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Steganos Security Suite 2007
Price: £34.95 inc VAT

Features
Performance
Ease of use
Value for money
Overall

Reviewed By: Andy Shaw

This review updated: 04/01/2007
Featured in magazine:
Issue 152
Manufacturer Contacts:
Supplier: Steganos
Web Address: www.steganos.com


Think of a security suite and words like anti-virus and firewall will leap into your head. Steganos Security Suite is a different proposition though – this isn't designed to protect your computer from the internet's nefarious nasties, it's a privacy tool to protect your data from thieves and snoopers, both online and offline.

Features
There are nine elements to the software, falling into three categories: six ways of locking away and encrypting your data and passwords; two data destruction programs to let you electronically shred your files or cover your web tracks; and a handy anti-theft program that may provide enough information to track down your computer if it is stolen then used on the internet.

Performance
It's certainly thorough. The Internet Trace Destructor, for example, won't just cover your browser's tracks but can also hide recent activity in a large number of other programs, from file-sharing software to firewalls. You can secure your files in highly-encrypted safes, either on your hard disk or on portable devices like CDs, USB memory or even your iPod. It can also encrypt email messages, including attachments, in a way that can be used with any email or webmail software; and can save your Internet Explorer favourites in a private, password protected file.

Ease of use
With a central menu to access all the different programs and a coherent interface throughout, there's nothing to stand in the way of using this software. Things like passwords, that you need to create to ensure a decent level of security for safes and so on, are analysed on the fly, so you know how secure the passwords you're creating should be. And most of the detailed settings you may wish to fiddle with are nothing more complicated than a series of well-explained tick boxes.

Value for money
The downside is that you could get a lot of this stuff without paying for it – there are plenty of freeware data erasers, password protectors and encryption programs available that you could use instead. The obvious benefits of getting them all in one through Steganos is that you've got everything rolled into one handy suite and only one port of call if you require any kind of help or support.

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