Panda Internet Security Suite 2009 provides above average protection against internet-based threats. The features and tools are similar to those of its competitors, but the program lacks some essential user-friendliness on its interface. The current user interface is a remnant of old software programs, and the program could use a better design for more appeal and convenience. However, Panda Internet Security Suite 2009 is able to detect and remove most known viruses and spyware, as well as provide real-time protection of an acceptable level. The software is priced at $79.95 per year for up to three computers, which is a tad too expensive for the general user. But, if you buy it for a three-year period, your discounted price becomes  $58.63 per year.

The Panda Internet Security Suite 2009 program offers anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-phishing and anti-rootkit protection, while providing a firewall, identity protection, anti-spam, parental control, system backup, technical support and upgrade tools. The internet security suite works best with Windows XP and Vista systems.

Ease of Use:

Usability is an area of deep concern when it comes to software produced for the average computer user. In Panda Internet Security Suite 2009, the ease of use is a combination of good and bad. There are four main screen areas in which you can view the Security Protection, Optimization, Unwanted Content Filters and Backup Copies. A visible green light means your computer is protected in real-time. Updates and subscriptions can also be managed within the primary screen area.

Although the main screen is helpful, informative and easy for anyone to navigate, configuring the software with different settings can be a laborious task. The software is setup in its default configuration upon installation and in the case of multiple computer licensing, the security suite must be configured for networks and many users. Some options require you to navigate through several menus and this makes it tedious for ordinary users to complete simple configurations.

Ease of Installation/Setup:

Installing Panda Internet Security Suite 2009 is very easy because it comes with a configuration wizard. However, once the default settings are configured and the software runs on your computer, you may need to configure more advanced settings for shared computers and network use. In this scenario, you’ll face some difficulty with setting advanced options, unless you are a seasoned administrator. Nevertheless, the software gives average usability for general users and non tech savvy individuals.

Security Features:

No internet security suite can be effective unless it has a high-quality firewall. The Panda Internet Security Suite 2009 offers a very good firewall, but it has some configuration issues that are difficult for the average user. The default configuration is enough for the majority of users, but if you need to access any P2P material or online gaming programs, advanced configurations are needed. The option menus are available under several layers of navigation, which can be frustrating if you don’t have the patience or the tech savvy to complete the function.

While some limitations exist, the security suite offers anti-virus and anti-spyware tools as well. Scans can be scheduled or run randomly when required, and you have the flexibility to choose from Typical, Custom and Localized scans to detect and remove infections from specific areas of your computer. A default setting is already available and unless you need advanced scanning, no changes are necessary for the scans to be effective.

If you use any email client other than Outlook or Outlook Express, the virus scanner will not check your sent and received emails. The mail scanner is not compatible with Hotmail, Yahoo, Thunderbird or AOL email clients, which makes it a poor choice of virus scanning engine for an internet security suite. The program does have a very good parental controls feature, where you can set passwords and monitor internet use as necessary.

Web filters are available for use as parental controls or organizational internet use management. The presets available include Kid, Teen, Employee and Default. The filters can be adjusted to permit certain content and block others, which is helpful in managing what your kids browse when they surf the web and keeping your employees focused on job tasks rather than social websites and blogs.

Panda Internet Security Suite 2009 is effective against browser hijacking, trojans, keylogging and various other malware threats. It has a feature to send threat alerts to a specified email address, which comes in handy if you need to monitor a computer while you are away or during times when you need to impose parental controls.

Performance:

The Panda Internet Security Suite 2009 is an above average performer when considered in its entirety, with many standard features enabled in its default settings and some usability difficulties as negative aspects of the software. The main program screen displays all statistical data and reports for easy monitoring, while the scans are available as real-time, scheduled and random. This specific internet security suite can be recommended for general computer users who need basic protection from viruses, spyware and internet threats.

Help/Support:

If you need technical support or customer service assistance from Panda Internet Security Suite 2009 producers, their website offers a very good user guide and a FAQ page, which answers most questions and solves 90% of the problems. You can also contact customer support via email, although no telephone support or live chat facilities are available.

ZoneAlarm is a long-term player in the field of spyware prevention and firewall security products. Their latest product is ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 2009, which combines the ZoneAlarm firewall and the Kaspersky anti-virus engine. The new product has received great acclaim among newly released computer security software programs and was bestowed with the awards from reviews websites.

ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 2009 offers high-end features and tools for anti-virus protection, spyware guarding, email and data privacy, instant messaging security and parental controls. Highlighted features of the software include an effective firewall, award-winning anti-virus protection from the new Kaspersky engine integration, identity theft prevention tools and an easy-to-use interface.

Ease of Use:

ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 2009 comes bundled with a configuration wizard that makes installation and operation easy as ABC. The wizard sets up the program in default settings, unless you specify otherwise. The software’s  user interface is easy to navigate, with clearly labeled menus and tabs to help recognize and use all the features and tools available within it.

Ease of Installation/Setup:

The software is very easy to install and configure as it has a setup wizard and takes just a few minutes to complete installation. The default configuration is used when installing with the wizard, because the program is geared towards general computer users. However, if you are an administrator or advanced user and need a customized installation, the option is available in the wizard.

