PC Tools releases ThreatFire 3.5

San Francisco, May 01 2008: PC Tools today released an update of its advanced, yet user-friendly behavioral-based consumer security software, ThreatFire.

Building on the success of ThreatFire 3, version 3.5 now includes numerous under-the-hood enhancements: a new Threat Detection map, allowing users to view the geographical distribution and listings of detected malware threats, and a free on-demand antivirus scanner.

"The latest additions to ThreatFire will provide users with more sophisticated protection against all types of Internet threats," said PC Tools CEO Simon Clausen.

"Users will now be able to track the prevalence of malware across the globe and within the user community as well as scan their systems for known and dormant threats."

"Internal testing has shown that ThreatFire's ActiveDefense technology significantly increases and often doubles the protection level provided by traditional antivirus products", said Clausen.

Unlike traditional antivirus products, ThreatFire does not rely on signatures for protection and there is no delay in providing protection against zero-day and zero-minute exploits. Using an intelligent behavioral engine, ThreatFire is immediately effective against today's most dangerous threats.

ThreatFire is now also fully integrated with the automated threat analysis system, ThreatExpert, which can provide users with known threat updates within minutes of a threat being first seen. ThreatFire defends computers in real-time against threats such as spyware, viruses, worms, Trojans, rootkits, keyloggers, buffer overflows by examining and monitoring the behavior of files, background activities and processes.

ThreatFire 3.5 key features

• Patent-pending ActiveDefense real-time technology to provide constant protection for known and brand new zero-day threats.
• Free on-demand anti-virus scanner from PC Tools AntiVirus that allows users to scan their systems for pre-existing and dormant threats.
• Protects in the background with minimal impact on system resource usage.
• New Threat Detection map that indicates the geographical location and threat listings of recent malware detected within the ThreatFire User Community.

ThreatFire is available from www.threatfire.com for free for all home users and includes free email and web-based technical support. Businesses can purchase ThreatFire Pro for $US29.95 to receive full technical and phone support.

Additional features:

• Easy to use and configure

  ThreatFire has been designed with non-technical users in mind. It is straightforward, provides clear guidance and is fully configurable to provide the most comprehensive protection available.

• New Default alert handling

  A new setting useful for advanced users who can setup ThreatFire to handle alert actions automatically so they are never bothered with any questions.

• New System Activity Monitor

  The Advanced Tools area includes a new System Activity Monitor for advanced users to view detailed process information about applications currently running on the computer.

• Protects users when Antivirus alone cannot

  ThreatFire makes intelligent choices to proactively disable any activity or behavior that might compromise the security of a PC.

• Designed for Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Windows Vista (32-bit only).

Note To Editor

To detect malicious behavior, ThreatFire monitors and watches every file operation (creation, copy, deletion, etc.), every process creation, modification and termination, every network communication (inbound and outbound) and every interaction with critical components of the operating system (registry, etc.).

At the core of ThreatFire is a process behavior analysis engine coupled with a set of specific predefined security rules which describe what is unacceptable from a process behavior analysis. The rules cover a wide range of events related to file operations, network operations, and interactions with the operating system. Every event from every process is efficiently analyzed by ThreatFire. When a rule is triggered, ThreatFire can terminate the detected malicious process.

Product Reviewers

If you would like to trial or review ThreatFire 3.5 Pro please contact Lauren Young or Magida Ezzat at PC Tools (details below).

About PC Tools

PC Tools is a global software leader with a cache of security and utility products, including the multi award-winning Spyware Doctor®. PC Tools is an industry leader in real-time anti-spyware and has a number of key patents pending.

The PC Tools Malware Research Centre monitors trends and emerging spyware issues and provides security solutions for the consumer and enterprise marketplace. The company is headquartered in Sydney, with offices in San Francisco, London, Shannon (Ireland), Melbourne, Kiev, and Boulder. PC Tools has a global network of distributors, resellers, and retailers.

Media Contacts

Lauren Young
Public Relations Manager
PC Tools Software
Phone: +61 (0) 2 8922 6394
Mobile: +61 410 541 562
E-mail: pr@pctools.com

Magida Ezzat
Communications Manager
PC Tools Software
Phone: +61 (0) 3 9691 3576
Mobile: +61 411 156 152
E-mail: pr@pctools.com