Webroot Internet Security Essentials
Encyclopedia
Webroot Internet Security Essentials is an Antivirus, Antispyware, Personal firewall
security software, and back-up utility program with additional personal and PC security features. Originally launched on October 21, 2008, Webroot Internet Security Essentials is the first consumer security suite from Webroot.
The most recent version of the product was released on July 27, 2010.
The original product featured a three column layout that was noted as being simple to use but with an extensive feature set. No significant changes were made to the product between the 2009 and 2010 versions.
capabilities of the software, and Identity & Privacy. Additional features were added to newest version of the suite including reputation based secure web-browsing and many of the name of the older features changed as well.
registry cleaner technology is managed from within the product. It is designed to increase system performance and increase PC privacy by removing unnecessary files such as Web browsing history
, files that show computer use, other files that reveal the user’s activity as well as unnecessary files that consume valuable disk space, such as files in the Recycle Bin or Windows temporary files. Cleanups can either be scheduled to run automatically or can be manually started by the user.
In the Identity and Privacy section of the product only found in the 2011 version is the secure browsing which replaced the “Internet Communication Shield from previous 2009 and 2010 versions of the software. This feature works exclusively with Internet Explorer or Firefox browsers and supports the following search engines; Ask, Google, Yahoo, Bing, and Lycos.
A user can utilize this feature three ways.
The anti-phishing component is based on the same methods of detection and protection as the secure browsing feature. It analyzes URLs entered in the address bar or displayed on a web page, then compares them to its database of known phishing sites
The built-in anti-spam component works solely with Microsoft Outlook
and Outlook Express
, and filters all e-mail messages to determine if any messages can be classified as E-mail spam
or phishing
attempts. When enabled this feature adds an anti-spam toolbar to Outlook or Outlook Express.
If spam or phishing attempts are found, the anti-spam engines place the messages into separate Spam, Phishing, and Unsure repository subfolders within the mail application. From the toolbar the user is able to manually block or approve e-mail messages. This allows the anti-spam filters to learn the user’s preferences on how to manage future messages from an e-mail address or domain. An “Anti-Spam” button also gives the user the option to scan a selected folder for any e-mail messages classified as spam or phishing and to view statistics for spam blocking and approval. The Anti-spam statistics can also be viewed from the Webroot software application itself under Identity & Privacy and then the Anti-Spam tab.
The Sync and Sharing technology, which is also used in Webroot Internet Security Complete
but with 8GB less storage space, contains access to the online file back-up and file sharing center. Through a web portal users are able to manage stored files, change identity protection settings, and view their free space. Syncing across multiple PCs and web arching important files is done through the use of a Magic Briefcase. Photo sharing can also be managed through the online portal allow the users to share albums with friends. Audio files such as music libraries can be stored in the briefcase as well.
The newest version of the software has been redesigned to minimize use of system resources and is auto-programmed to have scans run every Monday at midnight, but allows changes to this schedule based on user preferences.
certification in December 2008 for Windows XP 64 bit.
The product has received the AV –Test certification for Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP.
The product received a gold award from TopTenReviews
achieving a 4 out of 4 star rating.
Personal firewall
A personal firewall is an application which controls network traffic to and from a computer, permitting or denying communications based on a security policy. Typically it works as an application layer firewall....
security software, and back-up utility program with additional personal and PC security features. Originally launched on October 21, 2008, Webroot Internet Security Essentials is the first consumer security suite from Webroot.
The most recent version of the product was released on July 27, 2010.
6.0
The first version of the product included traditional antivirus and antispyware malware detection and removal. Additional features included 2GB of free online storage, a cleanup utility and a two way firewall.The original product featured a three column layout that was noted as being simple to use but with an extensive feature set. No significant changes were made to the product between the 2009 and 2010 versions.
7.0
The 2011 version of the product has an overhauled interface that’s broken down into four categories; PC Security which has controls for the Antivirus, antispyware and firewall; Sync and Sharing which has the file storage and sharing capabilities access panel; System Cleaner which contains the registry cleaningRegistry cleaner
A registry cleaner is a type of software utility designed for the Microsoft Windows operating system, the purpose of which is to remove redundant or unwanted items from the Windows registry....
capabilities of the software, and Identity & Privacy. Additional features were added to newest version of the suite including reputation based secure web-browsing and many of the name of the older features changed as well.
Features
The System Cleaner function is where the integrated Webroot Window WasherWebroot Window Washer
Released in 1997, Window Washer was Webroot’s first commercial product designed to protect the privacy of the user by permanently removing all traces of web browsing history and other personal information files saved on a PC...
registry cleaner technology is managed from within the product. It is designed to increase system performance and increase PC privacy by removing unnecessary files such as Web browsing history
Web browsing history
In computing, the web browsing history refers to the list of web pages a user has visited recently—and associated data such as page title and time of visit—which is recorded by web browser software as standard for a certain period of time...
, files that show computer use, other files that reveal the user’s activity as well as unnecessary files that consume valuable disk space, such as files in the Recycle Bin or Windows temporary files. Cleanups can either be scheduled to run automatically or can be manually started by the user.
In the Identity and Privacy section of the product only found in the 2011 version is the secure browsing which replaced the “Internet Communication Shield from previous 2009 and 2010 versions of the software. This feature works exclusively with Internet Explorer or Firefox browsers and supports the following search engines; Ask, Google, Yahoo, Bing, and Lycos.
A user can utilize this feature three ways.
1) When a URL is typed directly into the browser's address bar, the software runs the URL through a malware-identification engine. If the site is associated with malware, an alert screen is opened before the site loads in the browser. The user will either receive a “Known threat” alert or a “Suspicious site” alert. The user is still able to access the blocked site by clicking proceed to blocked site, but are cautioned that the site may present a security risk.
