Surfing Shield

[Delta]

Hi, has anyone here heard or used Surfing Shield from
www.surfingshield.com ?
If so, is it any good? Are there any known problems with this program?

It isn't listed here
www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm
so I'm wondering whether this is a genuine product.

Delta.

Happy Christmas, everyone

Edit to add that searching Google doesn't give much info, mainly links to crackz warez sites.

[Eddy]

Why not just use the content adviser in IE? In combination with the correct security settings in XP/2K/2K3/NT is normally is enough to control the kids behaviour.

If you still want to use a application, I suggest you use NetNanny. That on has proven to be reliable and trustfull. http://www.netnanny.com/

[Delta]

Hi Eddy, thanks for the reply.

Why not just use the content adviser in IE?

Because, if I understand it correctly, that requires every website on the net to have an RSACi rating for it to work.

Quote from the website:
But that's not all. SurfingShield also provides antivirus/anti-adware protection, a popup blocker and a facility to completely erase your surfing tracks at the touch of a button. Protect your kids, protect your family, make the Internet an opportunity and not a threat. And most importantly, we now stop you phone bill being scammed by rogue dialler software.

So it is much more than parental control software. All that for just 50 USD and they are giving away free licenses to the first 1,000,000 people to install and register Surfingshield. Just seems too good to be true, and, in my experience, if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is too good to be true.

I want to know, on behalf of a friend, if this is a genuine product because they have now started sending out spam to advertise this.

Delta.

[Delta]

Quote from the download page:
Before downloading and installing the software we require a valid email address. We will not disclose this to anyone or use it to send marketing emails or other types of spam.

So how come they sent out an unsolicited email to my friend?

Delta.

[Eddy]

also provides antivirus

If that is so.... I wouldn't want to have it. VB never tested it. It is not ICSA certified. Never saw any review in a magazine (paper or online)

a popup blocker

XP SP2, IE's has that also as well as many other browsers.

And most importantly, we now stop you phone bill being scammed by rogue dialler software.

What's the use if you have cable/xdsl?

a facility to completely erase your surfing tracks

I'm 100% sure it doesn't do that. In 24 years I have seen a lot of applications who claimed to do so, but I never saw one who really did it. Surfing behaviour is stored in files and not only on your drive. The request you make when you want to visit a website is stored in many places of which most you don't even have access too. (ISP's, servers, data centers etc)

Example: If I write a util that blocks one malicious script and I put some extras in it, like a nice interface, stopwatch/timer. Than I can say "This util stops malware, protect your phone bill etc" without having to lie.

Why do you think experts recommend to use av, firewall (if you haven't got a hardware one), ad-aware, spybot s&d and HijackThis? Answer: because there is not a single application that can stop/prevent/remove all malware.

Applications like that won't change the things kids do on the net. If they can't do it at home, they will do it elsewhere. Raising the children well and learn them why they shouldn't or should do something is the best way.

[Delta]

Hi Eddy, I hope you had a good Christmas. I would have replied earlier but I was dragged, kicking and screaming, from my keyboard for the day.

also provides antivirus

If that is so.... I wouldn't want to have it. VB never tested it. It is not ICSA certified. Never saw any review in a magazine (paper or online)

Neither have I, which is why I asked if anyone has any info about this product; it makes some very big claims.

Delta.