Trend Micro Internet Security Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)As an IT professional with years of experience in consumer support I feel it's almost a duty to review security software such as TrendMicro's Internet Security suite. But in order to properly understand my review I need to explain that I have some pretty strict criteria for my evaluation.
1. Ease of use, installation and maintenance: the application suite must be easy for the average user to install maintain, and use. Ideally the product should be out of sight out of mind as much as possible, simply performing its job in the background.
2. Lack of interference in daily use of the PC: the application suite should not slow down a modern PC with reasonable hardware specifications; it should not bother the user with pop-ups about what it is doing nor with minor "threats" such as cookies.
3. Level of threat protection : the user's PC should be protected against network (attacks used by worms), web (attacks used by hackers on the web) and file system attacks (malicious file downloads).
4. Ease of customization when required: if something is blocked that should not be, a reasonably proficient user should not need to seek professional help configuring the application.
ThrendMicro is, in my opinion, one of the best producers of security software available. In "ease of use and maintenance" they score very highly. Any user who is able to install software and actually understand the process will be able to install a consumer product produced by Trend. ***** so five stars for category one.
However they still only score three stars for lack of interference. The software does NOT slow down the PC (Pentium D, with 2GB RAM, not a high end machine) but companies like Trend, Symantec, and McAfee need to understand that if I can manually put the window from a scan to run invisibly in the background, maybe it should just run there anyway. I also don't care that Trend has deleted the cookies from my computer. I don't want to be told about the removal of threats of the most minimal risk level. I have also found several legit sites that were blocked that annoyed me. For example, I tried to watch streaming video from FOX's web site and it was blocked. ***-- for category two.
Five stars, though, for threat protection. If your system is up-to-date, Trend is up-to-date and you do not disable it you will almost certainly not get infected. The problem arises when the user participates in high-risk behaviors like file sharing (bit-torrent, eMule, etc) and then disables the software to access something they shouldn't. This is the surest way to 0wn3d, to use a technical term. *****
I have to give them credit on ease of customization. Unlike Symantec's Endpoint Protection (which was a nightmare for nearly all categories) Trend's products have always had a simple, easy to understand interface. They use intuitive names like "web protection" for their services enabling even unsophisticated users to understand where to click when they need to find something.
4 ½ overall score. Not bad! I highly recommend this software to protect your PC.


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With Trend Micro Internet Security, you no longer need to choose between computer performance and maximum protection. Get smart, proven security that never sleeps, guarding your PC from the latest threats while giving you the freedom to browse and shop online. Safeguard your PC and your personal information without compromise. Smart security features in Trend Micro Internet Security protect the computers in your home as you email and browse online. Enhanced parental controls help you take charge of where and when your children go online. Protection for up to 3 PCs per household.

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McAfee Internet Security 2009 1-User Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I tried the previous version which I considered average, Internet Security 2009 seems to be improved in a number of areas,
Installation was trouble free. McAfee gives you the choice of installing the version on your CD or downloading the most current version. This is a sensible approach, I think. I chose the download it sent smoothly. Even with the downloading, the install went pretty quickly.
For my testing, I installed it on a system running Windows XP SP2 Media Center, having first uninstalled the free Comodo anti-virus and firewall applications running on the machine.
I could not complete the registration/activation process because McAfee's server did not respond. Thus, I was unable to learn if McAfee still forces you to give them a credit card number for automatic renewal of your anti-virus subscription. You weren't able to cancel this forced transaction online: you had to call McAfee. A poor way to do business in my opinion.
McAfee may have changed this policy somewhat. In combing through their Customer Support area, I learned that it may only be online purchasers who get nailed this way.
The problem with an ordinary person testing ant-virus programs is that unlike a formal lab, they may not have a bunch of viruses and malware lurking in their machines. I can tell you that the anti-virus scanning speed appears to be high and doesn't over burden the CPU, which is nice when compared with some other programs, like Norton's.
The Help file will leave most users pretty much in the dark with its brusque explanations. For example, an inexperienced user wanting to change the firewall settings for some reason may quickly be reduced to pulling their hair out.
McAfee, to its credit, does an excellent job of identifying the applications on your machine and setting the right firewall permissions for them. I don't know how it will do when you add new programs to your system.
McAfee has put a lot of features into Internet Security 2009 at a very reasonable price for three users. Some of them, such as the file shredder and file cleaner, aren't mentioned on the box. Neither is the back up program or the network manager. I didn't try any of these features.
Overall, I think Internet Security 2009 is an improved product over last year's version. It seems to execute faster and hog fewer system resources. Happily the number of inrusive pop-ups seems to have been substantialy reduced. For the money, it seems to be a good, solid product.
Jerry


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Comprehensive Easy to Use PC and Online Protectionwith Powerful Web Site Safety AdvisorProduct InformationMcAfee Internet Security 2009 is simple to use - the security works in thebackground and lets you focus on things you want to do. It providescontinuous and automatic updates that protect you from ever-evolving onlinethreats. The McAfee Security Center provides an easy-to-read securitystatus screen and puts you in control with fully customizable options. Website ratings warns you about risky Web sites with red yellow and green safetyratings. The anti-phishing protection helps protect you against identitytheft through proactive notification. McAfee Internet Security includesSiteAdvisor for a safe searching and shopping experience.Key BenefitsFaster and Easier to UsePerform quicker more powerful easy-to-run scans to ensure thorough malwaredetection on your PC.Protection Without InterferenceMcAfee 2009 detects when you're in full-screen mode and postpones securityalerts or notices. So you can work play or watch movies without interruption.Powerful and Reliable ProtectionEnhanced to deliver the most comprehensive protection against theever-growing spectrum of viruses spyware and other dangerous onlinethreats.Unique AdvantagesAnti-virusAnti-spywareAnti-spamAnti-phishingTwo-way FirewallWeb Site Safety RatingsIdentity ProtectionParental ControlsData BackupProduct FeaturesFast Anti-Virus and Anti-spyware Protection: Detects blocks and removes viruses spyware adware and rootkits.New QuickScan: Lets you check for threats in the most commonly infected areas on the computer in less than 10 minutes and on modern machines within seconds.Network Manager: Lets you easily fix security issues on your home network from one PC. Provides easy and automatic printer and file sharing across comp

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