As demonstrated at the latest Pwn2Own, Windows and its main tools fall short when it comes to protecting our computer. Of course, the market is full of software alternatives, and one of them is Riot Isolator. Its interface is quite Spartan, but we find interesting features such as keylogger and screenshot blockers, webcam access control, secure file deletion, and a read-only mode for USB drives.
Windows' built-in protection mechanisms are supposed to be robust enough to keep most threats at bay. Of course, the final answer to such a statement is it depends. On many occasions, it is the user themselves who lets the pest in, but there are also certain actions that seem harmless at first and can be used to invade privacy or compromise security. Unauthorized webcam activations and background screenshots are just two examples, and to stop that, there are things like Riot Isolator.
Features and modules
The program's interface is... a work in progress. Its essential functions are divided into Eraser, Toolbox, Unlocker, and Network. Eraser enables secure file deletion with just a drag and drop, Unlocker allows taking control of executables with permission issues, and Network shows basic connectivity statistics, but the core of Riot Isolator is in the Toolbox category. There we find an anti-keylogger, anti-screenshot, anti-webcam, anti-exploit (which detects extension manipulation and execution of malicious processes), a module that erases entire drives, real-time packet recognition and wrappers (the program mentions UPX), a presentation mode, and the option to block specific drives or implement a read-only policy for everything connected via USB.
Riot Isolator is free and can be run portably. I figure that with its current resources it won't replace any security suite, but if you've been thinking about a complement for Windows security, whether on your computer or someone else's, you might want to take a look.
