D-Link SecureSpot DSD-150 Louisville KY

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Originally published at Internet.com

Internet-connected computers (particularly those running Windows) face a host of threats from various sources - these days it can often seem as if your PC is at risk from everything but e.coli.

Using a broadband router/firewall for protection is a good start, but it can't guard against some of the most serious and prevalent threats like e-mail or Web page-borne infections and most don't prevent people from accessing inappropriate content. For that kind protection you typically need to supplement your router's firewall with Internet security software that runs on a PC.

Of course, PC-based security applications protect only the systems they run on, so an increasing number of people with more than one computer face the expensive prospect of buying separate security software for each system, or even worse, leaving some computers unprotected.

D-Link says that its SecureSpot DSD-150 is a solution to this dilemma, offering a simpler and less-expensive way to protect multiple systems on a network. The $99 SecureSpot is a hardware device that protects up to four PCs and provides most of the features you'd expect to find in a comprehensive Internet security suite, including a firewall, content controls, anti-virus and spam filtering, along with personal data protection and a pop-up blocker.

We found that the SecureSpot can be a cost-effective way to protect multiple systems from various Net-based threats. On the other hand, it doesn't eliminate the need to install software on your systems, and certain aspects of device configuration may be confusing to some people.

Pricing and Features
The SecureSpot is a small, nondescript black box with two RJ45 ports that sits between your cable modem/DSL device and your broadband router. As is the case with most security products these days, the SecureSpot is a subscription-based product - the purchase price is good for the first year of service, and renewals will set you back $79.99 annually. While the SecureSpot protect up to four PCs on your network, but you can add additional systems for $19.99 per year.

In a nutshell, the SecureSpot functions as a Internet proxy device that works in conjunction with managed security provider Bsecure, a company that provides the management interface as well as the online databases that give the SecureSpot the capability to identify the content of Web sites and recognize threats like viruses, spam and so on.

Strictly speaking, the SecureSpot isn't a hardware-only solution. Many functions, such as the firewall, content controls and spam filter - are self-contained, but some - including the anti-virus scanner and certain aspects of the firewall - are provided by a thin-client utility that you must install on each PC you want to protect. The client runs on either Windows XP/2000 or Mac OS X 10.3/10.4 (we used it with XP systems).

Installation
Getting the SecureSpot physically connected isn't difficult. D-Link provides step-by-step graphical instructions on what connects to what, and since the SecureSpot doesn't need to communicate directly with your broadband router, it shouldn't matter what kind of device you use (we used a Netgear WPN824).

The first time you try to access a Web site after installing the SecureSpot on your network, you're automatically taken to a Web page to activate the device and create your administration account on BSecure's SecureSpot management server. Thhe next step is to download and install the thin client onto each system on your network - opening the browser on any system takes you directly to a client download page.

The SecureSpot operates in one of three general security modes. The default mode, Medium, requires that systems run the thin client to browse the Web or to use any Internet-enabled application like e-mail or instant messaging. You can eliminate this restriction by setting the security mode to Low, but for either mode, removing the SecureSpot from the network can thwart content control restrictions.

To guard against this, the SecureSpot's High security mode causes the client to check for the presence of the SecureSpot device and - if it's not found - you'll need to enter an administrator login before you can access the Internet. This feature worked as advertised when we tried it, and you can't uninstall the client without the admin password (though you could conceivably access the Net unchallenged by using a PC without the client.)

SecureSpot lets you block certain types of applications. (Click for larger image.)

SecureSpot configuration is handled via the SecureSpot Control Center, a browser-based interface that connects to the back-end server rather than directly to the device. (Accessing this control panel seemed to work better with Internet Explorer. With Firefox things were dicey.)

Most SecureSpot functions that are performed through the hardware can be configured centrally for all systems on your network. When you try to configure a feature that's part of the thin client (like an anti-virus scan) the browser will launch the relevant part of the thin client on the individual PC you're using for further customization options.

Content Controls and Firewall
If you have children that can access your home office computer or you want to limit the type of Web sites employees can access, you'll be happy to know that SecureSpot offers numerous ways to restrict when and how kids can access the Internet.

For starters, you can create an access schedule to define which days and times of day access will be allowed. There are dozens of content categories you can choose to filter, and you can supplement these category filters with lists of specific Web sites you want to block (or allow) access to.

You can easily gain override access to blocked sites by entering the SecureSpot administrator username and password. To stop concerted and repeated efforts to circumvent the content filter by trying to go to different sites with the same kind of content, the SecureSpot includes a safety lock option that can force a person to restart the system to regain Internet access after a specified number of blocked attempts.

The SecureSpot provides a wizard that lets you set up the content control and firewall features at a basic functional level, but customizing certain aspects of the SecureSpot may prove confusing for less technical people since the configuration interface groups settings technically rather than logically (i.e. to block Web sites you use content controls, but to block the use of applications you use the firewall). This would be less of a problem if the manual provided detailed explanations of the various features, but it offers only short descriptions and little in-depth information.

In the firewall category, you'll find additional settings designed to prevent the