Webroot Antivirus Sweeper
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I was all prepared to evaluate new antivirus software from Webroot last fall, but the product s release got pushed back repeatedly. It turns out that the company s new CEO had exhorted the design team to hold off on any new versions until they could come up with something truly stunning. After putting Webroot AntiVirus with Spy Sweeper 2011 39.99 direct; 49.99 for 3 licenses through its paces I m convinced he was right this application was worth the wait.
The new edition s user interface has been redesigned with a strong emphasis on simplicity. On-screen elements slide into place rather than snapping open a new view. If the product is performing perfectly, the main screen is a serene green with minimal detail. A gray screen with a yellow warning icon indicates the configuration isn t quite optimal automatic scanning is turned off, for example, or a full scan has never been performed. A real problem such as having real-time protection components disabled turns the main screen scary red, but also offers a big Fix Now button to correct the error. Yes, other products use same green/yellow/red status scheme, but Webroot has kicked it up a notch, aesthetically speaking.
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Automated Protection
You won t find a big Update Now button on Webroot s main screen. By default, the app downloads and installs all signature updates automatically, with no user interaction required. Even better, updates to program modules happen in exactly the same way. Simple.
Keeping with the theme of simplicity, Webroot automatically scans your system for malware when the system is idle. There s no need to schedule scans for a particular time. In fact, if you try to schedule a scan, it points out that automatic idle-time scanning makes scheduling unnecessary. Of course, you re free to disable idle-time scanning and schedule scans a daily, weekly or monthly basis.
By default Webroot, applies all of its malware-smashing technologies during a full scan. It scans memory, the Registry, and the full file system, it looks inside archives, and it uses direct disk scanning to detect rootkits. Despite all this activity the scan is quite fast. On my standard clean test system, it took just 18 minutes. Webroot subtly discourages changing these settings by making you first enable custom settings and then edit the configuration.
Real-time protection comes from over a dozen shield modules. Initially Webroot auto-configures these for recommended protection, meaning all but a couple of them are turned on. Here, again, if you want to make changes you must first enable custom settings. The average user will do just fine with the recommended protection level.
Effective Malware Cleanup
I installed Webroot on my thirteen malware-infested test systems and ran a full scan of each. While the scan on my clean test system finished quickly some of the infested systems took hours and hours but I m not complaining. I ve had to spend days of my own time with tech support just to get some products installed and functioning. Webroot took care of the malware all on its own.
Webroot detected 83 percent of the malware threats, the same as Ad-Aware Pro Internet Security 8.3 29.95 direct, . However, it did a better cleanup job, scoring 7.0 points overall to Ad-Aware Pro s 6.4. In quite a few cases, Webroot wiped out every trace of the threat. Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus 2010 39.95 direct, beat them both. It detected 89 percent and scored 7.3 points. The 97 percent detection rate for Emsisoft Anti-Malware 5.0 40 direct, is tarnished by that product s tendency to identify valid programs as malware, though its score of 7.4 is the highest with this current sample set.
I test for removal of commercial keyloggers separately, since vendors can disagree as to whether these are valid or malicious. Webroot tied Spyware Doctor for highest detection rate in this test with 93 percent. Webroot set a new record in the keylogger removal category with 7.8 of 10 possible points, handily beating both Spyware Doctor s 7.1 and the next-best 6.6 points achieved by Norton AntiVirus 2010 39.99 direct, .
I break out separate scores for rootkits and scareware threats rogue security software. Webroot fared especially well in these breakout tests. Like Spyware Doctor and Ad-Aware Total Security 1.0 49.95 direct, , Webroot detected 100 percent of the rootkit threats. It scored 8.0 for rootkit removal, not as high as Spyware Doctor s 9.0, but certainly better than the Ad-Aware Total Security s 6.6 points.
Like Ad-Aware Pro, Emsisoft, and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.46 Free, , Webroot detected 89 percent of the scareware threats. No other product has detected more with my current test set. The other two were more effective at cleaning up traces of these rogues, though. Ad-Aware Pro and Malwarebytes scored 8.1 points, Emsisoft 7.9, and Webroot 7.1. That s still a good showing.
While not the top scorer in malware cleanup overall Webroot definitely did a very good job. It was especially effective in my breakout tests against specific types of malware, matching the top detection rates for keyloggers, rootkits and scareware. For details on how I test malware removal and derive these scores, see How We Test Anti-malware. Next: Layer upon Layer of Protection
Webroot AntiVirus with Spy Sweeper 2011 Removal Chart
Layer upon Layer of Protection
Webroot includes over a dozen shield components to protect your system from malware infestation. In testing, this multi-layered approach proved seriously effective.
