Service Name / Rating:	Price:	Virus Protection:	Adware and Spyware Protection:	Identity Theft Protection:	Spam and Phishing Protection:	Personal Firewall:	Bottom Line:
Go to site Read Full Review	$62.99/yr for up to 3 PCs (after 10% discount: SYM2010NEW)	Identifies and removes viruses	Identifies and removes spyware/adware	Encrypts passwords & other sensitive data; Added protection for secure transactions	Detailed analysis of potential phishing sites; Spam protection	Smart firewall adjusts to threat levels	Best overall PC security and threat analysis; exclusive 10% discount with coupon code: SYM2010NEW
Go to site Read Full Review	$39.99/yr for up to 3 PCs (after 50% discount)	Blocks, scans and removes; Monitors for 200,000 known threats	Blocks and removes spyware	Alerts users to online scams and known fraud websites	Blocks spam and phishing attacks; Identifies suspicious links in email, IM	Anti-hacker protection prevents unauthorized access to PC	Extensive PC security; 50% discount
Go to site Read Full Review	Free with continued enrollment ($14.99/mo); 30 day free trial	Instantly identifies and protects against new threats	Spyware removal; Blocks access to spyware websites	3-bureau credit monitoring; Extensive online/offline fraud monitoring	Blocks potential spam, viruses or phishing emails	ZoneAlarm top rated firewall	Complete solution for total online and offline security; exclusive NextAdvisor discount
Go to site Read Full Review	$71.95 for three PCs (after 10% coupon: KIS10%)	Hourly updates provide real-time virus protection	Best spyware/adware protection available	Protection against password and personal information theft over the Internet	Phishing site alerts; Spam protection including image spam analysis	Two-way firewall combats hackers and spam	Compelling interface and URL blocker; 10GB free backup from SugarSync; 10%-off coupon: KIS10%
Service Name / Rating:	Price:	Virus Protection:	Adware and Spyware Protection:	Identity Theft Protection:	Spam and Phishing Protection:	Personal Firewall:	Bottom Line:
Go to site Read Full Review	$44.95/yr for up to 3 PCs (after 10% discount with code: trendsecurity)	URL blocker keeps you from malicious sites; quarantines threats	Blocks spyware from tracking your movements online	Phishing alerts prevent criminals from stealing personal information	Automatically removes know viruses from emails and instant messages	Two-way firewall with advanced intrusion detection	Excellent URL blocker and threat detection; 10% discount with coupon: trendsecurity
Go to site Read Full Review	$59.99/yr	Stops new threats proactively	Award-winning anti-spyware engine	No ID vault; ID theft protection through anti-spyware	Spam filter	Configurable firewall settings; automatic or selective blocking	Award winning and non-intrusive security software; no ID vault or parental controls
Go to site Read Full Review	$59.49/yr for up to 3 PCs (after 15% discount with code: ISSP15)	$5,000 virus protection if PC fails due to infection	Detects and removes spyware	$5,000 coverage if identity is stolen	Phishing site alerts; Spam blocking	Firewall monitor tells you which incoming connections are accepted or denied	Excellent protection for PC; Very user friendly; Exclusive 15% discount with promo code ISSP15
Go to site Read Full Review	$39.95/yr	Antivirus kernal detects "in the wild" viruses; virus chest; integrated Virus Cleaner	West Coast Lab certified anti-spyware	No ID vault; ID theft protection through anti-spyware	Email scanner; Heuristic analysis of messages; Outlook plugin	Intrusion detection system analyzes network traffic	Highly rated anti-virus; boot-time scan; suffers from disjointed interface; no link scanner or password vault
Service Name / Rating:	Price:	Virus Protection:	Adware and Spyware Protection:	Identity Theft Protection:	Spam and Phishing Protection:	Personal Firewall:	Bottom Line:
Go to site Read Full Review	$59.95/yr for up to 3 PCs	Blocks, scans and removes threats	Blocks and removes spyware, adware and pop-ups	Removes Internet traces that compromise your privacy; blocks attempts to access your computer	None	Firewall from Privacyware	Bare bones protection, but integrates automatic local and online backup
Go to site Read Full Review	$24.95/yr for up to 3 PCs (after 50% discount)	Instantly identifies and protects against new threats	Spyware removal; Blocks access to spyware websites	Free 1 year of Identity Guard services	Blocks potential spam, viruses or phishing emails	OS Firewall stops hidden malware from calling out	Cheapest security solution; 1 year of free ID theft protection; Excellent OS firewall
Go to site Read Full Review	$54.99 for 2 years (after 30% discount)	Linkscanner detects and blocks malware threats	Blocks and removes spyware	Free use of Identity Guard's Identity Theft Recovery Unit if your identity is stolen	Identifies fraudulent websites	Blocks hacker attacks	Best two-year bargain; excellent URL blocker and process viewer; lacks parental controls
Go to site Read Full Review	$39.95/yr	Real-time protection with hourly virus definition updates	Identifies and removes spyware threats in real-time	Advanced tools help prevent personal information leaks through email or web	Protects from spam and phishing using adaptive engines	Two-way firewall; Wi-Fi monitor	Excellent virus protection; good for gamers; custom and pre-set user levels
Service Name / Rating:	Price:	Virus Protection:	Adware and Spyware Protection:	Identity Theft Protection:	Spam and Phishing Protection:	Personal Firewall:	Bottom Line:

