Every computer user must be aware of the importance of having a real-time active protection system up and running at all times to keep malware at bay. A fully-fledged antivirus solution coupled with a firewall is usually enough for the average user. However, should you feel the need to take it a step further there are some active scanners and anti-spyware solutions that are well worth considering.

An application especially tailored for fast scans and quick removal of any found threats is Malware Destroyer. The installation process is done in a flash, so you'll be face to face with its interface in seconds. Its looks are pretty decent and can be easily customized using the many available styles.

To start with, you should note that it does not provide active protection, heuristic scans or an active shield of some sort. This utility will only search for baddies currently loaded in the memory or running processes that are infected. A word of advice, you should update the malware signature database prior to launching every scan, to make sure no new threats are missed.

The actual process of searching for lurking dangers takes a few seconds, literally. Because the scanner is signature-based, it will only seek for and destroy any viruses that are included in its database with over 10,000 definitions.

Malware Destroyer is bent on exterminating a whole array of threats that include adware, trojans, worms, dialers, trackware and other forms of spyware. A neat feature is the remote scanning capability that will allow you to check computers on your network for infections. All you need are the appropriate credentials to connect to those hosts.

The array of customizable settings is quite impressive, featuring in-depth scan rules configurations, threat scan scope selection and detailed results management. This application can also detect if a shield product is installed onto your system and you'll be able to easily set the scanning criteria for these programs as well.

If no malware is found on your system after scanning it with this utility, like it happened during out tests, it doesn't necessarily mean that everything's good. It's better to ask for a second opinion from your main security program, just to be on the safe side.

Malware Destroyer is designed for manual virus checks and the fast scans recommend it, but bear in mind that it is mainly aimed at non-techy users and will only provide an occasional supplemental layer of protection.