Webroot Secure Anywhere Complete Review

Full review

Webroot has released a number of successful system security products in the past 25 years since the company was founded in 1997. We had a close look to see how the latest version shapped up.

Setup

Installing security software is often a straight forward and lengthy exercise, particularly for the premium security suites. Webroot SecureAnywhere Complete was this year's exception to that generalization. Webroot have managed to get their installer down to just 6 megabytes. Installation wasn't just fast, it was stupidly fast. As soon as the installation is complete, SecureAnywhere Complete automatically begins a scan.

Protection

Anti-virus – SecureAnywhere Complete detects and removes all forms of malware including viruses, spyware, Trojans, keyloggers, rootkits and worms. Unlike most major security vendors SecureAnywhere Complete, relies almost exclusively on its cloud-based malware recognition system. Cloud based systems, are designed to have less impact on your system resources and from our test results in Webroot's case that certainly appears true.

You can schedule the scan frequency, such as day or weekday and set the time. There are plenty of scan settings, such as being able to delay scheduled scans when on battery power and hiding the can progress window.

If you come across a suspect file, which has been alerted by the anti-virus or firewall you can submit to Webroot's research team where they will apply further analysis. Any malware discoveries are immediately added to its cloud based detection engine.

Firewall – In previous versions we have criticized Webroot's firewall, but we have to applaud their current firewall capabilities and network connection monitoring. It successfully allows access to trusted programs and blocks programs that it deems malicious.

Parental controls – Unlike other leading total security suites, Secure AnywhereComplete disappointingly does not include any parental controls.

Effectiveness

Webroot SecureAnywhere scored highly in the independent AV-Test. Recording high malware detection rates and very few false positives.

Performance

The impact of SecureAnywhere Complete on our test computer was minimal. Not really surprising when it takes up hardly any disk space. It added only a second to our startup time. Scans speeds are remarkably quick.

Backup

There is an entire area dedicated to the Backup and Syncronization of your data. All the backup tools provided are powered by SugarSync and to start with you get 10GB of included data storage. You'll need to download the module to get started, but it literally takes a few seconds.

Backup – Backup up your files is easy and there is an online console provided where you can instantly access your data. One neat little extra is the ability to auto generate an email containing a secure link to any off your backed up files for easy access.

Syncronization – The sync manager allows you to synchronize your files and folders across multiple computers through the "Magic Briefcase" folder.

Identity theft

Password manager - Saves usernames and passwords to online accounts in a securely encrypted storage point, so that when you re-visit a website, your credentials are automatically filled in. It can also automatically enter details for web forms. Out of all the password managers we tested, Webroot's comes out very high. There are some nice extras that really make a difference. For example, when you change your password it instantly saves it. Also, it works out when you are opening a new account and offers to generate a strong password for an account. But perhaps the most useful feature is the use of password management with the Webroot toolbar. This gives you a list of all the websites you have accounts for making it easy to access and logon to your favorite websites.

File shredder - Makes sensitive files and folders unrecoverable.

PC Tuneup

Included within SecureAnywhere Complete is a system cleaner. Its pretty straight forward, removing unnecessary files from the registry, Windows temporary files, cached files, internet browser search history and any other data that can clutter your computer. You can choose in the settings area exactly which files you to remove.

Features

Mobile security protection – If you own an Android Smartphone, you can take full advantage of Webroot's mobile security. It scans apps for malware, blocks harmful websites and nuisance calls or text messages. If your phone gets lost or stolen it can be located using GPS tracking. You can also lock or wipe your smartphone data if you believe its stolen. For Apple iOS devices there is also protection. It includes safe search that checks for malicious websites, secure transactions and automatical syncs.

Gamer mode – Webroot SecureAnywhere Complete includes a fully functional gamer mode. This mode disables certain non-essential security processes to ensure that users are able to play games, watch movies, and enjoy their systems without major slowdowns or annoying security notifications.

Sandbox – Allows you to run suspicious programs safely.

Ease of use

All of this years total security suites are feature rich, which can often be a problem when it comes to packing them in all neatly. But Webroot have created a very user friendly piece of software. The software is divided into pc security, identity & privacy, backup & sync and system tools. All of which are available on the left hand-side welcome screen.

The use of color, buttons, sliders has to be commended, all of which help to make navigation slick and simple.

Help & support

The support offered by Webroot is quite good compared to the competition. Webroot's support staff is based in the United States (unlike several other companies) which means that most support inquiries are addressed promptly and thoroughly - from our experience anyway.

Overall

Webroot SecureAnywhere Complete offers some excellent malware protection that easily compares with similar offerings from competitors. As a total security suite, its performance and features are top notch.