With the increasing number and varieties of threats to data that agents, brokers and carriers face each day, there is no shortage of technology products designed to help protect that data from unauthorized access.

The following are some of the more recently introduced products to bolster security--some of which may also give insurance enterprises a leg up on compliance with critical federal regulations on the protection of customer data.

o Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. has announced the availability of ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 7.1 for the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system.

The Redwood City, Calif.-based Check Point contends it is the first major security vendor to utilize the Windows Filtering Platform application programming interface (API) for Windows Vista.

The suite contains multilayer protection, including "best of breed" anti-virus, anti-spyware and the company's previously released ZoneAlarm firewall, according to Check Point.

"Through its exclusive operating system firewall, ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite employs the deepest levels of integration with the Vista operating system to proactively prevent threats that basic, traditional firewalls and signature-based systems miss," the company noted.

The product is available online at www.zonealarm.com for a single-user list price of $49.95, with volume discounts and promotional rates also available at the time of this writing.

o Crawler, LLC has released Spyware Terminator version 1.9, a free anti-spyware application that includes Firefox cookies scan, improved scanner speed, a redesigned setup assistant function and user-interface improvements.

According to Boca Raton, Fla.-based Crawler, the application's setup has been "significantly simplified" and the product is now more user-friendly. Spyware Terminator can be set up "in only a few minutes," the company said.

The product provides "real-time detection and removal of spyware," and features an overview of system status; automatic, scheduled and on-demand system sweeps; and automatic or manual updates, said Crawler. "Minimal" system resources are required to run the program, which also generates a detailed system report.

Spyware Terminator provides "reliable removal of spyware, adware, Trojans, keyloggers, home page hijackers and other malware threats," the company noted. There is also a "real-time shield for round-the-clock anti-spyware protection."

The program is free for personal and commercial use, and offers free, dedicated 24/7 technical support via e-mail, said Crawler. It is available at www.spywareterminator.com.

o Panda Software has launched a Vista-compatible version of Panda Antivirus+Firewall 2007, which includes "a new system for blocking malicious URLs and a specially designed tool for stopping malware that uses rootkit techniques to hide."

"Windows Vista has been presented as one of the safest operating systems. Nevertheless, several vulnerabilities have been found that can be exploited to infect PCs running this operating system," said Jaime Herrero-Velarde, director of consumer marketing at Madrid, Spain-based Panda.

The new product, he added, addresses firewall vulnerabilities in Vista and "includes intrusion prevention against WiFi networks, malware detection, default scanning of inbound and outbound traffic, and a complete Intrusion Prevention System."

The new product prevents users from accessing Web pages that may carry phishing attacks or contain spyware, the company noted. It also features protection from rootkit-using malware (rootkits are designed to conceal the activities of malware).

The company offers 12 months of "services" for this product at $49.95 for up to three PCs. Further details are available at www.pandasoftware.com.

o Grisoft last month announced the latest of its security products, AVG Mobile Security, which is currently in the beta testing stage.

According to Millburn, N.J.-based Grisoft, the product is available for free download from www.avg.com with a registration to a beta portal, http://beta.grisoft.cz/beta/index.php?lang=2.

The new software offers protection for Symbian UIQ 3.0 platform mobile phones, compatible with Sony Ericsson P990i, M600i and W950i devices, and will be extended to protect additional mobile phones, the company said.

"The estimated number of mobile viruses and threats to mobile phones today is about 350, and continues to increase," said Grisoft. "Thousands of mobile phones have been targets of successful attacks, resulting in disabled phones or high bills caused by unwanted messages or calls."

o A new tool from ESET is being pitched as a solution for those wondering just how safe their system is from viruses and other forms of malware.

ESET Online Scanner is a free, Web-based service that enables computer users to perform a comprehensive system scan for viruses, spyware and other malware, said San Diego-based ESET. Users can get a "second opinion" on the health status of their computers without uninstalling their existing antivirus software.

According to Miroslav Trnka, co-founder and CTO of ESET, while the Online Scanner doesn't replace the trail version of its NOD32 Antivirus software, it "takes this try-before-you-buy philosophy a step further by allowing users to test our product in real-time."

The scanner can be installed and activated with "a single button," the company stated. The scanner is regularly updated and detects both known and unknown forms of malware. The scanner also cleans systems that are already infected, and it can be used anonymously.

The ESET Online Scanner is available at http://www.eset.com/threat-center/cac.php.

Special Reports /

New Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware Solutions Now Available, With Some Offered Free

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