While your computer might appear safe and secure on your work space, how well is it content protected?
Since it was founded in 1992, ESET, a Slovakian based company, has built up a well-established reputation for developing solutions to protect computers and their users from unwanted outside criminal influences. Recently I have been checking out the company's Smart Security Premium product as the basis for this review. In common with other Internet security packages, the prefers to be installed in an environment that does not contain any other anti-virus solution.
This is a powerful rugged notebook designed for the sort of conditions that most notebooks would very soon give up. While I can tell you about the unit I was sent, the connections it has can very to suit the use you plan to have for it, so the actual price will tend to vary somewhat.
It came with 32GB of RAM; it has an Intel 12 Gen i7 processor running at 2.1GHz. It has a 1GB SSD ‘C’ drive with 865GB of the 928GB free and a 1GB ‘D’ SSD with 953GB available. The Windows version is Windows 11 Pro 22H2 which is the latest available. Boot up was a reasonable 15 seconds, shutdown is around 10 seconds.
This is an SSD drive that is encrypted so unless you enter the correct password it remains unreadable by any software. It is connected to a PC or other such device by either a USB ‘C’ or USB cable.
In the box are the 500GB drive, a USB ‘C’ cable, a USB cable. Also the all-important Getting Started Guide and a padded zip up case so you can take the drive with you. The face of the drive has three LEDs, numerals 1 to 0 and two other buttons red and green. Read the Getting Started sheet as there are combinations that will not be accepted. First you need to set an admin passcode, once this is set other subsidiary passcodes can be set if others are to use the drive.
When the door bell rings, do you know who is calling? This next product could help.
Encased within a bulbous, lacquered white shell, the takes central stage in the kit. It comes with a mount unit that features a built-in articulated device that allows the angle at which the camera points to be adjusted through 90 degrees. A set of three screws and rawl plugs are provided for attaching the mount and camera to an outside location.
Most people will have heard of Ring for their video doorbells. However they also do other products and here is a Security System with an associated item a Glass Break Sensor. In my area there are dozens of homes that have Ring door bells and these do have a small security aspect in that every time movement is detected even if the bell is not pushed you get an alert to your phone.
So here I am looking at the Ring Alarm package plus the Glass Break Sensor which works with the Ring Alarm. The Base Station is 17x17x3.5cm and can connect via Ethernet or USB and this brings together all the parts of the system. Next is the Key Pad which can be wall mounted or sit near a main entrance door, it is 11x10.5x2cm, it can run on battery or from USB. What else you get depends on the model you purchase, lower down the box I got sent are seven items.
Having recently told you about a large outdoor camera that can be Wi-Fi or Ethernet here one that is a lot smaller but it still offers the choice of Wi-Fi or Ethernet but of course it weighs a lot less and has another very useful feature it’s a lot cheaper but still offers the same resolution of 2K.
The camera measures 5.5x5.5x7cm and its fixed mount can move it 7cm further out from whatever it is mounted on. Its hard wired lead can go through a wall or window frame up to 35cm from the camera. The mount allows a good area of coverage. At night you can set either monochrome or as an added help as deterrent full colour with the aid of the built in spotlight. You get a near instant notification of any movement being detected on your Smartphone.
While you may feel safe when in your home, could you say the same when connected to the Internet?
While perhaps not as familiar as some names in the world of computer protection, ESET has a well-established reputation for developing protective solutions for customers. Founded in 1992, ESET is a Slovakia-based company with its current range of products including Anti-Virus, Smart Security and Password Manager plus the subject of this review ESET Internet Security.
Having recently updated the drivers on my computer courtesy of Avast, I decided to look at the company's latest general protection offering.
This is one of the few pieces of software that is always installed on my PC or notebook, I have used it for years and apart from a couple of occasions when I have had to do a total reinstall of everything when the hard disk failed all other problems – including my stupidity – have been resolved by visiting my last backup normally to restore files.
For just over a year I have not had other security software and just relied on Acronis – now Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office – to keep me safe from those who wish me harm. Some may wish to make money from things like Ransomware and others just want to prove they can make life difficult.
This is a battery controlled external camera with Siren and Floodlight and you have the choice of what it can detect, as an example ‘human only’ would be great in my area with the number of cats and foxes that roam around, if can save lots of false alarms that both you and your neighbour's will appreciate.
The Arlo Pro4 Spotlight Camera measures 7x4.5x8cm, the last figure the depth is to the back of the camera the mount can add around another 4cm to the depth. Like so many things today it is linked to your phone and indeed the setup of the unit is on your phone in the Arlo App.
Offering to add visual capture facility to your car is a device from a company with strong Korean connections.
When thinking of automobile GPS navigation devices and dash cams, one company whose name does not immediately spring to mind is that of Thinkware. This is probably for the reason that Thinkware has concentrated its effort at developing its profile in the field of automobile accessories in Korea rather than the rest of the world.
