F-Secure has released an updated version of its stand-alone antivirus detector, Easy Clean.

The new build is smaller than previous releases at under 4MB. You can scan your system just by launching the executable; no installation is required. But most usefully, Easy Clean now contacts F-Secure’s cloud-based servers to obtain details about the very latest threats, so there’s no need for it to download regular updates. (Although, of course, this does also mean that you now must have a fully functional internet connection for Easy Clean to be of any use.)

This simple on-demand scanner tries to trap malware that your regular antivirus package has missed

There are, of course, plenty of similar tools around which promise to offer a similar second line of antivirus defence. And you may prefer these for multiple reasons. Easy Clean only appears to do a relatively quick scan of running processes, for instance; if you’re trying to hunt down a really stubborn infection then you may prefer something which offers a more thorough and complete system scan.

Still, Easy Clean is very fast, exceptionally easy to use, and in our tests was able to complete its scans without conflicting with our installed security package. If you’re looking for a very simple stand-alone malware detector then give the program a try, it may be just what you need.