NORTON INTERNET SECURITY 2010 REVIEW:Go to Site | Back to Chart

[Editor's note: Symantec is currently offering NextAdvisor visitors 10% off with coupon code "SYM2010NEW", bringing the cost down to 62.99]

Norton is one of the oldest names in Internet security software. For a long time the stalwart brand enjoyed top-of-mind awareness in the world of virus protection. Over time, new players have entered the field and Norton has had to up its game. Hoping to regain its dominance, it has launched its 2010 product. The upgrade comes with a price increase; it's now $62.99 to protect three PCs (after the 10% discount).

As we mentioned above, Norton has been at this party for a long time. But looking at its user interface, you'd never know it. Far from stodgy, it's clean and modern, using a slightly transparent black window to present your options. Norton also shows you your CPU usage and Norton's own activity level. Best of all, it keeps an excellent visual record of just about everything that's happened on your computer. This may sound unnecessarily boring, but after a few minutes of exploring its brightly colored charts, you'll want to use it.

Our first deep scan took just under an hour, which is par for the course. It came up with a virus which our current scanning champ, Trend Micro, had missed. It provided us with complete data on the malware, telling us when and where it had been installed as well as the last time it had been used. The amount of information is provides is really incredible.

When we sent it up against known threats it performed very well, blocking a number of trojans in many forms. One thing we like is how you can tell exactly which component Norton is examining, be it html, javascript, image, etc. Norton leverages its large user-base to provide intelligence on web pages, and usually it's pretty accurate, though we wish it prevented access to particularly dangerous sites, even though it handled the threats well once we got there. The only real ding came from a YouTube-disguised phishing site which Norton claimed to be safe.

Ultimately Norton felt like it displayed a good degree of intelligence about known and potential threats. The new game for Internet security software is identifying suspicious behaviors and characteristics. If you download something that Norton can't identify, it provides you with feedback on how potentially risky it is. If the danger is unknown, it's up to you whether to take the chance or not, but you'll feel like you've made an informed choice.

Like other Internet security software, it includes protection against email-born threats and a smart firewall that adjusts according to threat levels. It also carries a range of configurable measures to protect against identity theft. Parental controls are now standard as well.

Norton is for those who like a good deal of control and information. While it doesn't block urls the way that Trend Micro does, it is decidedly more trusting of your judgement. If you like your virus software to be more of the set-it-and-forget-it variety, this may not be the one for you. But for the more hands-on type who wants solid protection and is curious about what goes on under the hood, Norton is a great option. A 30-day free trial will give you the chance to find out if it's for you.

System Requirements: Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7

MCAFEE TOTAL PROTECTION REVIEW:Go to Site | Back to Chart

[Editor's Note: McAfee is offering an exclusive 50% discount to NextAdvisor.com visitors. There is no coupon code required to take advantage of this discount, so simply click on any McAfee link on NextAdvisor.com. Offer expires December 3rd, 2010]

First a caveat about McAfee 2010: at this point it's still the same as McAfee 2009. Unlike most others we reviewed, McAfee's 2010 product will actually be released in 2010. Those who buy the 2010 version now will be eligible for a free upgrade when the 2010 version comes out of Beta.

McAfee offers an excellent set of tools to protect your PC and is confident enough in its service that it offers a 30-day money back guarantee. If you are unsatisfied with the software for any reason they will refund your money, no questions asked.

McAfee was easy to download and install on our Windows Vista PC. Once installed, however, it did seem to run slower than some of the other software products we have reviewed. This is likely due to the fact that McAfee is constantly doing so much to protect your PC. However, McAfee claims that its most recently released version of the software is faster than previous versions. Novice users may be a little intimidated by McAfee's Total Protection interface because it offers so many different options and types of protection. We found some of McAfee's menus to be a bit confusing largely because they had to be designed to accommodate so many different features.

McAfee Total Protection includes standard features such as anti-virus, anti-spam, anti-phishing and hacker protection. But it also includes some advanced features that most other services don't have, such as security for your entire home network and even automated backups for important files stored on your computer's hard drive. McAfee has also included easy to use multi-user parental controls which allow you to select which users can access certain prohibited websites. McAfee Total Protection 2009, McAfee's latest software release, adds even more features to the mix. McAfee's new QuickScan takes a few seconds to 10 minutes to check for threats in the most commonly infected places on your computer. When you're in full screen mode, whether you're working, watching a video or playing a game, McAfee 2009 will postpone security alerts and notices so that you won't be interrupted. Other new additions include anti-theft encryption software that lets you password protect files and network monitoring that alerts you if anyone attempts to connect to your wireless network.

