IKARUS malware.scanner now part of Heise Desinfec’t

The renowned emergency tool collection Desinfec’t from the German IT magazine c’t (Heise.de) receives reinforcements in its current 2025 edition: The IKARUS malware.scanner is now officially integrated into the antivirus toolkit.

Secure system analysis in case of suspected malware

Desinfec’t is a leading tool for detecting and removing malware on Windows systems. It is based on a bootable Linux environment that allows independent analysis of an inactive Windows installation.

If malware is suspected, the computer can be booted from the Desinfec’t USB stick instead of Windows—keeping the potentially infected system offline and preventing the malware from causing further harm.

New European scanner expands the multi-engine solution

With the integration of the IKARUS malware.scanner, the proven multi-scanner concept is now enhanced by a GDPR-compliant antivirus engine developed in Europe.

“The addition of IKARUS impressed us in our tests with its high detection rate. Moreover, all scans are performed locally, with no files uploaded to the cloud,” writes heise.de. This means users benefit from a broader range of signature-based and heuristic detection methods—an important advantage in the fight against new and persistent threats.

Joe Pichlmayr, CEO from IKARUS, is pleased about the partnership with Heise.de: “With the integration into Desinfec’t, we can bring our technology to a wider, security-conscious audience. The local analysis without cloud uploads aligns with our philosophy of data protection and technical transparency.”

IKARUS Malware Scan Engine now available to a broader audience

The IKARUS Malware Scan Engine is well known in professional environments—such as in securing communication platforms, air-gapped systems, cloud infrastructures, or cybersecurity solutions like OPSWAT Metadefender.

„Our proprietary engine enables us to respond very quickly to new threats. Private users can now also benefit from this quickly and easily,“ says Joe Pichlmayr.

Desinfec’t 2025 featuring IKARUS malware.scanner

The new c’t issue including Desinfec’t 2025 is now available—as a magazine with DVD, a downloadable version, or pre-installed on a USB stick. All information can be found at: https://www.heise.de/thema/Desinfect