7. Pico Pro Management

Logging onto the Pico Pro management Web interface requires a user name and password (the default is “admin” for username and “yoggie” for password). That interface is readily accessible through a right-click context menu integrated into a taskbar icon. This same area also offers options to check for updates, change password or language preferences, enable or disable protection and “about” info.

The Pico Pro features a simple, clutter-free management page that ensures distraction-free usability: a left window pane proffers status, reports, settings and support page links. Each page includes relevant details:

• The Status page shows a three-color (green-yellow-red) risk level monitor on a semi-circular dashboard gauge, along with tachometer-like firewall, IDS/IPS and malware-events gauges.

Yoggie UI Status display

• The Reports tab displays simple bar graphs and charts that illustrate a historical timeline of events for categories that include total events, firewall, IDS/IPS, e-mail, malware and spam. Various log files are also accessible on horizontal tabs through this window.

Yoggie UI reports display

• Like Internet Security options in Windows Internet Explorer, the Settings tab lets you specify a security policy threshold at low/medium/high levels using a slider at the right of the screen. It also offers a multitude of advanced settings for general security, system, network, VPN and email handling through additional horizontal tabs.

Yoggie UI settings display

• The Support tab provides information about the Pico make and model, including internals and updates. Other horizontal tabs also provide access to Yoggie support tools at their Website, a set of diagnostics and access to help information online. We were a little disappointed that while the Pico offers CPU Usage and Temperature fields, it provides no data to go with them.

Yoggie UI support display