The Best Security Suites for 2010

02.25.10

From : http://www.pcmag.com

We've reviewed well over a dozen 2010 security suites—find out which will keep you safe and which to avoid.

Buzz up!on Yahoo!

The 2010 "model year" for security suites got an early start, with a couple of products already out in June of 2009. The February 2010 releases of McAfee Total Protection 2010 andNorton 360 Version 4.0 complete the collection, at least as far as major security vendors are concerned. We've reviewed sixteen security suites for 2010; read on to see which will keep you safe and which to avoid.

Of the early-birds Panda Internet Security 2010 made a decent showing, but eScan Internet Security Suite for Home Users Version 10 isn't ready to provide serious competition for any of the better-known contenders in the U.S. market. Much the same is true of K7 TotalSecurity Version 10.0: It's popular in Japan, but doesn't live up to the standards set by other major products here-at least it didn't bog down my test systems. Through the summer the suites kept rolling in, keeping me busy with all-out evaluations.

Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 and BitDefender Total Security 2010arrived almost simultaneously in August (although Kaspersky released its European version quite a bit earlier). Both offer powerful protection, but BitDefender has the edge in most areas, particularly antispam and parental control. But both suites did have a measurable impact on system performance in testing, possibly due to being crammed to the gills with bonus features that actually improve security.

F-Secure Internet Security 2010 and Trend Micro Internet Security Pro (version 3) also came through the gate together. F-Secure updated its interface, improved its detection, and added explicit exploit protection to its firewall. Trend Micro changed little from its previous incarnation. They can get away with standing still this time, but I hope for some innovation in the next Trend Micro suite.

The anti-malware scores for Norton Internet Security 2010 blew away the competition at the time, and it has shored up two notorious (if less important) traditional weak spots for Norton. Parental control now comes from the full-featured OnlineFamily.Norton, and the new spam filter component is quite accurate (a huge improvement). It remains our Editor's Choice, along with Norton 360 v 4.0 which offers the same level of security and adds PC Tuneup and a powerful and flexible backup system.

Last year ZoneAlarm combined their ZoneAlarm suite with ForceField virtualization technology and threw in backup, system tune-up and more to create a new product: ZoneAlarm Extreme Security. I was impressed enough to rate it Editor's Choice, shared with Norton's 2009 suite. I took a harder look at ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 2010 and found a few minor flaws. Nothing huge, and it offers some hot features like full disk encryption, but I'm not calling it Editor's Choice at this time.

I was excited to learn about FortiClient Endpoint Security Standard Edition 4.1, a totally free full security suite from Fortinet, better known for their Enterprise products. Unfortunately it's not truly free - you pay in reduced security. In particular its anti-malware scores were the lowest I've seen. And if you want direct tech support or anti-spam you pay extra.

CA Internet Security Suite Plus 2010 got a total facelift, a brand new user interface, but under that pretty surface its security protection was unimpressive. AVG Internet Security 9.0, avast! Internet Security 5.0, andPC Tools Internet Security 2010, three suites from vendors better known for their standalone anti-malware products, all made a better showing. In particular, PC Tools scored even higher than Norton in the anti-malware category.

McAfee Total Protection 2010 appeared on McAfee's web site last fall, but the actual fully-updated suite didn't come out until months later. It was worth the wait-it's an impressive suite overall with an especially strong antispam module. The Editors Choice designation goes to the two Norton suites, but you won't go wrong choosing McAfee, ZoneAlarm, or BitDefender.

As always, click on the blurbs below to read the full reviews. Note that while this roundup covers the vast majority of important security suites available for 2010, it's not an exhaustive list; if we come across another suite that merits inclusion, it's always possible we'll add it.

avast! Internet Security 5.0

$59.95 direct
Fans of avast!'s antivirus can now get full security without going elsewhere for firewall and antispam protection. It's still just the essentials, but, if that's what you're looking for, it's a good choice.

AVG Internet Security 9.0

$69.99 direct
The latest suite from AVG is a distinct improvement over its predecessor. It integrates multiple new anti-malware technologies and its firewall problems are fixed. It's now a good choice, though not a challenger for Norton Internet Security 2010 and other top products.