2) When the user is viewing a Web page with links to other sites, Webroot analyzes all links displayed on that page by running the URLs through its malware-identification engine. If the user clicks on a link to a site associated with malware, the Webroot software opens an alert before the site loads in the browser. The same alerts are used for this as when a URL is typed directly into the browser.
- Safe Site: This site does not contain any malware or phishing content.
- Known Threat: This site has been associated with malware. We recommend that you do not access this site.
- Suspicious Site: This site has previously exhibited some questionable behavior or content. We recommend that you do not access this site.
- Unclassified Site: Webroot has not yet classified this site's content.
- Phishing Site: This site includes content that has been associated with phishing attempts. We recommend that you do not access this site.
3) When a browser is used for a search the software analyzes all the links displayed on the search page by running the URLs through its malware-identification engine. If any sites are associated with malware a graphic is appended to the end of the search result to indentify the result’s rating. The following ratings can be applied to a search term;
The anti-phishing component is based on the same methods of detection and protection as the secure browsing feature. It analyzes URLs entered in the address bar or displayed on a web page, then compares them to its database of known phishing sites
The built-in anti-spam component works solely with Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Outlook is a personal information manager from Microsoft, available both as a separate application as well as a part of the Microsoft Office suite...
and Outlook Express
Outlook Express
Outlook Express is an email and news client that is included with Internet Explorer versions 4.0 through 6.0. As such, it is also bundled with several versions of Microsoft Windows, from Windows 98 to Windows Server 2003, and is available for Windows 3.x, Windows NT 3.51, Windows 95 and Mac OS 9...
, and filters all e-mail messages to determine if any messages can be classified as E-mail spam
E-mail spam
Email spam, also known as junk email or unsolicited bulk email , is a subset of spam that involves nearly identical messages sent to numerous recipients by email. Definitions of spam usually include the aspects that email is unsolicited and sent in bulk. One subset of UBE is UCE...
or phishing
Phishing
Phishing is a way of attempting to acquire information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Communications purporting to be from popular social web sites, auction sites, online payment processors or IT...
attempts. When enabled this feature adds an anti-spam toolbar to Outlook or Outlook Express.
If spam or phishing attempts are found, the anti-spam engines place the messages into separate Spam, Phishing, and Unsure repository subfolders within the mail application. From the toolbar the user is able to manually block or approve e-mail messages. This allows the anti-spam filters to learn the user’s preferences on how to manage future messages from an e-mail address or domain. An “Anti-Spam” button also gives the user the option to scan a selected folder for any e-mail messages classified as spam or phishing and to view statistics for spam blocking and approval. The Anti-spam statistics can also be viewed from the Webroot software application itself under Identity & Privacy and then the Anti-Spam tab.
The Sync and Sharing technology, which is also used in Webroot Internet Security Complete
Webroot Internet Security Complete
Webroot Internet Security Complete is a computer security software program for Microsoft Windows users that combine SaaS cloud protection with traditional antivirus and antispyware desktop technologies...
but with 8GB less storage space, contains access to the online file back-up and file sharing center. Through a web portal users are able to manage stored files, change identity protection settings, and view their free space. Syncing across multiple PCs and web arching important files is done through the use of a Magic Briefcase. Photo sharing can also be managed through the online portal allow the users to share albums with friends. Audio files such as music libraries can be stored in the briefcase as well.
Criticisms
Reviews have commented on the lack of parental controls included in this security suite as well as the difficulty in configuring the firewall.Malware Detection and Removal
In a review by PC World it was reported that Webroot detected and disabled all active malware infections and removed all traces of 60% of the samples. The software detected 93% of inactive rootkits and 100% active rootkits, but it failed to remove them all entirely leaving 13% of them behind. With the signature based detection it found 96.2% of samplesSystem Impact
The product took 5 minutes, 34 seconds to scan 4.5 GB of data and the boot time was 48.5 seconds which put it slower than most of the competition.The newest version of the software has been redesigned to minimize use of system resources and is auto-programmed to have scans run every Monday at midnight, but allows changes to this schedule based on user preferences.
Certifications
The product received the Virus BulletinVirus Bulletin
Virus Bulletin is a magazine about the prevention, detection and removal of malware and spam. It regularly features analyses of the latest virus threats, articles exploring new developments in the fight against viruses, interviews with anti-virus experts, and evaluations of current anti-malware...
certification in December 2008 for Windows XP 64 bit.
The product has received the AV –Test certification for Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP.
The product received a gold award from TopTenReviews
TopTenReviews
TopTenReviews is a website which aggregates reviews for software, hardware, web services, music, movies and video games from other sites and publications. Founded by Jerry Ropelato in 2003, TTR is, as of May 2008, one of the most popular sites of its kind by size and traffic, with the largest...
achieving a 4 out of 4 star rating.
See also
- Webroot SoftwareWebroot SoftwareWebroot provides Internet security software for consumers, enterprises and small and medium–sized businesses. Originally started in Boulder, CO the company is now headquartered in Broomfield, CO, the company has operations in Australia, Austria, Germany, Ireland, Japan and the United Kingdom.-...
- Spy SweeperSpy SweeperSpy Sweeper is a software product that detects and removes spyware and viruses on personal computers that run Microsoft Windows...
- Webroot Antivirus with Spy SweeperWebroot Antivirus with Spy SweeperWebroot Antivirus with Spy Sweeper, previously known as Webroot AntiVirus with AntiSpyware, is an antimalware utility developed by Webroot Software...
- Antivirus softwareAntivirus softwareAntivirus or anti-virus software is used to prevent, detect, and remove malware, including but not limited to computer viruses, computer worm, trojan horses, spyware and adware...