus annihilating any chance of auto-launching itself.
The Immunize Computer slider allows you to toggle the autorun feature On or Off for any removable media (except for CD/DVD-ROM devices). If you accidentally plug in an infected USB drive that has not been immunized, the computer will not auto-execute the piece of malware located on the USB storage device.
Download the Bitdefender USB Immunizer.
Panda Security were one of the first to introduce USB immunization feature with their best known Panda USB Vaccine. Panda USB vaccine must be installed to immunize USB.
As you can see in the figure above during the installation process if you check Hide tray icon & Automatically vaccinate option, the Panda USB vaccine will not be visible in the tray and it will automatically vaccinate any new USB devices inserted which is not immunized.
If you check Enable NTFS file system support, all portable hard drives / external hard drives (not vaccinated) will be vaccinated.
Computer Vaccination
The free Panda USB Vaccine allows users to vaccinate their PCs in order to disable AutoRun completely so that no program from any USB/CD/DVD drive (regardless of whether they have been previously vaccinated or not) can auto-execute. This is a really helpful feature as there is no user friendly and easy way of completely disabling AutoRun on a Windows PC.
USB Vaccination
The free Panda USB Vaccine can be used on individual USB drives to disable its AUTORUN.INF file in order to prevent malware infections from spreading automatically. When applied on a USB drive, the vaccine permanently blocks an innocuous AUTORUN.INF file, preventing it from being read, created, deleted or modified. Once applied it effectively disables Windows from automatically executing any malicious file that might be stored in that particular USB drive. The drive can otherwise be used normally and files (even malware) copied to/from it, but they will be prevented from opening automatically. Panda USB Vaccine currently only works on FAT & FAT32 USB drives. Also keep in mind that USB drives that have been vaccinated cannot be reversed except with a format.
Download Panda USB Vaccine.
My verdict: Panda USB Vaccine is better than Bitdefender USB immunizer as it is able to vaccinate CD/DVD-ROM devices. But as far as protection both software's are good.
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