Sights and Sounds of Multimedia
By George Harding
Panda Antivirus 2007 …
One of the several auxiliary tools you should have installed on your computer is antivirus software. Not only should you have the software, but you should have a subscription so that the software can download updated files that can identify not only all the virus strains that have been around for some time, but also the newest threats to our computers.
Panda is one of several antivirus software makers. The software is set up to automatically download the signature files to identify the latest bad stuff. The best part is that Panda Antivirus 2007 protects against not only viruses, but also identifies spyware (the kind that captures your password and tries to steal you identity) and protects against online fraud (by identifying suspicious emails that purport to be from your bank or other financial office, but in fact direct you to a site from which your identifying info can be copied and used to steal your money).
As far as antivirus goes, Panda is recognized as one of the best. There is no lack of competition in this field, so being highly ranked is significant.
One nice thing about Antivirus 2007 is that the download price of about $30 allows you to use the product on two PCs, which is pretty unusual. Many similar products require that you purchase multiple copies of the same product. The proliferation of notebooks may have something to do with this enlightened corporate approach. A single copy is about $20 for a year’s service.
Features include antivirus (of course), spyware protection, phishing protection, daily updates, tech support by email 24 hours a day, and new virus identification. If Antivirus identifies a virus not in its database, it notifies you of the fact and gives you the opportunity to send it to Panda for analysis.
I had been using the popular (and free) AVG antivirus product. When I installed Panda’s product, it recognized AVG and offered to automatically uninstall it. When that is completed, I had to restart my computer. On startup, Panda did a scan of memory, then proceeded to install the product.
The next step is registration. You must register, in order to receive the daily updates of the signature files. This is essential to have an effective antivirus product. Once you register, you receive an email containing your User Name and Password, which must be entered in Antivirus before you can update the signature files.
After updating, you can do a complete scan of your computer. Each day, when you start up your computer, Antivirus goes to Panda’s web site to get the updated files, then scans your computer.
Panda’s web site describes Antivirus 2007 as small and super-efficient so your computer runs faster. That has not been my experience! When you start your computer, the software first contacts Panda to download the latest signature files, then does a scan of your computer. During this time, my system slows to a crawl! Super-efficient is not how I’d describe it!
Panda’s Antivirus 2007 is more than that, including not only antivirus, but also anti-spyware and anti-phishing tools. I’ve not had any attacks get through to my email. In the last month or so, the software has blocked 1,452 threats, according to the statistics panel in the software, of which 1,437 were spyware. An impressive total!
Panda Antivirus 2007 pandasoftware.com Price $20 for one computer, $30 for two, downloadable
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