One of the final products from the Pepcom Digital Experience that I have for review is the CA Secure & Store Flash Drive, which features CA Internet Security Suite 2007 with CA Desktop DNA Migrator. By now all Windows users know that using a PC without a AntiVirus, Firewall and/or Spam Blocker is like riding a motorcycle without a helmet. It can be done, but is fraught with risks.
Review: CA Secure & Store Flash Drive
featuring CA Internet Security Suite with CA Desktop DNA Migrator
Reviewed by: Tomas Ratas
Sponsor: CA
From personal experience, some of the biggest names in the PC protection business offer some of the most bloated software around. Plus they slow down your system by delaying startup times and constantly using the CPU. Plus they are near impossible to remove if you decide to uninstall them. Luckily there are many commercial and free alternatives.
Today, I will look at the Secure & Store Flash Drive from CA (formerly known as Computer Associates). Their current offering features a 2GB Flash Drive that can be reused after installing the product. Plus CA gives three licenses, so you can either protect your PC for one year or use the subsequent keys in the following two years.
Lets get started.
Tech Specs,Features or the Basic Info:
CA Internet Security Suite 2007 delivers comprehensive protection against the many online dangers you can be exposed to while enjoying what the Internet has to offer. It protects against viruses, ID thieves, spyware, spam, and malicious hackers that can jeopardize your privacy. These award-winning, business-strengthening tools will take the guesswork out of PC security, giving you a safer online experience. In addition, the security suite comes with a bonus 2 GB USB flash drive.
CA Internet Security Suite:
*New! Secure Now provides proactive protection by monitoring critical program functions and settings, and reminding you to keep your computer security at an optimal level.
*New! Threat Outbreak Warning System provides real-time content feeds from the CA Security Advisor, giving you detailed, up-to-the-minute information on the most recent and most prevalent virus and spyware threats.
*New! Quick Tips provide you with helpful, at-your-fingertips answers to commonly asked questions, easing the burden of searching the Help file or contacting Support for assistance.
*Improved! User interface offers simplicity and superior ease-of-use, helping you quickly and easily set preferences, check program status, and maintain a secure PC.
*Low System Overhead with a total install of only 60 MB and low usage of system resources, CA Internet Security Suite installs quickly, saves hard-drive space, and scans efficiently.
*Supported by the CA Security Advisory Team our worldwide research labs work 24×7 to detect threats before they can damage your PC, helping ensure protection from the latest threats.
* Anti-Virus
* Personal Firewall
* Anti-Spyware
*Anti-Spam
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CA DNA Migrator 2007
The same experts that manage the migrations of large enterprises are also migrating small/home office and personal users with CA Desktop DNA Migrator. CA Desktop DNA Migrator is the quickest and easiest way to safeguard and transfer your PCs DNA settings, preferences, data folders, email address books and more to your new or upgraded PC. By transferring your DNA from your old PC to your new PC you will be up and running quickly, taking advantage of your new PCs features and functions while still enjoying the familiar desktop environment settings, data and connections of your old PC!
Desktop Migrator 2007 lets you migrate everything that’s unique to you, from your old PC to your new one. Each person modifies their PC to fit their needs, jobs and preferences, making their PC unique — their own application settings, preferences and data files. Move all your settings across PCs, including Microsoft Word or Excel, address books, Internet Favorites and bookmarks, as well as all your files, folders, pictures, music, etc.
New 2 GB Flash Drive:
-2 GB storage space** to hold hundreds of photos, MP3s, and other documents.
-USB 2.0 for high-speed file transfers.
-Preloaded with CA Internet Security Suite 2007 software so theres no need to wait for downloads or fumble around with CDs.
-Durable Ultra flash card can be used again and again.
-Thin, credit-card design makes it easy to carry around with you all day.
**Reflects storage size after installation and deletion of CA software from drive.
Product Description:
CA Internet Security Suite provides comprehensive protection against viruses, hackers, identity thieves, spyware, spam and other online threats that can jeopardize your privacy, your data, and your PC’s performance. It combines easy-to-use, award-winning, business-strength technology with preconfigured settings and automatic updates that take the guesswork out of PC security. Software is preloaded on included FlashDrive.
CA Internet Security Suite gives home users the same powerful technology used by the world’s largest businesses that’s user-friendly.
{mospagebreak title=A Better Look at things}
A Better Look at Things
:
The CA Internet Security Suite Flash Drive with CA Desktop DNA Migrator comes in a clear plastic box, with white borders above and below the Flash Card. The drive is centered in the middle of the package.
The box lists the included programs, the CA Internet Security Suite, the CA Desktop DNA Migrator as well as the ability to install on up to three PCs. Also shown is a picture of the retractable Ethernet Crossover cable and the back of the card, which features the 2GB compact USB flash drive.
The back of the box lists the features of the CA Internet Security Suite, the CA Desktop DNA Migrator. Besides the product, CA offers free Updates, Upgrades and Support. The USB Flash drive is manufactured by Ultra Products and the information about their lifetime warranty is listed here.
Included in the package is a the CA ISS Flash Card, the retractable Ethernet Crossover cable, a Quick Start Guide with three keys codes and a lanyard.
The credit card sized card is white with the green and blue CA logo with the two programs listed in the center of the card. The backside holds the 2 GB USB Flash Drive, which is less than the size of the actual card and is held in place by a pair of clips, so the Drive is flush with the back surface of the card.
