Micro Mart

January, 2007

Original article at Micro Mart web site

Acronis Privacy Expert Suite 8.0

Rating: 8/10

As Internet activity becomes more prevalent, opportunities increase for those less scrupulous to target your computer for their own devices. Even if you rarely venture into cyberspace, you could find your computer is slowing down due to the presence of uninvited software or, in the worst possible case, your electronic identity being taken over by others. Acronis Privacy Expert Suite 8.0 is a product that offers to provide protection to avoid falling victim to these possibilities.

This product provides a range of security tools that can be accessed from a front-end menu, which can be switched between a classic and category view. In the latter mode, the menu divides its functions into the two main categories of Spyware and Privacy.

There are two basic options in the Spyware section tackling scanning and shield features and you can customise the settings used. As part of the configuration you can set the Spyware shield to run as part of your system start-up routine and limit the software to check just certain areas or the whole of your hard disk. While the spyware shield will help provide a degree of real-time protection from any future intrusions, you should run the main spyware module at regular intervals.

The spyware module will check for items that fall into categories such as adware, browser hijackers, key loggers, diallers, sniffers and Trojan horses. The results of a scan will be displayed as a hierarchical tree structure. Information will be provided as to each item's category, location, danger level plus a general description. Items can be selected for removal on an individual basis or as whole categories.

In order to get the full benefit of any spyware detection program you do need to make sure that you have the latest version of its definition files. Included with this product is a one-year free subscription to the Acronis spyware update service, which can be accessed on a daily basis.

Acronis Pop-up Blocker allows you to create White and Black lists to indicate appropriate URLs. Viewable logs of pages visited and blocked URLs are created. The contents of the former can be used to help populate White and Black lists. There are also tools to clean up history lists created by applications, Internet activity and general Windows usage plus shred files and create bootable media.

Acronis Privacy Expert Suite 8.0 has an easy to use interface and provides various useful aides to protect you from unwanted intrusions.