Security Features:

Since early 2000, the ZoneAlarm firewall has become a standard for personal computer security products. The newly released ZoneAlarm Internet Security 2009 is an improved continuation of this excellence. Configuring the firewall is also a lot easier than before, with a helpful tutorial to learn the exact method of setting it up. The ZoneAlarm firewall is well known as a great security guard against existing threats and the constant new releases of internet-based malware. The firewall’s strength extends towards detecting and guarding against attacks on stealthed ports too. In comparison to most other firewall software, ZoneAlarm stands above its competitors.

The previous versions of ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite were using the CA anti-virus engine, which wasn’t exactly up to par with its peers when compared. The new release has integrated the Kaspersky anti-virus scanning engine, thereby increasing its validity as a formidable opponent to attacks and threats. ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 2009 is now a primary runner in the anti-malware and e-threats software market.

The antispyware feature in ZoneAlarm is also of great interest to general users, because it includes a deep scanner and the OSFirewall. The spyware scanner is embedded in the ant-virus engine, while the OSFirewall is a feature that’s able to detect and destroy spyware in real-time. These features make ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 2009 a very valuable addition to your computer system.

The myVAULT feature is an important part of ZoneAlarm that has earned it a very good reputation. The special feature allows you to securely store your personal information and financial data and whenever a program or ActiveX control tries to access the data, myVAULT prevents it from doing so, unless authorized previously. Powerful parental controls and IM security for programs such as Yahoo Messenger, MSN Live and some uncommon IM software are also included.

Popup blockers, flash ad blockers, ActiveX control mediators and ad blockers are also available, which help with keeping your internet surfing experience hassle-free.

Performance:

ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 2009 is ranked just behind BitDefender Internet Security Suite 2009. Therefore, the software is well-recognized as one of the best anti-virus, anti-spyware and anti-malware programs available for the everyday internet user today. The award-winning ZoneAlarm firewall works efficiently and quickly to ensure all real-time attacks are kept at bay, while the integrated Kaspersky anti-virus engine performs speedy scans without noticeably slowing down the computer’s processing speed.

Help/Support:

ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 2009 is offered with excellent support services and help tutorials. Online FAQs, user forums, walk-through tutorials and email support come in handy for 95% of the problems associated with using the software. Telephone support is only available as a paid service and could cost you quite a lot. The product’s overall value would increase if a toll-free support line was established, but the support services are not entirely bad since most questions are answered through the online documentation and help services.

PC Tools is a well recognized entity in the anti-virus and anti-spyware software domain. Their latest release of Spyware Doctor provides effective spyware detection and removal in a neat bundle made for personal and office use. The software offers real-time blocking and protection, as well as color-coded spyware severity identification, which are features that earned it some prestigious awards from well-known anti-spyware and anti-virus software solutions reviewing websites.

Well-designed and filled with convenient features to help detect and remove both spyware and adware, Spyware Doctor by PC Tools is an affordable and good purchase for general use. It will protect your computer from spyware, adware, trojans, keyloggers, alien cookies, trackware and spybots at all times. An effective antispyware program should be able to provide at least 95% protection from new infections and detect all existing spyware threats. Spyware Doctor by PC Tools is capable of detecting and removing all known spyware threats and the regular updates ensure no new infections get into the system.

Ease of Use:

The user-friendly interface on Spyware Doctor allows quick and easy navigation within the software. Installation is simple and efficient, especially since the set-up wizard guides you and only takes a few minutes to complete the task. You can use the LiveUpdate feature after installation to get the latest upgrades for the program and new releases for the detection engine. Some of the features such as scanning, immunization and active protection are excellent for detection and removal of infections and threats.

The speed while scanning and removing infections is quite less in comparison to most other similar software. The time taken for a full scan is about 30-45 minutes. For users with a penchant for controlling their own software systems, Spyware Doctor can provide a convenient platform. An array of monitoring features are available for advanced configuration if necessary. Nevertheless, the software works just fine in default configuration settings.

Update:

No antispyware software can be truly effective without constant updates to its detection engine. Like with all similar software programs, the Spyware Doctor by PC Tools allows you to update via manual or automatic update runs. The settings can be configured within the software’s control panel, which is clearly visible on the left menu. Updates are regular and consistent, with instant updates to the detection engine when there are new spyware infections on the loose.

Scan Effectiveness:

Spyware Doctor is quite effective at detecting spyware, adware, trackware, keyloggers, spybots, third-party cookies and trojans. As an antispyware solution, the software does an above-average job of detecting, removing and protecting. The resources consumption by Spyware Doctor is considerably less and it’s a master at stopping spyware and malware infecting the computer at all.  For a completely efficient scanning process, Spyware Doctor takes times and power, usually resulting in a somewhat noticeable slowing of your computer’s performance level, if your computer has a memory less than 1 GB.

Overall, scans are quicker than with most similar software programs. It’s recommended to run the Spyware Doctor scans when you are not using the computer.

