Newly-Released Spyware Doctor Designed to Knockout Threats Harder & Faster

SAN FRANCISCO - To make award-winning Spyware Doctor even more potent, PC Tools developers spent nearly two years rewriting their bullet-proof anti-malware technology to combat the next generation of complex online security threats — the result is a fast, comprehensive, and simple scanning tool offering consumers greater security.

“We are very excited and proud of this new enhanced protection for users. It is an integrated product that is future focused — to adapt to changing threats. It also features pioneering technology to seek out and eliminate deeply embedded spyware and viruses,” says PC Tools CEO Simon Clausen.

This is the first time PC Tools has combined spyware detection with its own anti-virus engine. “This is a faster and more effective approach,” Clausen said. “Instead of relying on outside vendors, we have a complete package that interoperates smoothly and efficiently throughout the detection process without doubling-up functionality or resources.”

Clausen explained that updating the award-winning Spyware Doctor was necessary to take advantage of technological advances and to protect against more complex threats. “We are seeing a disturbing trend where both spyware and viruses are merging and both are taking on advanced avoidance techniques such as using rootkits.

“We believe the most effective approach to battle these dangerous threats is not from a virus protection point of view, since viruses have been diminishing over recent years, but through a spyware-centric approach that looks at the ’whole picture’ of the infection including heuristics (malware behavior) as well as signatures,” Clausen said.

“Anti-virus companies have been eliminating only a portion of the threats. They attack the initial signature on a computer, but leave users with changes in their registry and other fragments that can lead to re-infection or slow computer performance. Our approach is faster and more effective — we eliminate all traces of malware attacks.”

Those accustomed to Spyware Doctor’s easy-to-navigate features, intelligent design and rapid response won’t be disappointed with Spyware Doctor 5.0. Along with advanced detection and a smaller footprint on the processing system — Spyware Doctor 5.0 provides simplified security for even the most basic users.

“We have re-engineered our anti-spyware approach,” added Clausen. “Users can feel secure as Spyware Doctor 5.0 protects them (in the background) from rootkits, Trojans, keyloggers, phishing, and other dangerous spyware and virus threats. We have created an effective and an efficient shield that uses a smaller footprint, but responds more quickly and effectively.”

Some of the many new enhancements in Spyware Doctor 5.0 include:

Spider technology: Spider Scanning™ uses a combination of existing known signatures and heuristics (behavioral techniques) to identify spyware threats quickly and effectively to minimize scan times and enhance detection of morphed and hidden spyware such as rootkits. Spyware Doctor 5.0 leverages this technology more effectively than ever before by deploying layered Spider Scanning™ throughout all of the Spyware Doctor™ scanners and most importantly in the OnGuard™ real-time monitors.
AntiVirus protection: Following the successful launch of PC Tools AntiVirus™ in 2006, this popular product is now a welcome part of Spyware Doctor. The optional integration of antivirus into Spyware Doctor does not duplicate functionality during the scanning process, and ensures a faster scan for spyware and viruses, along with lower system resource usage than two standalone products and less potential for program conflicts. (The AntiVirus upgrade is available for download on the PC Tools’ website via the Spyware Doctor main page.)
Intelli-Scan™: A quick search and destroy process that eliminates active running spyware threats in as little as 3 minutes1.
Optimized application performance: Spyware Doctor 5.0 has an even smaller footprint than previous versions and it is blazing fast thanks to a more efficient loading approach. Now the search process functions in the background independently from the main GUI. This new architecture means that Spyware Doctor can start the GUI in a matter of seconds. Spyware Doctor now starts early, diminishing system resource usage.
“The new Spyware Doctor(2) is not just a facelift on an old product, this is a complete rebuild,” Clausen said. He added that Spyware Doctor 5.0 also includes built-in protections to combat attempts to disable its software through hacker attacks.