This tool works by scanning your browsers to see what might be lurking in them. It gives you a clear and straightforward list of the results, sorted into different categories. These categories will mean very little to you at first, but if you click Info in the main HijackThis interface, you'll find a guide.

Each HijackThis entry has a check box. Check this and hit Info on selected item... and you'll get more details on what the entry is and what effect fixing it will have. HijackThis is definitely a tool for user who know what they are doing. Although it does give you information on the results - and warns you if an option could have dangerous results - the decision to delete or change is ultimately yours.

HijackThis is a good tool, even though it's not going to win any prizes for looks. It has plenty of options, like an ignore list for items you know to be safe, and plenty of extra tools, like the ability to delete a file on reboot and open the ADS spy. All your actions are also recorded in a log file and automatically backed up.

HijackThis is basic and functional, but a practical and efficient way of keeping an eye on browser elements.

Download HijackThis 2.0.4 in Softonic

AhnLab V3 Internet Security is a comprehensive security tool that protects your computer from any kind of online threat, including viruses, worms, hackers, Trojans, spam and phishing. The program features a nicely designed interface with different sections for the specifically protected areas: system, network, content and email, as well as some system tweaking options.

Though this may all sound too complicated for you, the good thing about AhnLab V3 Internet Security is that it's quite easy to use, includes links to the correspondent settings menu on each separate function and is also thoroughly documented.

In a way AhnLab V3 Internet Security reminds me of the Windows Security Center, as you can control pretty much all security options from a single, centralized interface. That said, this is the kind of application you need to try it for a certain period of time in order to fully test its performances.

AhnLab V3 Internet Security protects your computer against all sorts of online threats.

Download AhnLab V3 Internet Security 8.0 in Softonic

With MyUSBOnly you can now protect your system from USB theft as well. This security tools lets you create a white list of authorized USB sticks, blocking computer access to any other USB devices that have not been included in that list. It comes in specially handy for professionals that move around a lot and use laptops to carry all their important work documents.

The program is very easy to use. Every time you plug a USB memory device, MyUSBOnly will display a notification window asking for a password – which can be set in the options menu. Unless the right password is provided, the system won't recognize the connected USB device as a new device, rendering it useless.

MyUSBOnly displays a small icon on the system tray from where you can access configuration settings – protected by a password as well. The default password is "0000", but we strongly advise you to change it because the program displays it on the notification window. You can also configure it to warn you via email every time a USB device is connected to the computer, but we couldn't make this feature work during our testings.

With MyUSBOnly you can control which USB memory sticks have access to your computer and which don't.

Download MyUSBOnly 5.6 in Softonic

The application is a breeze to install and set up, and once running it cleans traces of your activity very thoroughly, including a file shredder to make sure that no one, but no one, sees that you were looking at that Spice Girls web site. Unfortunately there's no stealth mode within the program but Privacy Guardian makes up for this minor shortfall in other ways. For instance, it's the only tracks eraser I know of that can remove all MS Office history, and it has an automatic scheduler that performs clean-ups on startup or shutdown.

This is a highly user friendly application that lets you delete unwanted traces of PC and Net activity without a lot of hassle. Highly recommended.

Download Privacy Guardian 4.1.0.36 in Softonic

Luckily there are also specific software utilities that help you get rid of all these sensitive data. One of them is Free Privacy Eraser, a simple yet efficient cleaner that removes all usage tracks from your computer.

Free Privacy Eraser, previously known as Internet Privacy Eraser, works with the most popular programs: web browsers (Internet Explorer, Opera and Firefox), IM clients (MSN, Yahoo!, Skype and others) and Microsoft Office, among others. While there are still important programs missing (such as Chrome or Safari), the great thing about Free Privacy Eraser is that you can add your own apps to the list by using the Custom Lists tool. The program also supports scheduled cleans, which enables you to get rid of sensitive data automatically according to a certain period of time.

After you've selected the elements you want to erase, Free Privacy Eraser runs a preview that lets you check how many files will be deleted and how much disk space you'll gain. If you agree with the list, click on Clean and all selected elements will be wiped forever. Bear in mind though that you need to be sure of what you're doing, as there's no way to undo the action and the program doesn't create a backup copy either.

