As a general rule, security software isn’t very exciting.
Whether you get a product from McAfee, Symantec, Trend Micro or any number of other companies, you can expect it to give you reasonable protection against viruses, spyware and other malicious software. These days you’ll probably get some protection against “phishing” — websites that try to steal your information — and you’re also likely to get some protection against spam. Virtually all security programs have firewall protection to help keep intruders out of your machine and network. Some have tools to help protect you on a Wi-Fi network. Others monitor your web use in real time and warn you if you’re about to land on a page that might contain malicious software.
Some programs, like Trend Micro’s Internet Security Pro, have parental controls that help you keep your kids away from inappropriate websites. Other security programs, like Norton 360, have features that help your machine run a little faster by defragmenting your disk or reducing the time it takes to start your machine.
Webroot Software this week introduced Webroot Internet Security Complete that does many of these things but with a few other useful features, including online file backup and synchronization between computers, automatic password entry, and credit card protection.
To provide the backup and synchronization feature, Webroot partnered with SugarSync to offer 10 gigabytes of free storage (additional storage is available to purchase). With this feature, you can configure the software to automatically back up specific folders to an online storage facility and you can optionally configure it to synchronize those folders between computers. For example, if you have work files on your home, work and laptop machines, you could configure the software to automatically backup each machine to the Internet storage facility and then synchronize those files to each of your PCs. The product also features a “magic briefcase” where you can place any folders that you want automatically synced to all computers associated with your account. Once the system is configured, the software automatically backups and/or synchronizes your data.
Password management is another very useful feature. Here Webroot teamed up with Lastpass.com, which is able to remember any passwords you enter the first time you type them and then enter them for you automatically on subsequent visits. Besides the convenience of not having to remember all your passwords, it is also a security feature for two reasons. First, because it’s entering them automatically, the passwords it enters won’t be picked up by a keylogging program that could be surreptitiously installed on your machine to capture keystrokes and mouse clicks. Also, it allows you to use complex passwords instead of the simple ones that too many people use (simple passwords are not only possible for people to guess but really easy for machines to decipher). And if you don’t want to bother creating strong passwords, the software will generate them for you and remember them so you won’t have to.
The credit card protection, which is offered through the Trusted ID feature works pretty much like the ones offered by banks and credit card companies, in that it monitors your online credit card use and helps you report a lost or stolen physical card. It also monitors potential misuse of your credit cards, bank accounts and Social Security number.
Like most security products, Webroot is a subscription service. You download the software (webroot.com) and pay $79.99 to use it and access all other and services associated with the product.
Larry Magid’s technology column appears Wednesdays in The Daily News. E-mail him larry@larrymagid.com.