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What, if any, Webroot package is right for me?

  • 1 August 2012
  • 2 replies
  • 129 views
J
Rank
Userlevel 1
Here's what I need from my security suite:
  1. It must be able to detect malware in downloaded/downloading files, in incoming email attachments and in malicious URL links.  I use IMAP and IMAP-SSL mail systems.
  2. It must, within acceptable tolerances, be able to block/quarantine the detected threat(s) before they take up residence on my machine.
  3. Since no malware defense system is 100% effective, it must be able to remove any infections that slip through.
  4. It must be able to defend itself from malware that attempts to disable or remove it.
  5. It must prevent further damage by refusing to allow malware (that was not detected, blocked or removed) to "phone home".
Here's what I don't need:
  1. I don't need a spam blocker.  My ISP and my email client do a decent job of that already.
  2. I don't need a password vault - I use LastPass for that.
  3. I don't need a "web safety indicator" - I use WOT for that.
  4. I don't want mobile device protection.  My paranoia only goes so far...
My short trial of Essentials seems to indicate that it accomplishes most of that, except for the SSL thing.
 
Finally, after reading many web sites, it seems to me that there are more than a few anti-virus "experts" that believe if an anti-virus software package detects a threat and alerts me, then it has done what it was designed to do.  Defending itself, quarantining and removal are bonus features, may be unreliable compared to the software's detection ability, and I should defer to dedicated removal tools to clean an infected system.  Is that an accurate assessment?
 
Thanks for any opinions, facts and insights.
 
Jeff
 
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Best answer by WesB 1 August 2012, 20:27

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W
Rank
Userlevel 3
Welcome to the community, Jeff!
 
It sounds to me like SecureAnywhere Essentials would be an excellent product for you.  However it might also be worthwhile to consider SecureAnywhere Complete, because mobile protection is a legitimate concern, and Complete would also provide 10 GB of backup and sync per PC as opposed to 2 GB per PC with Essentials.  Let's run-down your list of features one by one:
 
Features you want:
1.  Webroot will analyze a file for malware both upon download and execution.  This is true as well for emails and attachments being pulled down from a server via IMAP/IMAP SSL.  SecureAnywhere Essentials and Complete also analyze URL reputation, and will alert you if a URL you attempt to visit is associated with malware or phishing threats.
2-3.  SecureAnywhere will block any malicious executions as well as immediately quarantine and remove any detected threats on your machine.
4.  SecureAnywhere has stringent self-protection settings, which can be set to Minimum, Medium, or Maximum to prevent any programs from disabling or making any changes to SecureAnywhere.  You can also set the program to require a CAPTCHA in order to change configuration, critical features, uninstall, and shut down. 
5.  Both SecureAnywhere Essentials and SecureAnywhere Complete include a firewall which monitors your out-bound traffic in order to block malware from phoning home.  You can also set the firewall to be as strict as warning if any process connects to the Internet unless specifically allowed.
 
Features you don't want:
1.  SecureAnywhere Essentials and SecureAnywhere Complete do not provide an email spam blocker.
2.  SecureAnywhere Essentials does not include password management.  SecureAnywhere Complete does, and it is actually through LastPass.
3.  SecureAnywhere, by default, does include search annotations.  But these can be turned off by clicking settings > Web Threat Shield > and deselecting "Analyze search engine results and identify malicious websites before visitation."
4.  SecureAnywhere Essentials does not include mobile device protection.  SecureAnywhere Complete does, and I would highly recommend it especially if you have any Android devices.  Mobile platforms are the fastest growing market for malware.  For instance, in the past 4 months alone there has been over a 450% increase in Android malware.  So although you might not be concerned about mobile at this point, things are changing very quickly and I would urge you to protect your mobile devices.  SecureAnywhere Complete would be the product to choose for that.
 
To touch on your last comment, with Webroot you're not going to need dedicated removal tools.  SecureAnywhere goes beyond mere detection and alerting.  SecureAnywhere also remediates and prevents further damage from malware in a unique way.  If an unknown or potentially malicious file is introduced, SecureAnywhere will begin journaling all of its actions.  Then if the file is determined to be malware, SecureAnywhere can roll-back any changes the file made to your system.  Also, during the journaling process, our Identity Shield would prevent any of your data from being compromised.  
 
I hope this information helps with your decision making process, and I think you'll enjoy Webroot! :D  I would encourage you to call our sales team at 866-612-4268 to purchase, as we are currently running some specials for both SecureAnywhere Complete and SecureAnywhere Essentials, and that way we can get you the best deal possible.
 
Regards,
 
Wes B.
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J
Rank
Userlevel 1
Thanks for the detailed answer, Wes.  Webroot has a very unique approach to malware defense, and I have to admit it makes a lot of sense logically and performance-wise. 
 
I think Essentials is the sweet spot for me.  We're all iPhone here except for my oldest son's Android, and the only way I could secure his phone is to take it away from him and lock it in a safe. :D  I have my own local backup plan with over 4 TB of backup storage, so I don't need the extra GB in Complete.
 
I got an email from sales with, quite frankly, an eye-popping deal, so even if I wanted to resist the temptation to buy Webroot I don't think I could. :D  But I do have to run it for a few more days to ensure it doesn't conflict or interfere with my mission-critical apps (like BitDefender did).
 
Kudos on the PCMag review from last October.  That review induced me to try Webroot after uninstalling the BitDefender trial.
 
Jeff

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