AOL's PC security reviewed

America Online is smart to be selling peace of mind for PC users with its latest version, but 9.0 doesn't fully deliver, the Washington Post reports. "Having brought you online, AOL is saying, we're going to keep you safe from all the things you're worried about there," writes Post tech writer Rob Pegoraro. "That is an eminently laudable goal. But it's one that this release can't quite achieve." His first complaint is that, though anti-spyware software comes with 9.0, the two most important security pieces - firewall and anti-virus - have to be downloaded and installed separately. Then users have to heed reminders in the "Safety on My PC" panel to install updates. The other main problem - though probably more a temporary bug - is that these security add-ons are just that - not seamlessly integrated into the service. But it's a great first step, and, heck, it's all free, for which AOL deserves some credit. In these days of numerous and growing security headaches, PC peace of mind is the worthiest of intentions, and AOL clearly has moved beyond good intentions.