18 MAXIMUMPC | FEB 08 | http://www.maximumpc.com

With PC threats continually

evolving & multiplying, is it

time to upgrade our tradi-

tional anti-malware suites?

W

hether you know it or not, you’re

constantly under attack by ne-

farious netizens. Why? Because

your computer contains a gold

mine of goodies just waiting to be exploited

by wrongdoers.

Everything from your banking information

and credit card numbers to your processor

cycles and Internet connection are valuable

commodities sought after by online thieves.

We’re talking about denial of service (DoS)

attacks, threats to your fi nances, and all-out

identity theft. And if that weren’t enough, the

culprits are continually developing new and

increasingly complex techniques to take over

your system for their personal gain, spurring

an arms race between the digital crooks and

the PC security vendors cashing in on the

mayhem. But just how much protection do

you really need?

In response to these ever-increasing

threats, a host of new security applications

have started to emerge, and each one

promises to offer a level of protection be-

yond that of your traditional anti-malware

arsenal. The developers of these programs

claim it’s no longer enough to rely on data-

bases of known threats to catch viruses

and spyware, and that today’s strains of PC

pestilence are able to outsmart traditional

safety measures. But is this truly the case,

or is this simply another attempt to sell

more crapware?

To fi nd out, we gathered a host of next-

generation security apps, installed them on

our systems, and then put their claims to the

test. We’ll tell you whether these new apps

deliver on their promises and whether you

should be rushing to upgrade.

—BY PAUL LILLY

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Security

Internet