In this tutorial we will be looking at Secunia Personal Software Inspector (PSI) which is a free security tool designed to detect vulnerable and out-dated programs and plug-ins which expose your PC to attacks. The program will also update your Java, Flash and Windows Updates along with the other programs that you have downloaded. Please note that for this tutorial I am using Windows 7 Ultimate x64.
This program is for Windows only and on the following Operating Systems. There are no hardware requirements:-
- Microsoft Windows 7 (x86 and x64)
- Microsoft Windows Vista SP 1 or later (x86 and x64)
- Microsoft Windows XP – SP 3 (x32)
So, let’s go ahead and start by downloading the program and running it. You can download Secunia PSI here. Once you have downloaded it, double click it to start the installation process.
Once you start the installation, you will come to the first window
Click Next to agree to their Licencing terms and continue
In the next window, you are given the option to allow Secunia PSI to update automatically any programs that it finds that are out-dated (top check box), and also given the choice to have the program confirm with the user (you) as to whether you want the specific update that it finds (second check box). For peace of mind and security purposes, it’s a good idea to check the first one at least, and if like me you like to have as close to 100% control over what happens on your system, you should probably check the second one too.
In the next window you are given the choice to have Secunia PSI tell you via a balloon notification on the tray icon what program changes and/or updates have been made. For quick reference, this is a good thing as I can be getting on with my work and also be informed of what has been updated.
The next window is just a welcome window and ReadMe telling you about the program, click Next
In the next window you get to choose where you want the program installed. Most users will choose the default location (C:\Program Files) Click Next
You will next be shown the Finished window followed by the program asking you if you want to start the program as well. Click Finish and Yes to carry on.
Once you have clicked Yes, the program will open its main window with a small message about the program. Read it and then click Close at the bottom of the window and Secunia PSI will begin its first scan.
You will also notice that Secunia PSI has added an icon to your system tray at the bottom. It should appear on the far left
Once the scan has finished, you are presented with a score out of 100% on how up to date your programs are and what programs require updating.
To see the results in full, click on Scan Results on the left which will present you with a window where you can approve the updates (remember I checked the box to do this during the install)
Now if you wish to view more information on the particular update, click on the + next to the program to expand it, or just click on Approve Update on the right, and Secunia PSI will update them for you. Once you have updated these you should have a score of 100% when scanned again. Try to remember that programs deliver updates at different times and frequencies, so it’s a good idea to keep an eye on the program, although it is a fairly good set-and-forget program.
Now let’s take a look at some of the settings. These are pretty straight forward. To see these, click on Settings on the left of the main window
The first one is called PSI Settings and has seven check boxes, five of which are checked by default as shown in the picture below. Personally, I leave them as they are.
The next tab is the Ignore Rules. This is where you can tell the program not to update a certain program for you. There can be a few reasons why you don’t want to have Secunia PSI try to locate an update including, preferring the version of a program that you are currently running and dislike the latest version, or knowing that the program is no longer maintained, so don’t wish it to be checked. Remember though, that if the program is still being maintained, then there may be some security risks should you choose not to update it.
There are two ways to create an ignore rule; firstly you can do it via the settings menu, click the Ignore Rules tab, and then click on Create Ignore Rule, just below the tab. You can input your Rule Name here as well as the Rule Path (target path for your program) and click OK.
The other way to do it, is to go to your scan results and locate the program, and then click the + next to it to expand the details. Below Detected Instances, under the program that you wish to create an Ignore Rule for, click on the yellow folder with the red circle on it. Once you click on this, you will see that Secunia PSI will automatically create the Rule Name and Rule Path for you. As you can see in the image below, I created one for Adobe Bridge CS5. I’ll actually change this back as it’s important to me to have the program fully up to date, but I though I’d show you the different ways to do it.
The next tab in the Settings window, is which drives you want Secunia PSI to look at. I have just chosen to keep the default settings which is my main drive C:
The final window is the PSI API Token window. This is where app developers can interact with scan results/history. If you wish to know more about this and you wish to develop your own app for the program, then you can view the PDF regarding this, here.
That’s pretty much it. Now when you next open up Secunia PSI you will see that your main window has changed and will display your past results and history.
You will also see the tray notifications from time to time, alerting you to the fact that the program has detected an update and has applied it for you, or that user interaction is required.
Note: This was the image from my first scan.
Well, I hope this has been of use and that you will use the program. Hey, it’s free and keeps you secure, so you can’t really go wrong.
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