Internet Connection Shield forms the first line of defense, automatically blocking any program s access to known malware-hosting sites. When I tried to re-download my current malware collection Webroot blocked over 40 percent of those whose URLs were still functional. For the rest, File System Shield kicked in to scan once the download finished and immediately wiped out more than half of those remaining. These two components blocked three quarters of my samples before or immediately after download.
Many real-time antivirus utilities check for malware every time a file is accessed, even the minimal access that occurs when Windows Explorer displays the file s details. Webroot s File System Shield checks files that get written to disk, but it doesn t re-examine files already existing on the system. That s the job of Execution Shield, which prevents execution of malicious files.
When I attempted to execute already-downloaded copies of my malware samples Execution Shield blocked 80 percent of them before they could even launch. I also tried hand-modified versions of the samples that were blocked at launch. Execution Shield missed about a third of these, leaving them one assumes for the other shields to handle.
Real-time protection later in the install process pushed Webroot s overall detection rate to 91 percent, higher than any other product except for Panda Cloud Antivirus 1.1 Free, and Ad-Aware Pro, both of which detected 94 percent. Webroot scored an excellent 9.0 of 10 possible points in the malware blocking test, beaten only by Panda s 9.1 and Ad-Aware Pro s 9.2 points.
As in the malware cleanup test, Webroot excelled at my breakout tests for specific threat types. The good news is that it detected 100 percent of my commercial keylogger samples and scored 9.0 for keylogger blocking. Only Spyware Doctor came close, detecting 93 percent and scoring 8.9. The bad news is that I give little weight to the keylogger-blocking test. If Mikhail Semenko is sitting at your desk installing a keylogger, no software can help you.
Like Spyware Doctor, Ad-Aware Pro and Ad-Aware Total Security, Webroot also detected 100 percent of the rootkit samples. With 9.2 points it didn t beat Spyware Doctor 9.3 points or Ad-Aware Pro a perfect 10.0 but it did better than Ad-Aware Total Security 8.8 points.
In the scareware test, Webroot tied for the top both in detection percentage and removal score. Along with Malwarebytes and Ad-Aware Pro it detected 89 percent of the scareware threats and blocked them perfectly to score 8.9 points.
Webroot s numerous protective shields did a seriously impressive job protecting my clean test system from malware infestation, especially rootkits and scareware. It even aced the keylogger-protection test. For details on how I test malware removal and derive these scores, see How We Test Anti-malware.
Webroot AntiVirus with Spy Sweeper 2011 Blocking Chart
Low on False Positives
Webroot includes a number of other shields that react to specific system changes made by any program. If a program installs a Browser Helper Object, tries to add an ActiveX control to Internet Explorer, or if it attempts to launch from an Alternate Data Stream, the corresponding shield will pop up and ask you whether to allow it.
These popups aren t hard to handle. If you re installing a new browser enhancement of some kind you ll want to allow the ActiveX and BHO installations; if an ActiveX or BHO message pops up up out of the blue, block it. Almost no valid programs try to launch from Alternate Data Streams that s a rootkit trick. So you can always block that one.
The behavior that trips up many antivirus programs involves modification of the startup sequence. A huge number of perfectly valid programs add themselves to the startup sequence at install, or upon changing configuration, or both. Some programs report all of these and require your permission. Webroot wisely limits Startup Shield warnings to activity by known malware.
You can also dig into Startup Shield and control which valid programs are permitted to launch at startup. You could do the same using the Windows built-in MSCONFIG utility, so this feature is slightly redundant. At least it isn t outright dangerous, like the AutoStart Manager in Ad-Aware Pro, which can easily disable essential Windows components.
When I installed twenty PCMag utilities Webroot warned accurately that two of them wanted to install a Browser Helper Object. It didn t gripe at all about the rest. Spyware Doctor s behavior guard feature, by contrast, frequently popped up text-laden boxes reporting valid files as suspicious.
There s a lot to like in Webroot s 2011 model. Its well-crafted interface has been made as simple as possible, but not too simple Spyware Doctor could use a similar makeover. While Webroot didn t ace every test, it consistently made the top three, and, unlike many products, it did well both at malware prevention and at cleaning up existing infestations. You won t go wrong choosing Webroot to protect your system against viruses and other types of malware. Webroot AntiVirus with SpySweeper 2011 is our new standalone antivirus Editors Choice.
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Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus will protect your PC with minimal impact, but there are better options.
Spy Sweeper Secure Anywhere antivirus anti-spyware is the most affordable and reliable software specially designed to protect you from identity theft, and to protect.
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Neil J. Rubenking, PC Mag Lead Analyst for Security
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