Panda

Company: Panda Security
Version: 2014 7.01.01
Devices supported: Computer
Operating system: Mac OS X
Windows 7
Windows 8
Windows Vista
Windows XP
Price *: 71.99 €
Language of interface: bulgarian, chinese, czech, danish, dutch, english, estonian, french, german, greek, italian, japanese, korean, norwegian, polish, portuguese, romanian, russian, slovak, slovanian, spanish, suomi, swedish, turkish
Test date: SIP Bench III, 3rd test cycle, Summer 2014

*Prices might change according to the latest company offers

EFFECTIVENESS

The overall effectiveness score is fair on adult content and very weak on other harmful content.
There is no major difference in effectiveness between teenagers and children.
There is no major difference in effectiveness between web and web 2.0.
There is no major difference in effectiveness among the different languages.

Effectiveness score with adult content filtering for users up to 12 year old: 2.6
Effectiveness score with other harmful content filtering for users up to 12 year old: 0.0
Effectiveness score with adult content filtering for users 13 years and older: 2.2
Effectiveness score with other harmful content filtering for users 13 years and older: 0.0

Effectiveness score for users up to 12 year old: 1.3 out of 4 points
Effectiveness score for users 13 years and older: 1.1 out of 4 points

USABILITY

Installation of the tool: The installation process is well comprehensible. The installer does not provide advanced options, except for the language choice. The process has some language inconsistencies .

Configuration of the tool: The tool is embedded in a security suite, but only the parental control features were subject of this test. The configuration process is easy to learn, but not always comprehensible. The process is mostly conform with user expectations. There are barely any options to individualize or influence the process.

Usage of the tool: The tool provides no options to react, when a website has been blocked, they are mainly addressed to parents and not to children. The alert message cannot be customized, but it is generally adequate. The reporting is comprehensible and the information provided is adequate.

Usability of the installation process: 2.4
Usability of the configuration process: 2.7
Usability of the usage of the product: 1.4

Overall score for usability: 2.2 out of 4 points

FUNCTIONALITY

The Parental Global Protection tool is part of an all-in-one security suite. The software works on various devices and different OS (PC, Mac). The user can set up several profiles. The tool has basic functions so that parents can create URL black/white lists and adjust filter categories to decide what topics should be filtered. It is possible to block and monitor web content. Furthermore the access to Social Networks/ P2P applications and the email client and/or webmail access can be blocked.

SECURITY

The low rate results from the possibility for the user to uninstall the tool without a password.

Overall score for security: 0 out of 4 points

DETAILED FUNCTIONALITY

Area of need	Functionality	Specific issues	Assessment
Management	Management of User profiles	Create several profiles	Yes
	Remote Management	Manage on various devices	No
	Monitoring	Remote access to monitoring	No
Filtering Customisation	Topics	Customisation of Filtering Topics	Yes
	URLs White List	Restrict Browsing to White List	No
		Default White List	No
		Modification OR Creation	Yes
	URLs Black List	Creation of User's own Black List	Yes
Keywords	Keywords	Default Black List	No
		Default White List	No
		Creation of a User's Black List	No
		Creation of a User's White List	No
Time	Time Limit Settings	Set a specific time frame or web access duration	No
Blocking Message	Type	Ask for unblocking by parents	No
Blocking Message	Type	Redirect to safe resources	No
Usage Restriction	Web	Block Access	Yes
	Web	Monitor Access	Yes
	Safe search	Availability	No
	Social Networks	Block Access	Yes
	Social Networks	Monitor Usage	No
	Personal data Provision	Block	No
	Streaming	Block Access	No
	Streaming	Monitor Access	No
	P2P	Block the application	Yes
	P2P	Monitor Downloads	No
	Skype	Block chat	No
		Block video chat	No
		Monitor	No
		Prevent new Contact	No
	Windows Life Messenger	Block chat	No
		Block video chat	No
		Monitor	No
		Prevent new Contact	No
	Email	Block email client and/or webmail access	Yes

DETAILED USABILITY FINDINGS

	Yes / No
I: installation in 3 steps or less	No
I: choice of installation for beginners or advanced users	No

C: different degrees of strength for the filtering	Yes
C: different content criteria for the filtering	Yes
C: option to transfer filter configurations between target users	No
C: option to transfer filter configurations between devices	No
C: overall comprehensible configuration	Yes
C: overall conformity with user expectations	Yes
C: overall easy to learn	No

U: alert message in a child friendly language	No
U: option to customise the reaction in case of blocking	No
U: overall easily operable and comprehensible reporting	No

DETAILED SECURITY FINDINGS

The Tool prevents the user from by-passing the filter by:	Yes / No
Using the IP address instead of the URL	Yes
Using an alternative browser	Yes
Changing time and date settings*	n/a
Disabling or uninstalling the software without a password*	No
Closing the filtering tool trough the Task Manager	Yes
Using a proxy instead of a direct connection to the Internet	Yes
Accessing the web-pages through the Google Cache	Yes
Reaching a website through translation sites	Yes
Renaming a blocked application	n/a
Using Safe Mode	No
Filtering Content personalised by user	No
Filtering Content evolving through time	No
Filtering Multimedia content	No
Filtering outbound content	No