Pest Patrol
Pest Patrol - There are several anti-spyware programs that go by the name of PestPatrol. It appears that this software has gone through several metamorphoses and now is CA AntiSpy. The transformation of PestPatrol into CA AntiSpy is as follows. PestPatrol 4.2 was released on 2/12/2003. CNET reviewed it and gave it an excellent rating, 8.0 out of 10 and the users gave it an 8.4 out of 10. This was on 5/14/2004. Later, eTrust became the name associated with PestPatrol. This continued on until about 2006 when CA took over PestPatrol. Now, the former eTrust Pest Patrol is actually CA PestPatrol also known as CA AntiSpy 2007.
CA PestPatrol 5 is ranked at number 5 for anti-spyware in 2008 on Top Ten Reviews website. Overall, they had nice things to say about it. However, there were areas in which it was lacking. What is lacking seems to be basic. The information on spyware severity threats can only be accessed via the internet. Most new programs have removed this. Now, they have the information built in. Having to access the internet every time you need information on a threat is time consuming and it is not necessary. This slows down the removal process. Users want quick access to the information they need so that they can spend as little time possible on spyware removal. Furthermore, this program failed to detect and remove some of the more common spyware threats. Overall, it is a good no frills, basic anti-spyware program and the more robust version is reasonably priced. Ranked at number 5, it is about as average as its ranking.
PC Magazine and CNET have given various versions PestPatrol great reviews. In 2005, PC Magazine rated eTrust PestPatrol as one of the best. They stated it caught even the most abominable attacks with minimal interference. CNET’s download.com raved about Pest Patrol’s robust security scanning and spyware removal features. It is unclear which version of PestPatrol CNET is referring to.
So, what can you expect from the most recent version of CA PestPatrol – AntiSpy? There are two versions. A free version, which offers minimal, bare bones, basic protection. The features of the free version are full system scans, automatic updates, free customer support, low-level threat removal, and removal of Sony rootkit. The full version known as CA AntiSpy 2007, is available for $29.99 and includes all of the features of the free version plus custom scan options, scheduled scans, cleans all spyware found and offers a 100% money back guarantee.
What does this mean to the consumer? Once you find the actual reviews of the product you are buying, an internet search can render confusing results, read them carefully. You want to be sure that the ratings match the current version of the product you are purchasing. Then you might just want to try the free version to see if it performs as expected before you upgrade. If all goes well with the free version, you really have nothing to risk with the paid version as they offer a 100% money back guarantee.
