Santa Thinks IT Security This Christmas

Spammers aren’t taking the holiday off, so end users shouldn’t either. For those interested in doing some holiday shopping, here is a short list of products to consider for that security-minded someone. The products span a number of technologies, from anti-virus to Web security.

Norton Internet Security 2009

Symantec’s latest Web security product targets known bad files to speed scanning, delivers “pulse updates” every 5 to 15 minutes, and includes improved protection against botnets and Web-based attacks.

Trend Micro Internet Security 2009

Trend Micro’s Internet security offering includes protection for as many as three PCs per license, and features malware protection and parental controls that allow users to block inappropriate Web sites based on specific categories.

McAfee Internet Security 2009

McAfee’s product includes a new Do Not Disturb mode that allows users to watch movies and slide shows and play video games uninterrupted while the McAfee product defers updates, tasks and alerts.

Webroot Antivirus Version 6.0

The new version of the Webroot offering includes integration with the Webroot Automated Research Network as well as free online backup. There is also free U.S.-based costumer support.

Kaspersky Mobile Security

The Kaspersky product includes a number of features to protect users in the event that their mobile phone is lost or stolen, including the ability to send an SMS (Short Message Service) message to the phone to block access without a password.

McAfee VirusScan Mobile

McAfee VirusScan Mobile includes malware scanning and protection at multiple entry and exit points, including e-mail, instant messages, attachments, SMS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Norton Smartphone Security

Symantec’s product targets SMS spam by blocking short text and multimedia messages from unknown senders, while also offering protection against malware. It supports both the Windows and Symbian platforms.

AVG Anti-virus 8.0

There is also a free version of this product available, but the paid version includes a number of features not in the free edition, such as rootkit detection and “Safe Surf” technology.

Eikon and Eikon to Go

UPEK’s fingerprint scanner, which works for Macs and Windows PCs, allows users to swipe their finger for access to the desktop and from there load usernames and passwords for online accounts.

Sunbelt Counterspy Version 3.0

Sunbelt Software’s security product includes new rootkit protection and increased scan speed and reduced memory and CPU usage. The user interface also has a new Overview page that displays system health.