If you're worried about all the sensitive data your computer stores when you use certain programs or browse the Web, use Free Privacy Eraser to remove it in a snap.

Download Free Privacy Eraser 3.0 in Softonic

Tracks Eraser Pro is just the tool for the job. This little application runs through all the major areas on your computer where evidence of your activity might be left, identifying it and erasing it securely. Tracks Eraser Pro works with a variety of browsers, cleans hard disk space, manages plug-ins, clears a number of standard Windows settings (start menu history, clipboard, etc.) and even syncs with and clears Outlook Express.

Tracks Eraser Pro also provides a secure file shredder with a variable number of overwrite times. The program has a stealth mode, so it can run discreetly in the background and a boss key, ideal for using in the office! You can also schedule Tracks Eraser Pro to run automatically, but compared to other auto-schedulers, the options aren't very advanced.

Tracks Eraser Pro is a steady option for erasing personal information, but isn't very advanced.

Download Tracks Eraser Pro 8.65 in Softonic

There are thirteen utilities bundled into Foxie, which range from a spyware scanner to the ability to use tabbed browsing in Internet Explorer. The selection available seems a little strange given that some of the tools seem quite unrelated, but the idea is to cover everything, removing the need for users to install a multitude of software for each aspect of their online experience.

Tabbed browsing in Internet Explorer is a much-needed feature and will finally make browsing a bit easier, although it does reduce the viewing area of the browser. If you have multiple toolbars you may want to consider how much more room you can afford to sacrifice. Foxie also adds in an ASK Jeeves search bar, a drop-down shortcuts menu that lists sites according to those you most frequently visit, and a desktop search option, all very handy functions if you don’t already use something similar.

The spyware scanner is very quick and powerful, as is the disk cleaner, and "The Infinity Button" will appeal to any fans of The Hitchhikers Guide, as it predictably takes you to a random pages in cyberspace that you can then rate, send to friends or bookmark.

Foxie Suite tries to integrate the best features of Firefox into Microsoft Internet Explorer and in my opinion, succeeds to do so. Now you can have tabbed-browsing while still using the worlds most popular browser.

Download Foxie Privacy, Security & Productivity Suite 1.1.2 in Softonic

What makes the application attractive is its accessibility. A cartoon-like interface, with large colourful icons depicts each of the options: web pages visited, cookies, private information, graphics and temporary files. Don’t worry about erasing the wrong files by mistake. Once you’ve carried out one of the security tasks, you will see a list of the corresponding files that My Privacy has found. Just click wipe to get rid of them for good. If you’re really lazy you can just click the “Analyze” and “Wipe” buttons at the bottom and My Privacy will take care of everything. You should consider carrying out these tasks daily if you use the Internet often.

How do you know that you’ve performed all the My Privacy tasks fully? Just check out the privacy level percentage at the top. It’s a mystery as to how this number is calculated and what it really means. Is it the amount of files My Privacy has erased? Is it the percentage of My Privacy tasks you’ve carried out? From our observations, we guessed it corresponded to the amount of files you erased out of all the ones My Privacy found. So if you’ve wiped out everything, it should tell you your privacy level is 100%. You should be aware by now though that the web is riddled with dangers and that it’s impossible to have total protection. A 100% privacy level doesn’t mean you’re bullet proof against any threat.

The basic PC user will enjoy My Privacy’s security recommendations, found in the options section. These are obvious yet often overlooked tips to improve the safety of your PC. For example, did you know that using autofills in online forms puts you at risk? What about allowing access to temporary file preferences? Check that you’ve tweaked them to My Privacy’s recommendations to increase the privacy of your PC.

My Privacy’s weakness lies in its purpose. When run for the first time, the program failed to identify all of the cookies, temporary files and private information stored in the PC. Basic information like the cache could not even be wiped. We also realized that My Privacy had no way of blocking pop ups or websites, an absolute necessity when browsing the web.

My Privacy makes beginners aware of the importance of privacy on the web and what steps they should take to protect it. Unfortunately, in terms of security, the program does not offer anything you wouldn’t find in full security suites. Chances are if you’re using a relatively recent browser like Opera or if you have a good antivirus program you’ll be able to carry out the same security tasks much more efficiently.

Download My Privacy 3.5 in Softonic

Download RegRun Security Suite Platinum 6.9.7.110 in Softonic