Webroot Provides the Best Security Performance on Windows® 8 for Both Consumers and Business Users

- Offers superior protection in the Windows 8 environment

BROOMFIELD, Colorado, Nov. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Webroot, a leader in delivering Internet security as a service, today released the results of an independent test that shows Webroot® SecureAnywhere™ scored 33% better than the next closest vendor in terms of the overall impact of antivirus software on Windows 8 operating system performance[1]. In addition, Webroot provides superior protection with unique features tailored to the new Windows 8 environment.

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PassMark™ Software, an independent software testing lab, recently conducted objective performance testing on five antivirus software products on the Windows 8 operating system using 13 performance metrics, including scheduled scan time, installation size, boot time, memory usage and network throughput. Webroot bested all other vendors included in the test in 10 of the 13 metrics. 

"We continue to blow the competition out of the water on performance, which is of particular importance for the 'fast and fluid' experience Microsoft is delivering with Windows 8," said Mike Malloy, executive vice president, Webroot Products and Strategy. "As one of very few security providers with solutions for both consumer and business users that are compatible with Windows 8, Webroot provides the best choice for anyone moving to the Windows 8 environment on a desktop or tablet, at home or in the office."

Webroot is listed among only five vendors that have both consumer and business security solutions that are compatible with Windows 8 according to AV-Test, the independent IT security institute.

Superior Performance

Webroot SecureAnywhere was 96% faster than the average on default scheduled scanning times – those scans that run on a user-defined schedule to check the entire system for threats. In the test, Webroot's scheduled scan took two minutes compared to an industry average of 45 minutes.

In addition, the test showed Webroot has a 99% smaller installation size than the average vendor, adding a little more than 4 MB in files during the installation, compared to more than 370 MB added on average by the other vendors and a whopping 600 MB added by one vendor. Webroot also used 96% less memory than the average, using 3.3 MB of RAM during a period of system idle compared to an average of 76.1 MB and one vendor that used almost 200 MB of RAM.

Superior Protection

Webroot's high performance architecture is also designed for superior protection of the next generation of Windows 8 computing devices.  As the popularity of tablet devices grows, the Windows 8 operating system provides significant performance advantages over previous Windows versions in the form of reduced battery consumption and lighter system utilization. Webroot SecureAnywhere extends these advantages, providing online and offline protection with an executable file that is less than 750 KB in size, and does not require downloading threat signature updates.  This minimizes the disk space, processing capacity and battery power required to keep these devices secure.

In addition, Webroot SecureAnywhere provides real-time protection against threats, immediately blocking and placing in quarantine programs or services behaving suspiciously. A particular strength is Identity Shield, which protects users' sensitive data that may be exposed when making online transactions, for example banking details, credit cards, and passwords. Automatically blocking any malicious content, Identity Shield detects online identity threats and phishing attacks, and prevents programs from accessing users' protected credentials.

The Windows Store, the new Windows 8 online marketplace, offers both traditional Windows desktop applications as well as the new Windows RT apps. Apps from the Windows Store are checked by Microsoft, but the Identity Shield within Webroot SecureAnywhere will stop malware from trying to access the user's information within the Windows RT apps. This is especially useful given the drive by Microsoft for banking and ecommerce providers to develop apps for the Windows 8 operating system. Users will enjoy a level of visibility, protection and control over Windows 8 apps which is unavailable to users or administrators using other security solutions.

For business users, all desktop applications present on a device will be visible to administrators using Webroot SecureAnywhere's endpoint protection and cloud-based management console. SecureAnywhere establishes and maintains a current applications list for full visibility of every Windows desktop app installed on each user device. This makes it easy to create application black-lists and white-lists detailing apps which can and cannot run.

Webroot App for Windows RT

Webroot has also recently released a new Backup and Sync app that runs on Windows 8 and Windows RT devices, including the new Windows Surface tablet.  Webroot's new app enables users of Webroot SecureAnywhere Complete to access photos and files backed up from their Android, iOS, and Windows PC devices. This new app is now live in the Productivity section of the Windows app store.

ABOUT WEBROOT

Webroot is bringing the power of software-as-a-service (SaaS) to Internet security with its suite of Webroot® SecureAnywhere™ offerings for consumers and businesses. Webroot also offers security intelligence solutions to government agencies and corporations focused on cybersecurity, such as Palo Alto Networks, F5, Corero, Juniper, and others. Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Colorado, Webroot is the largest privately held security organization based in the United States. For more information, visit http://www.webroot.com or call +1-800-772-9383. Read the Webroot Threat Blog: http://blog.webroot.com. Follow Webroot on Twitter: http://twitter.com/webroot.

©2012 Webroot Inc. All rights reserved. Webroot, SecureAnywhere, and Webroot SecureAnywhere are registered trademarks or trademarks of Webroot Inc. in the United States and other countries. Windows and Surface are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.  Android is a trademark of Google Inc.

[1] PassMark™ Software, Webroot SecureAnywhere Cloud Antivirus vs. Four Competitor Antivirus Products on Windows 8, Nov. 2012. To read the full report visit www.webroot.com/En_US/consumer-products-secureanywhere-windows-8.html.