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Called CyberHawk under its previous owners, PC Tools' ThreatFire is a useful program but only in limited situations. It offers real-time prevention of virus and malware infections by identifying suspicious behaviors ("zero-day" events) as they happen, before malicious code installs itself on your PC. However, ThreatFire does not offer an on-demand scan for viruses already on your computer, though it will perform an on-demand scan for other malware. The name says "antivirus", but if you're looking for an all-in-one on-demand bug killer we recommend looking for a product that includes both on-demand virus scanning and real-time protection.

ThreatFire does do some things very well. The software real-time protection didn't noticeably slow down our Windows Vista computer, and the customizable advanced settings were excellent. Users can pick and choose their preferred trusted processes and create rules for detection, such as scanning for SCR files created by an email client. You can also avail yourself of the scheduler, and create a system restore point before moving threats into quarantine.

However, once installed, ThreatFire is difficult to remove from your startup routine without uninstalling it. The absence of on-demand virus scanning means that this app is best used in conjunction with a program that offers on-demand virus detection and removal. While ThreatFire offers some compelling features, competing freeware security programs provide a more comprehensive combination of real-time and on-demand virus scanning.


http://download.cnet.com/ThreatFire-AntiVirus-Free-Edition/3000-2239_4-10726873.html