Version 9 of Acronis's Privacy Expert Suite, now distributed in the UK by Computrolley, is set to get a big sales boost from Amazon UK where it will soon be available for a knock-down £16.99 for a limited time.
However, V9 is carrying a monkey on its back - the claim that it's the most comprehensive anti-spyware and security suite available for home PCs. That's not only hard to prove, it's also hard to disprove. So, rather than come over all judgemental, we'll just try to stick with the facts.
The first is that there is a LOT of malware coming at you from web sites and in emails. If you're currently not taking active steps to protect yourself, then your internet-connected Windows PCs are probably already hosting a fine selection of nasties.
At best, these will be making your machines run slowly, perhaps crawl along. At worst, they're putting at risk the security of the data on those PCs and your bank and credit card accounts, too.
Computrolley lists out spyware, rootkits, adware, keyloggers and trojan horses as instances of malware. Between them, they may be letting the bad-hats know a whole lot more about you than you want known, as well as forcing you to wade through treacle.
At one level, details of your web and general computing activity can be passed on. At another, your passwords and security numbers may be recorded and sent off for baddies to do with as they want.
The new features that V9 of the Acronis suite brings to the battle front are said to be:
* Rootkit removal. Detection is said to be automatic, with the user informed and given the choice of what to zap
* The quarantining of detected spyware, ready for removal at the user's say so
* Three levels of malware-shield protection - high, medium, low
* Daily malware-definition updates
* An Enhanced pop-up blocker. This, too has three levels of protection and is claimed to accurately block out many types of ads
* An internet cleanup utility supporting the ever-more-popular Mozilla FireFox browser, not just Internet Explorer
Whether or not V9 can live up to the claim made for it, we don't know. What we do know is that there's a fine place for you over in the HEXUS.community to discuss your experiences with software - free and paid for - used to guard your PCs, and we're hoping to hear your advice and request for help over there.
HEXUS.headline
HEXUS.community - discussion thread about this article
Acronis - Privacy Expert Suite home page
Amazon UK - home page
Computrolley - home page
