Review: PestPatrol 3.0 - Page 3
The next main tab is Options, and you can always tell where the power lies in most software here. You can establish the action to take when a pest is encountered, and which categories to scan for, including Hacker/Security Tools, Spyware, or Spyware Cookies. You can also set your Exclude directories or files, update checking, Process priorities, and even establish a startup command-line from here.
Info is more useful for educational purposes than anything else, but should prove invaluable to network managers who want to be aware of what security issues currently abound outside of traditional viruses. There are links for advice on command-line, LAN, MailSweeper, and numerous help screens. Here you also will find a list of pests with detailed information, and news about the software dynamically updated.
The power lies in the Logs tab. The Current Log lists all pests and lets you manually determine what to do in each instance, if needs be. The options include isolated analysis, looking up the latest information on the file or pest, quarantine, Ignore (this time or forever), and delete. The most interesting feature here is the Master Log, which will allow you to sort by pest, computer name, or MAC address, among other criteria.
PestPatrol is available for businesses in two forms; per seat with volume discounts, and an auditor's license, which will allow network consultants and analysts to use the product wherever they may travel. A full-functioning trial version is available, as well as more detailed information from their Web site.
The time may come when the giant anti-virus vendors become aware of these issues, but at present, you will probably want to consider whether your network is secure without this program.
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Jim Freund is the Managing Editor of CrossNodes.
