PestPatrol is a software company that wants to help you rid your computer of unwanted, unwelcome programs. The flagship product, also called PestPatrol, protects against the full range of non-viral malware - trojan horses, denial-of-service zombies, hacker tools, spyware, and adware. Specifically, PestPatrol removes Spyware and adware that "phones home" information about you, your computer, and your surfing habits; Remote access trojans (RATs) that allow an attacker to remotely control your computer; Keystroke loggers that can steal passwords and other confidential data; and Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack agents that can crash or hang a program, or your entire system. In addition, PestPatrol searches for probe tools that look for vulnerabilities on your system that a hacker can exploit.
Used along with anti-virus software and a firewall, the makers of PestPatrol say that it will keep you safe from malicious objects, commonly referred to as Pests. In fact, Zone Alarm, another trusted source of freeware believes so strongly in PestPatrol that they've bundled it, as a free bonus, with Zone Alarm Pro.
On the site, http://www.pestpatrol.com/ the makers of PestPatrol say that it fills an important gap in computer security. "Whole new breeds of malicious software are being developed that are more harmful than viruses and are not detected by commercially available products. Hacker tools, spyware, and trojan horses can slip past traditional firewalls to cause great damage to corporate networks. PestPatrol complements existing security technologies by finding malicious software that anti-virus products miss, and removing source applications that evade firewalls."
Kenneth Gillow, AsiaPac Manager at Pest Patrol provided me with the corporate version of PestPatrol which I've downloaded on both my desktop mongrel, which has just been fixed again more or less and on the Toshiba Satellite 1400 laptop. PestPatrol loaded without a problem it's completely compatible with all existing software. It runs on all Windows 32-bit flavors, including Windows 95/98/98se/ME/NT4/2000/XP.
There are four versions of PestPatrol.
Although I was evaluating the English-language downloadable version, a Japanese-language version is distributed and sold through PestPatrol's primary reseller, Ahkun, Inc. and by NetJapan. You can also buy the disk at Yodobashi Camera in Shinjuku, Nishi-guchi and other locations
Once downloaded and installed, PestPatrol is a snap to use and customize. In addition to deciding what drives to scan, you can select from several options under where to search, what to search for, what to exclude, automatic scans and updates and you can even customize PestPatrol's appearance on your desktop.
PestPatrol does its work silently and in the background. CookiePatrol, for example, allows a website cookie to be created, satisfying the web site that gave it to you. And then it destroys the cookie, satisfying your need for privacy. It performs without blowing it's own horn. You won't be annoyed with a popup announcing that PestPatrol is doing its job every time a cookie is deleted.
You can easily see what PestPatrol has been quietly taking care of by checking the logs. I've read a lot of software logs, and I can tell you, some are easier than others to read. PestPatrol provides a very easily understood log, complete with links to other sites if you feel the need for more detail. The log is broken into 4 parts, here's a sample from the log:
It's clear that the company understands its market and the need to inform people who are not technical about why they should buy this product. I appreciate the clear, understandable language and statements that explain each of the processes as well as the pests. The site is a goldmine of information on computer pests, what they do and why you should get rid of them. I like the thorough way the people at PestPatrol educate the readers and users on the threats that these pests create to online security.
For example, many people use KaZaa to share and download music. In addition to a succinct Vendor overview, which tells me what KaZaa is and what's it does, there's this and more on the site:
In addition, you'll find the precise location of these pests -- the site gives you the path so you know specifically where these pests are hiding in you PC.
PestPatrol was founded in June 2000 by two early pioneers of the fledgling PC security industry. David Stang and Bob Bales were two of the three founders of the National Computer Security Association (later ICSA then TruSecure Corporation). Most other members of the PestPatrol team are former ICSA employees as well. PestPatrol, Inc is a privately held company, located in Carlisle, PA.
There is no restriction against any non-profit group using this review as long as it is kept in context, with proper credit given to the author. This review is brought to you by the Editorial Committee of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG), an international organization of which this group is a member.
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