As computer-targeted threats continue to grow. so antivirus software companies need to offer users appropriate protection.
As one of the oldest producers of IT security solutions, F-Secure has built up a reputation in the field of developing both hardware and software solutions to face the threat of unwanted attacks on computer set ups. In the past I have looked at some of the company's hardware products, such as F-Secure Sense, now it is the turn of F-Secure software. This product is the company's F-Secure TOTAL which is available on a subscription basis to suit the needs of the customer.
Personal data has an attracting for many as they can not keep their hands off it. It is up to you to protect this type of data from the schemes of hackers.
Setting up the product, in its initial format, is relatively easy as you follow a series of instruction screens. These screens will include options to accept or decline for feedback to be sent to Eset and whether you want to enable or disable potentially unwanted applications. The installation routine concludes with an initial automatic scan of the system under protection. As well as this automatic scan, there is a choice of other types of targeted scans.
Most recent ‘outdoor’ cameras that have crossed my desk have been battery offerings that would require you to climb up to change the battery or recharge it. They of course require only fitting, this offering from D-Link is wired so it needs to go through either a wall window or door frame to get power and to deliver its signal to you.
It is 8.5x5.5x6.5cm the last figure the depth is increased by the bracket so could be as much as 12cm. The hard wired lead that emerges from the back of the bracket is 4.2 metres long ending in a round 1cm across fitment that carries both power and signal. There is a further plug/fitment on another 3 metre length of cable that ends in a power plug so however you link it you need power within three metres of entering your home. Also in the box is a ten side fold out Quick Start Guide.
Since I last took a look at a Yubico product, the company has made some changes to its line-up including this next offering
Data is a valuable asset whether you are an individual or, more importantly, a business. The corruption, theft or illegal access of your data could cost a great deal of money and affect numerous people in many different ways. It is up to whoever owns the data, in the first place, to ensure that this valuable item is adequately protected. You can be sure that those who have attempted, and maybe succeeded, in stealing your data will protect the information they have gathered.
The only way you know if your Anti Virus or Total Security product is doing its job is if it fails; and, if you have no problems, then it is probably doing its job. While I have previously told you about what McAfee and Kaspersky have to offer today its BitDefender.
I have been using it for nearly a month and the only time I know it’s there is when I attach a memory stick while it checks its content. Some people are concerned that certain files are permanently deleted and here they have a secure shredder to do the job. The thing that most recently seems to be the thing that people worry about is Ransomware and BitDefender say they will stop files being encrypted once they know an attach is in progress.
This is an outdoor (IP65 waterproofing) camera, it uses custom batteries that form more than half of the units overall size. Fitting can be done by anyone happy to climb a ladder and it should take only a few minutes but do not try to install it before you have linked it to your phone.
The KAMI Outdoor Wire Free Camera measures 13cm from front to back and the body is round at 6.5cm, it is heavier than most at 402grams. The majority of the weight is the four solid rechargeable batteries stated to last between 4 and 6 months between charging. These are each 6cm long and round at 1.5cm each of the four batteries weigh 46.5grams. The back 9cm of the housing unscrews to allow the batteries to fit into the centre of the unit.
Earlier versions had one problem for my door frame they were slightly too wide. This version solves this and indeed another problem that I had never thought of. So the people at Ring have listened to my moans and probably that of others and now both are solved.
The problem(s) are solved by the inclusion of a corner mount and a wedge mount so now if you have narrow door frames or indeed live on a hill the doorbell will sit exactly where required to give you a perfect view and a perfect secure fit. It is 12.6x6x2.7cm and weighs 198grams. It is black and grey, the top part is the camera that has a wide field of view and the lower part the bell push.
Personal Computer users will appreciate that over time their piece of equipment will often loose its initial fast responsiveness. Tasks that once could be completed at a rate that was more than acceptable during the earlier months, now take their time thus causing degrees of frustration.
Now up to version 5.65, Ccleaner Professional follows a fairly standard pattern. After downloading the software and providing the necessary registration details, such as user name and license key which consists of letters, numbers and dashes, you can access the various features of the product. The opening view will be familiar to users of previous versions of the software as you are presented with a list of categories running down the left side of the screen.
With a title of Hive View, the subject of this next review has to be a security camera that has been designed to keep you informed as to what is happening in the home when you are on your travels.
The Hive View security camera kit consists of the actual camera unit, various power plugs and connecting cable, screws, wall plugs plus mini User Guide and warranty document. . Deck out in white, the camera unit comes in three parts. These are the well-made camera unit, metallic base plate and stand unit. The various components can easily be slotted together for a free standing device or you could opt to have the camera wall-mounted using the supplied screws and wall plugs.