ipGuardian for Windows

This program promises to check Web sites to guard against phishing, but it fails to deliver. Other than the occasional pop-up dialog, ipGuardian has no user interface. It installs easily as an Internet Explorer plug-in, and sits behind the scenes, waiting for the user to surf to a Web site.

Installation was the last time our testers found this application to be effective. On the program's first run, it requests the user to assign a password. Our testers reported they were never again asked for the password. It is easy but time-consuming to manage the program's various lists. Based on our results, it isn't time well-spent. You can set lists of blocked and permitted Web sites, lists of countries that are safe, or safe lists by page title or title prefix. Our testers added sites to the black list, but found the add-on would still allow access. We also found that the application would only slow access by displaying a click through warning dialog. Some found the dialog was displayed only for the first site surfed for each IE session.

We simply found ipGuardian had too many holes to be a dependable antiphishing tool. Skip this faulty plug-in, it won't keep you safer while surfing.