Spector Pro 6.0

About.com Rating 5 Star Rating

User Rating 3 Star Rating (7 Reviews) Write a review

From Tony Bradley, CISSP-ISSAP, former About.com Guide

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The Bottom Line

Spectorsoft is an established leader in the area of computer monitoring software. Computer monitoring and surveillance is generally associated with hackers or malicious intent of some sort- like spyware that steals your passwords by capturing your keystrokes. However, there are a variety of reasons why someone might legitimately want to monitor the activity on a computer- employers monitoring employees, parents monitoring children or even monitoring your own computer as a security tool to ensure it isn't tampered with. Spector Pro 6.0 once again sets the bar for this type of software.

Pros

SpectorSoft is a recognized leader in PC monitoring software
Comprehensive monitoring of every action and activity on the PC
Ability to restrict access times and block access to specific sites or users

Cons

A little expensive for some users

Description

Periodic screen snapshots let you review exactly what was displayed on the monitor
Keystroke logging captures all keystrokes, but can be configured to ignore passwords to maintain integrity and privacy
Monitor all instant messaging chat sessions- both inbound and outbound communications
Read all sent and received emails (including web-based email such as Yahoo Mail or Gmail accounts)
Review all activity on MySpace including pictures that are posted and profiles that are visited
Monitor every program or application that is run on the system
Restrict access times to IM or Web sites, or block access to specific web sites or users
Receive instant alerts via email or even to a cell phone when inappropriate sites are visited or language is used
Review all search terms entered into Google, Yahoo, etc.

Guide Review - Spector Pro 6.0

Is it right for an employer or parent to monitor a PC? That is an ethical issue that is subject to individual interpretation. Some would call it an invasion of privacy. Some would say that it is an obligation- particularly for a parent to monitor a child's PC. Assuming you fall on the side of the ethical fence that favors monitoring, you can't go wrong with Spector Pro 6.0.

Spector Pro has been twice recognized as a PC Magazine Editors' Choice, and has been awarded the first place Gold Award by TopTenReviews. I rated the previous version, Spector Pro 5.0, with 5 stars, and if we had more stars available I might give this one 6. I have not found any other product (with the possible exception of eBlaster which is also a Spectorsoft product) that is as comprehensive and powerful, but also flexible and easy to use.

Spector Pro rocks- plain and simple! You can choose whether to leave the program visible, letting users know that it is there and that they are being monitored, or you can install it in stealth mode so that it runs secretly in the background. The program interface is simple and intuitive and makes reviewing the data a snap.

The various captures- email, instant messaging, web sites visited, etc.- can all be reviewed. You can also play back the screen snapshots like a still-frame movie of the activity on the system. Some inappropriate material may appear on the screen without showing up in the other captures, and the screenshots let you see those as well.

For employers looking to monitor a number of employees on a corporate network SpectorSoft also offers SpectorPro 360 which allows you to monitor a number of computers from a central interface.

If you have any need to monitor the activity on your own computer, your employee's computers or the computers of your children this is the program to do it with.

User Reviews

1 out of 5

SpectorPro has a deceiving buniness model, Member deafhear

I bought two licenses 14 month ago. As another reviewer said, it worked well initially. But after I upgraded my operating system to Windows 7, it started to have lots of problems, with major ones being it stopped monitoring web sites anymore - simply no recording of web pages visited. Note that this happened to two different pcs both bought quite recently. Overall one third to a half of functionality stopped working over time and depending on the computer. I contacted the support a few times, spending lots of time, but nothing worked. When it's a year after my initial purchase, I decided not to purchase the support since it was not effective. Now, it completely stopped working - I cannot open Spector Pro through their so-called steath way. I was suspicious of what's going on and asked their representative why my software stopped working since this is a perpectual license. I was told they can't cut off my software. But this is happening to two different computers - and at the same time! Obviously they force customers to renew support annually. It is just a lie that they can't cut you off. I once had a technical issue and they solved it in such a way that I was very impressed by the kind of control and access they had over Spector Pro on my computer and convinced that my local copy is totally controlled by their license server. I'm a software engineer myself. I know how desktop software works and how license servers control it. I wish I had read the other review posted here in 2008 before I bought SpectorPro in May 2010. Alas. I think I will file a complaint with consumer protection agency. I hope this review will help those like me before you go head to make your purchase decision.

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