Traditional Antivirus is dead! Our Webroot Internet Security Complete Review will show you why. Webroot proves that traditional Antivirus is a thing of the past with a completely different approach to protecting your devices. The difference? A cloud based threat database that allows for quick scanning and accurate threat detection. For those who are not familiar with the Webroot company, it was started in 1997. A product you may be familiar with is Webroot’s first product, Spy Sweeper. Since releasing Spy Sweeper in 2002, Webroot has continually impressed with a number of products that have set the benchmark in Internet Security.
Webroot’s most impressive feature is its Cloud Based threat detection system which gives awesome scan performance and leaves a very light footprint on the computer system.
What Is Cloud Based Security and How Does It Work?
Cloud based security in home-based Antivirus and Internet Security software is something fairly new. Webroot has been entrepreneurial in bringing this cloud based technology to Security Software. Cloud based Internet Security Software works like this.
Basically A cloud based Antivirus software works by utilizing a threat database (stored in the cloud) to analyze your device and compare files against the database in real time. Traditional Internet Security Software is ‘re’ active and relies on updates , patches and virus definitions stored locally on the device. Webroot handles things differently by leveraging cloud based technology to stop threats in the cloud instead of on your computer. All patches are done in the cloud meaning you won’t need to worry about being slowed down with constant software updates.
System Requirements and Installation
One of the most impressive things about Webroot is the fact that all three of the Webroot versions are the same.
The installation requirements are so minimal you could actually install it on a computer from the 90s! The minimum specs to install are
- Celeron Processor
- 128mb Ram
- 10mb Hard drive Space – That is not a type, 10mb of Hard Drive space is all that is required!
The installation process is very easy and fast. The difference between the Webroot Antivirus product and the Internet Security Complete is simply the amount of features that are activated. Meaning that the core product and installation file are the same for each product
The software installed in less than 2 minutes. Before starting the program, the Webroot Installer runs through a number of checks / processes including
- Analyzing all the applications installed on your computer
- Optimizing the software to ensure it protects your system properly
- Analyzing and optimizing all network connections
- Identifying a system baseline to determine any major system changes that could be dangerous
These checks ensure that the Webroot Software is set up correctly and can perform properly.
Once this process has completed an initial scan is automatically started. The initial scan took just under two minutes on our testing PC.
Scanning and Threat Identification
Starting a scan with Webroot Internet Scurity Complete is easy. Simply open the Webroot interface and hit the “Scan My Computer” button.
On our testing PC the scan took 2 minutes and 10sseconds. It detected 167 out of the 175 threats installed on our testing system which is a fantastic score!
Webroot Complete Security Features
25gb Cloud Storage – One of the best features included with the Complete Securtity package is the 25gb of Cloud Storage that comes included. To use the Cloud Storage feature you will need to login with your Webroot account. From there you can select the files you want to backup to the Cloud with Webroot.
Password Manager – With so many account login details to remember, keeping track of all of your passwords can be hard. Let Webroot handle the process of remembering your passwords with the in built password manager. The password manager is simple to use and can work with most web browsers. It can pre fill the username and password on any website you choose so that you do not need to worry about keeping a passwords file. The password manager also looks after the credit card information stores on your computer and encrypts it with government level encryption.
Super Fast Scanning – Webroot scans at lightning fast speeds. The cloud based technology allows the scan to complete very fast without being slowed down accessing resources and virus definitions stored on the local computer.
System Optimization – The System optimizer is a fantastic feature of Webroot. You can run the system optimizer through the utilities menu. The system optimizer removes un needed files, empties the recycle bin and has the ability to remove sensitive data including online activity. The system optimizer can be scheduled to run daily, weekly or monthly.
Why Would You Buy Webroot Secutity Complete?
You may be accustomed to the performance and reliability that some of the major Security Software brands offer, but, you might also find yourself frusturated at constant updates, slow scanning times and overall lag in your PC’s performance. Webroot takes the pain out of Internet Security updates, patches and long scan times, while keeping your device running fast! The 25gb of included personal cloud storage, included with the Webroot Internet Security Complete license is awesome! 25gb is enough to store all of your documents and important files. The only thing we were hesitant about was the fact that you are locked in with Webroot if you choose to utilize the 25gb of cloud storage.
Webroot Security Complete Is The Future Of Internet Security
There is a reason that we have rated Webroot Internet Security Complete as our number one reccomendation for Internet Security. With so many awesome features and scan speeds that can’t be matched Webroot really is turning heads in the technology security space.
The Cloud based technology that drives the Webroot Software is getting smarter everyday. As more people use Webroot the virus database grows and is able to detect more threats.
Save $50 on Webroot SecureAnywhere Internet Security Complete RIGHT NOW!
Concise and cleanly laid out post about one of the better/best Internet security products on the market. As I am somewhat familiar with this offering, I would also suggest maybe doing a review of one of its competitors – Sophos, which is also cloud-based. Would be interested to know your thoughts on how they compare.
Hi Alex, Thanks for your comments and glad to hear you found the Webroot Review useful. I have done a top ten list off all of the best Internet Security Software of 2018 which you may find helpful. As always please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can help you with anything.
Does Webroot Security block ransomware which is becoming increasingly common today? I use a competing PC security product – MalwareBytes – that does block ransomware. While I haven’t been on the receiving end of an attack, one of my friends has. His PC was trashed because he couldn’t pay the ransom – the hackers were looking for payment in Bitcoin and my friend knows zilch about cryptocurrencies. Any chance you’ll be doing a review of MalwareBytes Premium and how it compares to other security software?
Hi Gary, Thanks for stopping by! Yes, Webroot does a fantastic job of protecting your device against ransomware. In fact, Webroot is one of the most advanced anti-ransomware products available. Because it is cloud based it is always up to date with the latest threats. I can understand why you would choose Malwarebytes, it is a great tool for blocking ransomware and other threats, but it is important that Malwarebytes is used in conjunction with another security product to ensure you are completely protected. I will definitely do a review of Malwarebytes against other products, I can Email you the link as soon as it is ready if you like?
Dan
Thanks, Dan, that’d be great. MalwareBytes has its issues. I’ve never been able to upgrade it successfully when a new version become available. I’ve always had to download the latest version, uninstall the current version (with my PC offline) and then install the new version. Very clunky way of doing things. But once in operation it’s fine.
I thought it was a bad idea to use two security software apps at the same time on a PC as they can trip over each other and slow the performance of the PC?
Hi Gary, Malwarebytes does have some issues with updates, but I think overall the product is very reliable and does offer great Malware protection. In regards to having Malwarebytes installed with another security product, there is much debate about this and honestly, it comes down to the other Security product you have installed with Malwarebytes. Malwarebytes was not built to replace Antivirus but instead it was designed to protect your device against malware in real-time. The key word being real-time. Antivirus software is designed to protect against different threats, although the terms malware, virus etc get interchanged far too often. I think a lot of people buy a product thinking they are protected against all threats, when in actual fact the product they may have purchased might be specific to one type of threat. I think I might do an article on this topic because I do get the question quite a lot.
Dan.