After booting, you will notice a slowdown in your computer. Again this is normal because we have set the program to learning state, which means that it is now processing all your programs and your computer usage to secure your programs, which is similar to Novell's AppArmor in Linux. This is not to be paranoid (but it is good to be a little paranoid in terms of security) but to establish a secure base for your system. These all do not mean that your computer will be slower. The slowdown process will diminish in a couple of days and your computer will return back to the normal operation speed.
After that, you will be greeted with a window to set your security level for your network. The options are self explanatory and you just select the option suitable for your network.
After the initial securing process, you will be greeted with the main window and –if you are connected to the Internet- goes to update the antimalware database. The window says it is updating the antivirus database but it actually is updating the database for viruses, spyware and other malware; so do not think that it is only updating the antivirus.
Post-install configuration does not require much attention, but I would like to draw attention to the following points, which are located on the (sub)menus on the left:
- Spysite Blocking: The selection is set to “On”, however it would be better if the database included some well-known malicious websites.
- Cookie Control: The selection is set to “Off”. This option allows all cookies, including the ones from the tracking sites. This may need some tweaking since some websites do not work properly without tracking cookies. You can define the individual websites under the menu.
- Ad blocking: The selection is set to “Off”. This can be a good idea for a smoother Internet experience but this option does not block the pop-up and pop-under windows. You can define the sites which you allow to open pop-up windows (such as your bank) and set this option to “Medium”, which blocks all the pop-up and pop-under windows.
However, I must state that the program lacks detailed configuration options overall which the advanced users will miss.