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PC-cillin 6.0

Easy to use and maybe the best anti-virus software you're not using

By Jeff Setaro

 

Over the years I've looked at just about every anti-virus program known to man-every one except Trend Micro's PC-cillin that is. And now that I've been using PC-cillin for the past few weeks I'm sorry I overlooked it for so long.

Getting Started

Getting started with PC-cillin is sheer simplicity. The program's installation wizard guides you through the process of installing and configuring the program. Prior to copying the PC-cillin program files to your hard drive, the setup wizard scans the system areas of your computer for viruses. In the event it finds one, the setup wizard copies the DOS version PC-cillin to a temporary directory on your hard drive, prompts you to reboot from a clean startup diskette, and then run the PC-cillin for DOS from that temporary directory.

Personally, I'd rather Trend include the DOS version of PC-cillin on diskette. While booting from a clean startup diskette and running PC-cillin for DOS from a temporary directory on the hard drive is workable solution, it's not the best one. In some situations it's not possible to access the hard drive after a clean boot. For example, if your PC is infected with a virus like Empire.Monkey, which encrypts the partition sector of the hard drive, you won't have access to the hard drive after a clean boot.

After PC-cillin has scanned your system and cleaned any viruses, you are presented with a series of installations options:

  • Parental Web Filtering. Installs the PC-cillin Web Filter, which allows you to block objectionable Web sites.
  • Malicious Object Protection. Enables PC-cillin Web Security, which keeps malicious Java applets and ActiveX controls from harming your computer while you browse the Web.
  • Add Trend Active Desktop Item. Displays active content from Trend on your desktop (requires Internet Explorer 4.x or Windows 98)
  • Add Trend Active Channel. Adds Trend's award-winning Web site, www.antivirus.com, to your Channel Bar.
  • Update Program After Install. Automatically connects to the Web and installs the latest virus pattern and program files.

I opted to enable the Web Filtering, Web Security, and automatic update options. With my installation preferences set, the setup wizard copied the PC-cillin program files to my hard drive, prompted me to create a set of rescue disks, and then connected to the Internet to download the latest program updates and virus definitions.

Clean & Simple

Anti-virus software is quickly becoming a commodity item. What sets anti-virus packages apart these days are things like ease of use, frequency of updates, and customer support. PC-cillin looks like a winner in all of these categories.

Using PC-cillin is pure simplicity. Its interface is clean, simple, and intuitive. All the common manual scanning options are right out in front when you start it up, and any of PC-cillin's functions can be accessed from the icon bar on the left hand side of the screen. In fact you're never more than two clicks away from any of the programs functions.

One of the things that sets PC-cillin apart from its competition is the degree of flexibility it offers users. Unlike anti-virus programs that force you to choose scanning options for a global dialog, PC-cillin allows users the flexibility to customize scanning tasks meet specific needs. If, for example, you want to scan just your Word documents and Excel spreadsheets for macro viruses, you can use PC-cillin's Scan Manager to create a custom scanning task that does just that. You can configure each task to scan the files, folders, or drives you choose. Additionally, you can schedule any scanning task to run at a selected time on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. If you'd rather select your scanning options manually you can PC-cillin's Scan Wizard to choose the files, folders, or drives you'd like to scan.

During my testing, PC-cillin proved itself to be an excellent virus hunter, successfully identifying all of 1,460 virus samples in my test collection. The virus collection I used in testing was composed of ten samples of each of the 146 viruses listed in the main section of the March 1999 Wild List.

When it comes to virus removal, PC-cillin takes a practical, commonsense approach. If it detects a virus that cannot be safely removed while Windows is running, it will prompt you to shutdown and reboot from the set of rescue disks you made during installing.

If PC-cillin encounters virus that it can't properly identify or disinfect, you can either delete the file or move it, either automatically or manually, to the quarantine area. From there you can use the Online Doctor feature to send the affected files to Trend's Virus Hospital for analysis.

Safe Surfing

In addition to providing solid, real-time protection against traditional file and boot sector viruses, PC-cillin also provides protection against new Internet-based threats such as malicious Java applets and ActiveX controls that may be downloaded to your computer while you're browsing the Web.

Theoretically, at least, rouge Java and ActiveX controls can do real harm to your PC when you visit a malicious Web site. This type of threat hasn't been a major problem so far, but it's nice to know PC-cillin is ready if and when it does become a problem.

Probably the more interesting of PC-cillin's Internet protection options is its Web Filter, which is basically a limited firewall that allows you to specify the URL or IP address of Web sites you would like to block access to. This is a great little tool for parents who want to keep children away from specific sites.

Bottom Line

PC-cillin may not have the name recognition of Norton AntiVirus or McAfee VirusScan, but it certainly is a worthy competitor. Anyone looking for an inexpensive, easy-to-use anti-virus system for their home or small office would do well to give PC-cillin a look.

Quick Facts

PC-Cillin 6.0
Trend Micro Incorporated
10101 North De Anza Blvd.
Cupertino, CA 95014
800-656-5426
http://www.antivirus.com
Price: $29.95 (Download)
$39.95 (CD-ROM)
Requirements: Windows 95/98, Intel 486, Pentium, or 100% compatible, 16 MB RAM, 15 MB hard disk space, 640x480 or higher resolution.


JEFF SETARO wears multiple DACS caps. He is Webmaster for www.dacs.org, general program director, active board member, and resident viral disinfectant agent. Contact Jeff at jasetaro@sprynet.com.

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