System Security Guard: process checker/monitor

Last week I published a Review of System Explorer, an alternative task/process manager. At the end of the article I promised to follow up with a review for the developer’s other freeware, System Security Guard… well here it is:

System Security Guard takes the ‘security check’ feature from its sister software and expands on the concept to include automatic scanning at startup plus a monitoring function. System Security Guard is available in two versions, portable and installed… in order to get the most out of the software, I would suggest installing it.

Download is just 1.7MB, installation is 100% clean and free from unwanted extras. Seeing how System Security Guard’s primary function is the security check, the opening interface is pretty simplistic, just click on the ‘Start Security Check’ button to run an initial scan:

The scan will identify and rate processes running on the host machine via information contained on the developer’s extensive database. Once the scan has completed, the user can then view the results and check details for any processes flagged “Threat”, “Suspicious”, or “Unknown”, simply by clicking on the appropriate links:

(please see the System Explorer Review for more information and screenshots on checking scan results).

Once this initial phase has been completed, simply close out the interface and all future access to options, scans, statistics and settings will be accessible via a system tray icon.

The program is set by default to automatically scan the system whenever the user logs in (or Restarts), displaying a fresh set of scan results each time. The most interesting aspect of the software is that it monitors for any newly added processes, issuing warning alerts each time it happens:

Here is the system tray popup in action; note the warning in the first screenshot, that’s simply because I do not have Windows Updates set to automatic:

Removing the warning is a simple matter of going into settings and placing a checkmark next to the appropriate ‘Ignore’ option:

The system tray popup will now reflect the change:

One issue I have come across is that the post-scan statistics displayed in System Security Guard’s main interface are not accurately reflected in the summary shown in the system tray popup… they are not the same. I mentioned this to the developer several months ago and the reply I received was far from satisfactory, seems this issue is set to continue uncorrected. Not that it’s a major consideration… after all, it is only statistics and doesn’t affect the program’s main functionality at all. Still, I’d be happier if the numbers actually agreed.

So, do I recommend System Security Guard? Well, yes and no. It’s a nice idea, perhaps for novices or those users of the paranoid variety but, in general, not really. I don’t see the need for scanning at each and every startup, System Explorer includes the exact same scanning facility which can be initiated manually at any time … and whenever the user chooses… plus many more additional useful features. And because System Explorer does not rely on any automation, the portable version is well suited.

• Check out System Security Guard and download here: http://www.systemsecurityguard.com/