The software maker's core capabilities remain very much intact.
Panda's claim to fame has long been its behavior-based TruPrevent technology, which uses behavioral analysis to defend against threats too new to be identified by signature. This ability to stay one step ahead continues to single out Panda from among competing protective tools. Over the years it has proven itself repeatedly as a formidable weapon in the malware wars and it remains the most lethal element in the Panda arsenal.
An online application, TotalScan detects all types of active and latent attackers on PCs, based on a new approach known as "collective intelligence." This approach makes possible the automated processing of large quantities of information about programs and files. Specifically, processing is done on Panda's own servers, rather than on the user's computer, with the servers and the PC maintaining real-time communication during the scan.
New on the scene is what Panda calls "MegaDetection." Incorporating TotalScan technology into the company's internet security product, MegaDetection is designed to scan files received by email, IM, or download. Users can be selective, choosing to scan the whole computer, mail files, or items on a disk.
MegaDetection takes a while, to the tune of half an hour on a PC, even with advanced heuristics switched off. Fortunately, timing is flexible: A wizard enables scheduling for a vast range of intervals, allowing different scan types to take place at intervals from hours to years.
As with a number of features, advanced heuristics is switched off by default. The same holds true for TruPrevent, which can be omitted by the installer without warning if insufficient memory is available. Panda probably would serve itself and its customers well by having these items up and running right from the start. Why leave key features to chance? We'd just as soon have the good stuff turned on by default.
Installation of Panda's 2008 products is easy, and the interfaces are acceptable. The Internet Security suite for instance delivers panes of major status areas; trouble points are highlighted with a warning and an offer to fix, and expanded panes offer additional details.
Meanwhile, Panda appears bent on maintaining its reputation for lukewarm customer service. The Website is chock full of FAQs and documentation, but there's no phone number for tech support. On the Contact page the link back to the Support page didn't work when we tried it. Users have long taken issue with Panda's support and we see no sign that things are improving.
All that being said, Panda remains a big name on the anti-virus scene and its latest releases are likely to maintain that visibility — not because of parental controls and disc optimization, but because of the bread-and-butter basics that have always made Panda shine: Namely, TruPrevent. So long as Panda can spot viruses and other ills before they have even been defined, the company will remain very much a player.
Pros: · Lifetime license (free Intelligent Updates service for automatic daily updates), · Great Internet protection from viruses, · Rich set of configuration options, · Attractive interface, · Basic and advanced modes of operation
Cons: · Detects and removes half as many viruses as VirusScan and Norton AntiVirus; · Plain and boring interface
