Comprehensive protection is priority number one for every computer user connected to the net and no matter what measures one takes, there will eventually be some way for attacks to circumvent them. There is therefore the need for not only a shield from spyware but a permanently up-to-date scanner that will give your system a rigorous once over to weed out any root kits and of course any other kind of malware. Step up Spy Sweeper, an advanced solution that will help you put your mind to rest.

Emphasising the need to stay on top of recent trends, the program will conduct an automatic update when you first open it. Follow that with a “Sweep” and you’ll soon realise that the term “excavation” may better suit the process that follows. There’s no point in holding your breath for it to finish because if our test system is anything to go by you can expect a wait of up to one hour! Thankfully though, a scan won’t gobble up your CPU usage and there will be no noticeable slow-down if you use other applications during the process.

A unique and very practical feature of Spy Sweeper is the running commentary of everything you’ve done since beginning the session. As the scan progresses, issues will appear in red with the type of problem and the name of the offending file. A more detailed log of your session history can be found under the Results tab which also time stamps every event.

While Spy Sweeper tries to keep the user informed, it doesn’t venture so far as to estimate the time remaining for a scan. This is a small feature that should be regarded as standard for this type of software but it’s just not to be the case here. What’s more, within the options tab you find what amounts to nothing more than advertising with links to more Webroots products. We would hope that these disappear once you’ve registered your copy.

Issues aside, Spy Sweeper packs a punch where it counts and certainly justifies its modest price tag. While there are free alternatives to be found in Ad-Aware and Spybot Search and Destroy, the extra funding may provide more incentive to stay on top of recent threats and should also guarantee the longevity of support for many years to come.