Webroot Secure

Webroot Secure:

Anywhere: PC, Android and iOS protection under one license:

Security software running on your PC is a necessary evil, and depending on your choice of security suite, one that can have a significant impact on the performance of you system.

So if a company offered you a security suite that boasts a 6-second install, only required 6MB of storage, and system scans that took less than 2 minutes to perform, you’d be interested, right?

That’s exactly what Webroot is claiming to offer with the launch of its latest suite called SecureAnywhere released today.

Webroot Software has a history of offering security tools starting with Windows Washer in 1997, then Spy Sweeper in 2002. In 2006 it began offering antivirus, then added firewall protection before moving to a full consumer security suite for PCs in 2008.

With the introduction of SecureAnywhere, Webroot is not only trying to offer protection without the system resources overhead, but has also extended security to mobile devices including both iOS and Android platforms. In fact, with a single license it’s possible to offer protection for up to 5 PCs and 3 mobile devices.

The quick install, scans, and minimal hard drive requirements stem from the fact SecureAnywhere is a cloud-based solution. Even the firewall is handled in the cloud. There’s no signature files, just a cloud database and threat intelligence network that uses information from all machines running the suite to offer better protection.

The software is broken down into three components: Identity Shield, Web Threat Shield, and Core System Shield. Together they offer protection against keyloggers, screen grabbers, trojans, and phishing attacks, as well as monitoring all content on websites you visit and offering a predictive protection function for those times when you are offline.

For the novice PC users Webroot is promising a pop-up free experience that offers protection without the decision making. But at the same time advanced features are there including 124 settings and a selection of tools for additional threat detection. As for system scanning, there’s 6 options to cater for your needs.

Because SecureAnywhere is cloud based, Webroot has managed to offer up management of all your devices through a single web portal. That means multiple PCs, tablets, smartphones, all secured through one interface. Combine that with a password management system, online backups, secure file erasing, encrypted personal data, and file synchronization, and you have a pretty complete security package for all your devices under a single license and yearly subscription.

As you’d expect, there are several license options available for SecureAnywhere. For the PC user there’s SecureAnywhere AntiVirus offering a “basic antimalware service” for 1 PC for $39.95 or 3 PCs for $49.95. SecureAnywhere Essentials adds a firewall, ID protection, and 2GB of online file backup for $59.95 covering 3 PCs.

If you want mobile device protection alone there’s SecureAnywhere Mobile Security for either Android or iOS. In both cases there is a free edition available from the respective app stores offering antivirus, secure web browsing, device locking, and call/SMS blocking. A Premium edition for $19.99 is also available and adds application inspection, password management, SIM card blocking, and device wiping features.

If you want both PC and mobile device protection then the best value choice is SecureAnywhere Complete, which protects up to 3 PCs and 3 mobile devices for $79.95. As well as offering all the features of the Essentials and Mobile Security packages, Complete ups the online storage to 10GB, and extends password management and file syncing across all PCs as well as mobile devices.

SecureAnywhere has already received an Editors’ Choice award from PCMag suggesting its protection, low resource requirements, and coverage of mobile devices under a single license could be a killer combination.

As SecureAnywhere is available for iOS, you’d expect there to be a license covering Macs too. Although not available yet, Webroot is promising Mac support in early 2012.

Read more at Webroot and view a comparison of the PC SecureAnywhere products