Secunia PSI 3.0 Beta: plugging security vulnerabilities made easy

Danish security services provider Secunia has announced the availability of a public beta for version 3.0 of its Personal Software Inspector (PSI) application for identifying security vulnerabilities. PSI scans Windows systems for known security vulnerabilities in installed third-party programs and plug-ins. When it finds problems, the free tool can remedy them by downloading and installing updated versions that close the holes, or provide users with links to all requisite updates.

Compared to the previous version, the user interface has been simplified. In PSI 3.0, the lengthy list of all installed applications has been cut down so that it only displays those programs which need updating. Many applications and plug-ins, including Flash Player, Adobe AIR and QuickTime, are now updated automatically. Other applications can be updated with a single mouse click. The process can take a little while, depending on the number of programs installed.

Secunia PSI 3.0.0.0005 PSI is currently a public beta. In tests by The H's associates at heise Security, the beta version 3.0.0.0005 somewhat unhelpfully advised them to "contact support" for one application which it was not able to patch. Overall, however, the new version offers an easier to use interface, though experienced users may miss the overview of all programs installed on their system provided by its predecessor. The new version is also missing the configuration options found in version 2.

PSI is free for private, non-commercial use. Secunia also offers a commercial version for businesses in the form of its Corporate Software Inspector, which includes extended administration options.

See also:

• Secunia releases PSI version 2.0, a report from The H.
• Completely Protected: Sensible additions to your virus scanner, a feature from The H.
  

(crve)