Protection Effectiveness:

The level of protection offered by Spyware Doctor is high-grade and above standard. The first commendable feature is the OnGuard module, which is on alert against any changes in particular sections of the system(as specified by user). If any changes are attempted, the user will be notified and the software may block certain changes depending on presets. The OnGuard feature includes protection against cookies, browser hijacking, keylogging, unauthorized network access, pop-ups, site access and process infections.

All of these management modules will prevent new programs from installing themselves automatically, block programs that collect the data you input via keyboard, stop recognized malware from running and block access to potentially malicious sites, such as those which commit phishing.

Support:

Spyware Doctor by PC Tools is offered with a variety of customer and technical support options. Whether it’s a presales question or troubleshooting issue, the first step of solving your problems is to use the built-in online support system on the PC Tools website. Based on a few questions and selected options as answers, the system is able to provide solutions to 90% of your problems. For further support, email and telephone contacts are available.

Looking for anti-virus software that’s easy on the pocket, doesn’t take a rocket scientist to install and does the job? If yes, then BitDefender anti virus is for you.

It costs just $25 and download begins as soon as you complete the online transaction. To install, you can either accept the default settings which should be good enough for all or if you are the “hands on” type, there’s enough to tweak to keep every geek happy.

BitDefender not only checks your computer, it also checks all your emails for those nasty infections that come via the attachments.

BitDefender is fast. If a file that was checked earlier for viruses has not been altered or accessed, BitDefender does not recheck that file. This very simple but effective logic results in blazing speeds. Only accessed or changed files are scanned. Gone are the days when you had to wait for hours for your anti-virus software to complete its scanning. And as for updating, it does it automatically in the background. You don’t have to click any buttons or set anything (not unless you want to).

As for quality, BitDefender has been certified by ICSA and other organizations. So go ahead, get your copy of BitDefender and be safe.

Ease of Use:

BitDefender Antivirus can be installed on your computer in three easy steps: download, follow the prompts to install it, reboot the system and you are done! The process takes about half an hour and you need not keep track of it once you have finished with the installation. BitDefender goes about doing its job quietly and efficiently in the background. You can be assured of protection from all types of viruses, spyware, Trojans and malware.

The latest version of BitDefender has been modified to do away with its prior limitation of slow scanning speeds. The new version is capable of maintaining a log of the files accessed, so a clean file that has not been accessed since the previous scan will not be scanned again, thus saving time, leading to faster scan speeds.

At the default settings, BitDefender does its usual job of scanning the recently accessed files, boot-up files and email traffic. A well-designed interface allows you to set up security levels, whereas the icons in the main window allow you to launch the full scan or a custom scan according to your requirement. For the average computer user, the default settings of the software will suffice, since there is a basic protection level for instant messaging. However, protection from web related threats is not automatic as the software does not scan HTTP blocks by default. You have to manually enable that option to scan HTTP blocks to detect malicious codes or software.

Update Frequency:

Antivirus software needs constant updating in order to work effectively. BitDefender virus signatures are updated every hour, by default. You may set these to be updated at longer periods of time or you could manually update the features that you want to. However, you need not physically manage the antivirus system on your computer; BitDefender does it for you by automatically downloading and installing the updates.

Value for Money:

BitDefender Antivirus software provides an excellent value for your money. Priced at $24.95 for a single user yearly license, it is among the cheapest of antivirus software. In terms of computer resource usage, the software uses about 60MB or 0.03% of the 200GB of hard drive space. Another advantage is that it is easy on maintenance and you can have the best antivirus protection with very little effort expended on your part.

Support:

Under normal circumstances, you may not need to call for any help with regard to the working of BitDefender. However, in the rare case that you may need help, the manufacturer Softwin has put a support system in place where the service has been quite prompt and helpful in settling issues.  You can make use of the toll free telephone number or the live online chat. The website has an FAQ page that can answer general questions and you can also communicate through email to get specific questions answered.

Effectiveness:

BitDefender works in the background to detect suspicious looking codes that appear to be viruses but do not match any currently known virus signatures. It is therefore able to sound an alarm and protect your system from viruses that have yet to be reported. The software however, performs slower than other antivirus software, probably due to this feature.

BitDefender has been receiving high ratings in the rigorous tests conducted by various research laboratories and institutes. The tests found that the software effectively removed about 98% of the viruses and spyware. Its ability to detect viruses has been certified by ICSA and other organizations.

BitDefender protects the system from incoming spyware by removing the virus from the HTML streams even before it gets to your browser.

Privacy Protection is one of the useful features of BitDefender. You can input your credit card number and other personal information in the Advanced Setting Link. If any windows based application attempts to send this information over the Internet, BitDefender will stop it and ask for your express permission to do so. However, this is not a default feature and you have to enable this feature to make use of it.

For those interested in online games, a special “GameSafe” edition of the BitDefender Antivirus is also available. Many online gamers disable firewalls and other forms of virus protection to optimize performance. This is very often their undoing. However, with BitDefender’s gamer mode activated, online gamers are protected from virus attacks.

To conclude, BitDefender is the kind of protection and virus detection software that every computer should be equipped with. It has received the “TopTenREVIEWS Gold Award” for its consistently excellent performance, its ease of use and for providing good value for money in the antivirus software segment.