Privacy protection, identity theft and spyware are huge causes for concern for every computer user. Designed to help foster peace-of-mind, Webroot Software's Internet Essentials contains most of the key utilities you need to ensure the time you spend on your computer is hassle-free and that your PC runs smoothly. There's no firewall or anti-virus utilities, and you have to install and manage each of the four applications separately, but Internet Essentials is a relatively comprehensive and good value offering. We'd have liked a unified interface and better browser support, but Windows and IE users should be well catered for.
Pros: Relatively comprehensive package; Spy Sweeper is excellent
Cons: Requires Windows and IE; separate applications
Webroot Software's Internet Essentials offers a relatively comprehensive collection of programs for locking down your computer from Internet-borne security threats. Comprising four separate applications bundled in the same retail box, it's a shame Webroot hasn't gone the extra mile by integrating the applications into a single suite, accessed from a home screen. Instead, you have to install, configure and run each application individually.
The four security software products within Webroot's Internet Essentials are Spy Sweeper 3.5 (anti-spyware solution that detects and safely removes spyware and adware), Window Washer 5.5 (eliminates all traces of your PC and Internet activity to protect your privacy as well as improving system performance), Spam Shredder 1.9 (anti-spam solution that helps to eliminates annoying and potentially harmful e-mails), and Pop-Up Washer 2.5 (transparently blocks pop-ups and pop-unders without visible screen distractions).
Spy Sweeper is the suite's most useful and effective program. It identifies and eliminates certain programs designed to secretly collect information about you through your computer use, which anti-virus programs and firewalls do not detect.
The software works in the background and notifies you when spyware attempts to load into your system's memory, when your Web browser home page is changed, or when a Web site installs cookies on your system. The only real gripes are that its use of system memory can render your computer (especially older ones) useless while the software performs a scan.
Spy Sweeper is designed to identify and eliminate certain programs designed to secretly collect information about you through your computer use, primarily when you're online. In particular, Spy Sweeper targets spyware, which is generally referred to as any program that covertly gathers information through your Internet connection without your knowledge. Spyware is typically installed with shareware or freeware utilities - especially peer-to-peer networking applications - and often without your knowledge.
Quite often spyware is used to track your online activities in order to show you targeted ads, bypassing anti-virus and firewall protection by piggybacking on legitimate downloads to install on your system without your knowledge. However, in addition to wasting bandwidth, certain malicious spyware programs can gather information about your e-mail addresses, keystrokes, cookies and even passwords. Spyware programs are deeply-rooted applications that intertwine with core system functions to make manual removal tricky - if you ever realise that you've got spyware installed!
The software works by scanning your entire system using a database of thousands of known spyware threats. Spy Sweeper then quarantines any files or file traces that match the threat database, disabling the spyware's functionality while giving you the option to review and permanently delete suspect files or safely restore them if they are essential to the operation of applications. Interestingly, Spy Sweeper also provides a brief description of the nature of identified spyware.
Defending In Depth