Posts Tagged ‘security’
ZoneAlarm’s 2010 suites include encryption
Best known for its ZoneAlarm firewall, Check Point Software has announced updates for ZoneAlarm’s more full-featured security suites. Available in two versions, ZoneAlarm Internet Security 2010 gives users a robust firewall, antivirus and antispyware, and parental control package for $50, while ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 2010 adds Web browsing protection, system tune-up tools, backup options, and anti-phishing technology for $70.
Trend Micro’s 2010 suite is sharp at the top
Trend Micro released its 2010 security products earlier this week, with three programs offering varying levels of security and service. The comparatively barebones Trend Micro Antivirus + AntiSpyware clocks in at $40, with the basic suite Trend Micro Internet Security available for $10 more and $70 for the premium Trend Micro Internet Security Pro. They all come with a full-feature 30-day trial.
There’s a lot that’s new in the Pro version and some of that filters down to the other editions. Users can expect to get full Windows 7 support, auto-run disabling for USB keys, gaming, and video-watching awareness so that scans don’t begin while you’re relaxing, and notably a behavioral detection engine that Trend Micro calls the Smart Protection Network.
Like its competitors Symantec and Kaspersky, Trend Micro’s engine utilizes anonymous data from its client base to determine when a program is behaving suspiciously. From there, it will either automatically kill the process or ask for user input. As malware and virus makers get smarter and find new ways to avoid detection, the need for behavioral monitoring will only increase.
There are a series of performance enhancements, too, at least according to Trend Micro. Trend Micro is claiming that boot times are 20 percent faster, that the programs use 40 percent less RAM, that the download itself is 25 percent smaller, and that the quick scan on Windows Vista and Windows XP is 20 percent faster.
Many of the other feature changes amount to tweaks. However, for the price it’s undeniable that you’re getting your money’s worth in the Pro version. Smartphone security support for Windows Mobile and Symbian, customizable data protection to keep names, phones numbers, and credit card numbers from leaving your computer, and a dynamic firewall make it a must-consider if you’re in the market for a robust suite. Full reviews for each product are available here: Trend Micro Antivirus + AntiSpyware, Trend Micro Internet Security, Trend Micro Internet Security Pro.
Do you use a security suite? Which one? Let me know in the comments below.
http://download.cnet.com/8301-2007_4-10319963-12.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
Snow Leopard could level security playing field
Friday’s release of the new version of the Mac OS, dubbed Snow Leopard, could include some security features that would make it secure, or at least push it closer to the level of security that Vista and Windows 7 have, experts said this week.
Contrary to popular Mac fanboy belief, Macintosh is not more secure from a software standpoint than modern Windows; it’s merely safer to use because malware writers prefer to target the platform with the biggest install base, according to Charlie Miller and Dino Dai Zovi, co-authors of The Mac Hacker’s Handbook, which came out this spring.
“Apple hasn’t implemented all the security features that Vista has,” Miller said. “They made some improvements in Leopard, but they are still behind.”
If there is any truth to rumors circulating about Snow Leopard, the operating system security playing field could become more level as of this weekend and Mac users will really have something to brag about.
Full story :
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-10318943-245.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
Report: Antivirus feature for Snow Leopard?
The next version of Apple’s OS X, which is due out Friday, may bundle antivirus capabilities.
Mac security firm Intego said that the latest version of the operating system, Mac OS X Snow Leopard, could have an antimalware feature, according to reports, in a blog post Tuesday.
The company published a screenshot which it said was of the security feature detecting a Trojan in a download, made via Apple’s Safari Web browser.
Intego pointed out that the most recent Mac adverts compare Mac security favorably to PCs. However, security experts have historically been divided over the relative security of Microsoft and Apple code, while some point out that any comparison is further complicated by the differing market penetration of Macs and PCs.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10318201-37.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20