A closer look at Trend Micro HouseCall 7.1

HouseCall is a on-demand scanner for identifying and removing viruses, Trojans, worms, unwanted browser plugins, and other malware. It is a stand-alone thin-client application and browser-indipendent solution.

It detects active malware and spyware – basically, file-based threats. It does not support malicious URL blocking, which can proactively protect against Web threats.

It complements, but is not a substitute for, existing security software that provides proactive protection and continuously scans and monitors for threats.

Upon execution, the HauseCall Launcher utility starts downloading component updates. The welcome screen looks like this:

The Settings allow you to choose a scan type and to enable or disable the Smart Feedback option (the scanner reporting back to TrendMicro’s Smart Protection Network about the threats it found):

Scan results:

Every threat found is characterized by name, type and risk level. In the “Fix Problems” step of the process, you can choose for each file individually what action should be applied – Ignore or Fix. To inform yourself about the nature of each threat, click on their names and you will be taken to TrendMicro’s Threat Encyclopedia:

Upon fixing the results, you can review them and restore the files if you want (even from previous scans):

Trend Micro HouseCall really shouldn’t be used as the only means of protecting oneself from malware, because it does not offer real-time protection. However, it is a tool that everyone can use as a means of double checking the results of their other anti-malware solutions. Keep the Launcher utility at hand and use it – it can’t hurt. You can pick it up here.