BitDefender Total Security 2010

$79.95 direct (for 3 licenses)
BitDefender offers everything you expect in a suite and more. It's especially good at malware detection and offers better antispam, parental controls, and privacy protection than most suites. It affects performance more than some, but it's a very good choice for all-around protection.

CA Internet Security Suite Plus 2010

$69.99 direct (for 3 licenses)
CA hired experts to completely overhaul their suite's user interface. The result is unique, stunning and user-friendly. Alas, the security components housed in that gorgeous shell are hardly changed. They're still second-rate, and the suite's default settings can cause serious trouble for users. Maybe next year!

eScan Internet Security Suite for Home Users Version 10

$45.95 direct
Just installing this suite on malware-infested systems took days of effort. It scored okay on malware removal and blocking tests, but its proactive scan blocks many valid programs. The antispam and parental-control elements aren't worth consideration. This suite has a long way to go before it can challenge the top contenders.

F-Secure Internet Security 2010

$59.99 direct (for three licenses
The 2010 edition of F-Secure Internet Security has a new, easier-to-use interface and improved detection capabilities courtesy of a new protection network. This year's suite has less impact on performance than last year's, and its firewall now explicitly blocks exploits. In almost every security area it's a good choice—but not a great one.

FortiClient Endpoint Security Standard Edition 4.1

Free
FortiClient Endpoint Security Standard Edition 4.1 may not cost you any money, but its poor performance in dealing with malware and phishing attempts means that if you install it you'll pay the price of limited security.

K7 TotalSecurity Version 10.0

$44.96 direct (for 3 licenses)
This suite from Asian security giant K7 Computing needs work. It's not a resource hog and the spam filter is decent, but it needs to clean up malware more thoroughly and the firewall is fragile. Maybe the next version will do better.

Kaspersky Internet Security 2010

$79.95 direct (for 3 licenses)
Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 has everything you expect from a security suite and more. Its firewall is smart, the antivirus labs like it, and its "Safe Run" sandbox protects your system. It did not, however, ace our antispam and anti-malware tests, and it somewhat slowed system performance.

McAfee Total Protection 2010

$79.99 direct
Pleasant, streamlined interface. Network map with intruder alert, remote repair. Fast, accurate antispam. SiteAdvisor toolbar includes very good phishing protection. Very good malware blocking. Small performance impact. Online backup from Mozy.

Norton 360 Version 4.0

$79.99 direct
Norton 360 offers all the protection of the powerful Norton Internet Security suite. For $10 more, Norton 360 adds PC tuneup and a feature-rich local and online backup system, now with remote access and file sharing. Either version of the suite will be a fine choice for overall system protection.

Norton Internet Security 2010

$69.99 direct
Utilizing innovative technologies that crank up your PC's protection without bogging down its performance, Norton Internet Security 2010 remains the best overall security suite on the market.

Panda Internet Security 2010

$79.95 direct (for 3 licenses)
Panda Internet Security 2010 has less impact on system performance than its predecessor, and it's more effective at blocking phishing sites and removing malware. Otherwise, it's unchanged. I had serious problems getting it to install and run on some malware-infested systems, just like last year. But if you're installing on a clean system it can be a good choice.

PC Tools Internet Security 2010

$34.95 direct
Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus 2010 is an impressive standalone app, and it's at the heart of PC Tool's Security suite. Not every component measures up to Spyware Doctor, but, overall, the suite is worth a look.

Trend Micro Internet Security Pro (version 3)

$69.95 direct
Trend Micro promised improvements in this year's version of its suite, particularly in performance impact, but overall I saw little change. Internet Security Pro still offers good protection, but it may be left behind if it doesn't move forward.

ZoneAlarm Extreme Security

$69.99 direct ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 2010 boasts impressive features, including full-disk encryption. But it slows performance, installing it is torture, and its anti-malware scores are only so-so. It's still a good product, but I'm not quite as thrilled with it as I was last year.