Maintaining security when browsing the Internet is essential. There are many threats on the net and we must always detect viruses, Trojans and any malware that may threaten our privacy and security. In this article we are going to talk about check for viruses in the system with a online scanner, without having to install anything on the computer. An alternative to traditional antivirus.

Why use a virus scanner on the Internet

We generally use antivirus that we install on the computer or that it can even come with the system, as is the case of Windows Defender. It is a program like any other, which allows analyzing the system and looking for possible threats to subsequently eliminate them and prevent data theft or something going wrong.

However we have the alternative of using a online virus scanner. Basically it is a service that we can use without having to install anything and that will also help us detect possible threats. Its mission is to analyze the computer, such as a Windows computer, and detect threats that must be eliminated.

The positive thing about this option is that we will not have to install anything. You just have to enter the page of that online antivirus and start the scanning process. It is very useful if you do not have antivirus installed and you need to analyze the system because you suspect that it may be infected. Also if you are using someone else's equipment or a public computer and want to make sure there are no security issues.

They can even serve as complement other programs security that you have installed. If you are not sure if your antivirus works well or have been able to ignore a threat, It is one more option that you will have available to ensure that your system is protected. Also, these tools are usually free.

Online antivirus

Let's show some online security scanners. They are free services that you can use from the Chrome, Firefox browser or the one you have installed. You will be able to do an analysis of your system to detect threats. Of course, you should know that although they are very useful tools, they should not be a substitute for the traditional antivirus that we install and that are more complete.

ESET

The first online antivirus that we want to show is that of ESET. It is totally free and quite easy to use. You have to go to their website and there you will see different options. One of them is to Analyze now. This performs an analysis on the equipment to detect possible security threats that may exist.

Once you hit the button you have to fill in some data and download a file in the system, which will allow you to analyze the equipment. It is very useful for a point analysis, in order to remove malware quickly. It focuses only on those files and folders where viruses are most likely.

Keep in mind that it is fully compatible with other security programs that you have installed. Therefore, there will be no conflict at the software level and you will be able to use it without problems in Windows even if you already have a program installed.

Main features:

Quick analysis
Focuses on the most risky files and folders
You have to download a file
Easy to use

F-Secure

The online antivirus F-Secure is another alternative that you can use for free. It acts similarly to the previous one and it is also necessary to download a file from its page web. From there it will start to analyze the system quickly to detect possible malicious files that may exist.

One of the most interesting positive points is that it's very fast. Although it focuses solely on files and folders where there may be more viruses, this makes the process end quickly. You will see an image like the one below in case your system is clean.

Is very simple to use and it must be indicated that there is no problem due to having another security program installed. It is perfect for a quick analysis and to be able to increase the guarantees that your team does not have viruses.

Main features:

Quick analysis
Easy to use
You have to download a file
Focuses on the most risky files and folders

Trend Micro

Trend Micro has the HouseCall tool, which is an online antivirus that allows analyzing the system to detect threats. You can use it through its Web page, where you will have to select the version of the operating system and download a small file to be able to function.

From there he will make a analysis on the computer to detect possible security threats that may exist. You can select the type of analysis to make it simpler and faster or more complete. There are no conflict problems with other security programs that may have been installed.

Main features:

Select the type of analysis
Easy to use
You have to download a file

Chrome online antivirus

Your own Google Chrome It also has a function to be able to scan the system online and search for possible security threats. It is very useful, since it is not necessary to install anything additional. To do this you have to go to the menu on the top right, enter Advanced Settings, Retrieve settings and clean.

Once there you have to click on Clean computer. A new window will appear as you see in the image below and you have to give it to Search, so that the process of analyzing the equipment to detect possible malware begins.

From there it will start to search for possible malicious files that is in the team. It is a simple process and it will also not influence other programs that you may have installed to protect the safety of the equipment.

Main features:

-There is nothing to download or install
-Very easy to use
-Function in the browser itself

VirusTotal

One more option to analyze online security is VirusTotal. In this case it is a different tool from the previous ones, since it will allow scan a file specifically or a URL that may be dangerous. It is very easy to use and you will not need to install or download anything on the computer.

To use it you have to enter its Web page. There you will see different options to analyze a specific file, a URL or even search for a domain or IP to see if it can be a danger. Not only does it have the ability to tell if a file, such as an image, is a virus; It will also indicate whether an address can be false and be Phishing.

So, VirusTotal It is a very interesting complement to a conventional antivirus and also to the online virus scanners that we have seen previously. It works very well, is simple, and offers additional information to detect viruses on file or through fraudulent links.

Main features:

-Allows you to analyze files
-You do not need to install or download something
-It is easy to use

BullGuard

Another application that we can highlight comes from one of the cybersecurity giants BullGuard. In addition to offering this online threat checker, they also offer us two completely free trial months in packages of their Premium antivirus applications.

In addition to logically having a free version of its applications for those people who cannot afford to pay for one. But the free versions certainly offer much less functionality as usual, although seeing the positive side, it takes up much less space in our team.

Among the main advantages that this online antivirus can offer us, we can highlight that it is compatible with the vast majority of browsers, so we will not have problems in this regard. It offers us a Premium quality of service and in numerous options, either for a fee or free.

Although as a less good side, we can also highlight the fact that if you decide to install your Premium test version it takes a long time to install, so, If your team is a little old, it will probably cost you a little.

Bitdefender

An application worth mentioning is the Bitdefender Home Scanner, Like others we have mentioned in this article, it also requires a small download to function properly. In general, we can use it for when we want to quickly scan critical areas of our system.

You also have the option of doing a complete scan, but for this type of scan, software installed on our computer is more recommended. It is a fairly comprehensive threat scanner overall, but it is a bit complex.

It should be noted that it is also available to be used in major browsers such as Firefox and Chrome, among others. Its scanning functions are quite powerful and take very little time to perform threat scans.

In addition, it has an integrated tool to eliminate adware and is one of the fastest working, although it has a precision that can be a little limited and does not give us too much detail about the threats encountered.

Antivirus risks

As we mentioned on many occasions, total Internet security is something that does not exist. Therefore, a good antivirus, whether online or local, should not distance us from having trouble prevention habits, which can avoid many problems. Having an antivirus can make us fall into customs that can be very harmful, such as:

Confidence excess: We know that these types of applications or tools are designed to protect us and keep equipment safe. For this very reason, we tend to put more things aside, thinking that the antivirus protects us from everything. This can be very dangerous, because there is even the possibility that we may encounter problems, which the antivirus does not contemplate. These programs are often constantly updated to prevent new problems, but previously someone must report the problem.
Data exposure: Antiviruses perform analysis of all the data to search for viruses and other problems, so when they are performed they can see said data. If we are using a service that is not trustworthy, it may be that our data ends up in the wrong hands. This also refers to theft, such as credentials. These can be stored by antiviruses.
Security deactivation: it is possible that giving use of a security tool, in addition to the one we have installed, this one asks us to invalidate the other. Which can also cause problems, especially if the one who requests it has malicious intentions.
Lose performance: Many antiviruses, especially if they are free, can be used for cryptocurrency mining, for example. This can reduce the performance of our team, to a greater or lesser extent. In addition, there may be many other hidden processes, which while they don't all have to be malicious, many may end up being malicious.

In short, these are some options that you can find to analyze your online system beyond the traditional antivirus that you can install. The objective is to detect security threats that may compromise your data and the proper functioning of the computer. You can also combine them with other tools.