14 DAY TRIAL // Every once in a while, we have the 'chance' to see a new security application attempting to install a toolbar on our computers. And I agree, there is nothing wrong with it because toolbars can be useful if you really need such a thing. But the problem is that some of them are included in software packages and come as pre-selected options and we all know some people leave the settings as they find them. This obviously attracts more users for the toolbar although it may not be such a fair tactic. STOPzilla is just another piece of software that implemented such an utility, so security companies quickly started discussing about the installer's pre-selected tool.
As you can see in the adjacent photo published by Alex Eckelberry on the Sunbelt blog, the STOPzilla Toolbar is pre-selected so many users may install it because they believe it's better. And it may be, but is it really fair to leave it that way? The toolbar comes with several functions, including a search feature provided by Ask.com, a famous company also the owner of a top search engine.
"Yes; the STOPzilla Toolbar features an Ask.com search box, but this feature is provided so that users who prefer only one toolbar in their browsers need not clutter up their browsers with two toolbars, or switch between the two while browsing. Many other legitimate applications provide similar functionality. (e.g., RoboForm)", Jess Kalish, communications director for iS3, developers of STOPzilla, wrote in a comment of the Sunbelt blog.
However, please note that this toolbar is different from other browser add-ons included into ZoneLabs or Webroot applications, because it's not a fully-branded Ask.com toolbar as the Sunbelt official noted, it's only the search function. But still, there's one question, as Alex Eckelberry noted: "Is this a prudent move, being that they're a security company?"