The retractable Ethernet Cable is housed in a black hub with CA logo on both sides and measures a little over four feet long, when fully extended. The lanyard is white with a detachable end, so the card can be removed quickly from the lanyard.
Installation, Testing and Comparison
Plugging the USB drive into the PC starts the autorun installation program. Well, it starts an autorun program if Internet Explorer is your default internet client. (Kids, friends dont let friends use Internet Explorer, this message is from the folks at Firefox).
The installation process is pretty standard. Just follow the prompts and the installation takes about five minutes. During the installations, one needs to accept the CA end user license agreement, then a Lesser General Public License agreement for two open-source libraries. If you choose not to accept one or both, then the installation fails.
You can select to install all or some of the components. When finished, the computer will request a reboot to activate the Internet Security Suite.
If you install the entire package, you will have CA Anti-Virus, CA Anti-Spyware, CA Personal Firewall and CA Anti-Spam on your PC. Once the initial reboot is performed, the Suite will need to be updated via the internet with the latest upgrades and update packages. After this is done, a reboot may be required, yet again.
CA Anti-Virus is now the moniker for previous CA antivirus products (eTrust, eTrust EZ, Vet, InoculateIT). Like most Anti-Virus programs, it works without any user intervention. Files can be scanned on a schedule, on request or when accessed. There is also a POP3 email scanner which checks email messages and attachments.
Previously CA used a licensed version of Zonelabs Zonealarm Firewall software. Since CA acquired Tiny Software, they now employ Tiny Firewall as the CA Personal Firewall. This Firewall offers cookie control, script blocking, pop-up blocking, scheduled cache cleaning, private data protection, detection of suspicious outbound e-mail activity, and blocking of dangerous attachments
The CA Anti-Spam program works on the concept of an approved list of email senders. All other emails are held in quarantine until given your approval. CA Anti-Spam does add the contacts from your address book as well as addresses from messages in your personal folders.
Lastly the CA Anti-Spyware is the renamed PestPatrol, which was purchased a few years ago by CA. Scanning the entire system took less than 10 minutes with the Anti-Spyware software.
Installation, Testing and Comparison Continued:
Removal of the CA Internet Security 2007 requires the use of the Windows Control Panel Add or Remove Programs Tool. There is no uninstall icon present in the Programs section of the Start Menu. The good news is that after removal there were no traces of any CA product.
The CA Desktop DNA Migrator is the reason for the retractable crossover Ethernet cable. This program allows the quick and easy transfer of commonly used files such as Pictures, Music, Address Book, email, Favorites, Internet Connection settings from one PC to another. It works by creating a DNA file which can be transferred via media such as DVD of Flash Drive or the DNA can be directly transferred via the supplied Ethernet crossover cable.
I did not have a PC ready to test this part of the Suite, so I can not give a review of this component. But it does seem to be helpful if you are migrating from one PC to another.
The 2GB Flash Drive is physically, the smallest USB Flash Drive that I have ever used. It is the same length as an SD card and half as wide. CA provides a credit size plastic holder to help protect the flash drive from damage as well as loss. Fully formatted, the drive is 1.91 GB. The actual CA ISS file is around 87 MB, so that leaves 1.66 GB if you keep the CA Suite on the drive.
My primary USB drive is the OCZ Rally2 2 GB, which is the fastest USB Flash Drive that I have used. Primarily, I use it in conjunction with the PortableApps Suite when I am away from one of my PCs.
This is the drive which I compare all other USB Flash Drives. In this comparison, I also used a Sandisk Micro Cruzer 512 MB Drive.
For testing I used HD Tach RW Version 3.0.1.0 and SiSoftware Sandra XIs Removable Storage Benchmark. With HDTach, I ran the Long Bench (32mb zones) and the Full Bench Tests.
Looking at the results using HDTach, it looks like the CA Flash Drive comes out ahead of the other two competitors.
However on the Sandra XI Benchmark, the OCZ finishes first with the CA Flash Drive close behind.
In the real world setting, I installed PortableApps on both drives and there was a severe lag when using Portable Firefox with the CA Flash Drive. Web pages would freeze for up to thirty seconds at a time with the CA drive. I even reformatted and installed just PortableFirefox and I still had the same results.
As a storage device, it worked as well as most other USB Flash drives and was almost as fast as the OCZ Rally with transfers of data.
Summary:
The CA Secure & Store Flash Drive is a neat little device that basically provides a 2GB Flash Drive for the same cost as an all inclusive internet suite. Performance wise, there was little noticeable difference between the CA Internet Security Suite and the combination of AVG Free and ZoneAlarm Firewall, which I use normally.
The USB drive is quick and for portable quick storage, it is pretty reliable. The included Retractable Ethernet Crossover cable is a nice added bonus.
DragonSteelMods gives the CA Secure & Store Flash Drive a 3.5 out of 5 score.
Pros:
– Basically get a free Ultra Portable 2 GB USB Flash Drive for the price of Internet Security Suite
– Includes retractable Ethernet Crossover cable
– Includes licenses for up to three computers
Cons:
-Flash drive sluggish when running applications directly off of it
I would like to thank CA for the chance to review the CA Secure & Store Flash Drive and for their support of DSM.
review# 275