One of our favorite and most practical features is McAfee's link security tool, which gives color coded risk levels for every link you scroll over on a website, in an email or instant message. This ensures that you can surf with confidence that you won't inadvertently end up on a questionable or dangerous website.

McAfee claims to protect over 130 million computers worldwide and based off of our experience we are not surprised so many PC owners have chosen to protect themselves with McAfee. Less technical users may experience some information overload when they first begin using the software. But because McAfee offers a 30 day money-back guarantee, even the least tech savvy individual can try Total Protection risk free to determine whether or not it is the right product for their PC security needs. With its current $30 discount, McAfee is also among the cheapest. Overall, we highly recommend McAfee Total Protection.

System Requirements: Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7

IDENTITY GUARD TOTAL PROTECTION WITH ZONEALARM REVIEW:Go to Site | Back to Chart

[Editor's note: Identity Guard is offering NextAdvisor visitors an exclusive, limited-time discounted price of $14.99 per month, down from the regular price of $17.99 per month. No code is needed, just follow any of the links from NextAdvisor.com)

Identity Guard's Total Protection with ZoneAlarm really lives up to its name. This service is unique in that it combines Internet security software from ZoneAlarm with the extensive identity theft protection services provided by Identity Guard. This is important because the goal of many hackers is to access your personal information and perpetrate any number of identity theft related crimes against you. While ZoneAlarm by itself is not our favorite of the 2010 crop of Internet security software providers, the combination of the two products is a compelling bargain. Identity Guard has recently further enhanced its offering by offering a free 30-day trial of its full service, making trying it, and downloading the free ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite a no-risk proposition.

Our experience with ZoneAlarm itself was mixed. It offers a sometimes confusing multi-tiered website warning/interception mechanism. While it warned us about almost every malicious site that we visited, it often used different methods. Some sites we were allowed to visit, while a browser warning told us we should probably leave. Some sites were greeted with a more severe warning that effectively stopped us from even getting to the site. We appreciate the latter response (even if the "you are now safe" message felt a little silly), but allowing us to visit a site which contains a virus with an a priori warning feels a bit negligent, particularly when the url has been known to download viruses in the past. In fact, it let two threats pass by using this soft-warning method.

It may seem like an unnecessary quibble for a program that's designed for security, but ZoneAlarm's user interface feels is less user-friendly than most. There's something a little cheap in the implementation; perhaps it's a small thing, but it doesn't match the usability and look-and-feel of other 2010 security software we've tested recently such as Trend Micro, Norton, and Kaspersky.

ZoneAlarm did impress us with its integrated Wi-Fi detection wizard, which changes security settings based on how well you trust the network. Its firewall was also rather diligent, detecting the activities of our remote desktop software, but was somewhat stubborn about ignoring it. This seems to be a function of the new OS Firewall which detects out-going firewall activity from programs you've installed. This can help protect you from malware or adware hidden inside seemingly innocuous programs.

ZoneAlarm also offers myVAULT to protect your personal information from unauthorized access. By entering your credit card number, for instance, myVAULT will prevent unauthorized access to this data via email or web. A layer of data encryption keeps it safe.

The computer and Internet security provided by ZoneAlarm is bolstered by the addition of Identity Guard's identity theft detection service. Identity theft detection services like Identity Guard help to detect that you have become a victim of identity theft by monitoring your credit file at all 3 credit bureaus (commonly called credit monitoring). Identity Guard goes far beyond other identity theft detection services by also proactively monitoring public records for any changes in your name, scanning for application or social security fraud, and monitoring the Internet's black market for any use of your credit cards or other personal information. They've also recently added anti-keylogging software, lost wallet protection (they can cancel your credit card accounts and give you up to $2,000 advance if you need it) and a Personal ID Risk Assessment. Like many credit monitoring services, Identity Guard Total Protection completes daily scans of all 3 of your credit files and notifies you of any changes. It also gives you all 3 of your credit reports and all 3 of your credit scores every quarter. If anything is found, they will alert you by e-mail immediately. They also make it very easy to place fraud alerts with the bureaus yourself if you want to take that extra preventative step. $20,000 of identity theft insurance is also included in your subscription in case the worst somehow does still happen.

Identity Guard with ZoneAlarm is priced slightly differently than the other Internet security software services we reviewed. Rather than paying an annual fee, subscribers pay $14.99 per month which includes all of the features detailed above. The cost of this product is slightly higher than the other services we reviewed at about $180 per year, but it is actually quite a deal when you consider that you are essentially receiving three services, credit report monitoring, identity theft protection and Internet security software, for the same price that you would pay if you purchased Identity Guard as a standalone product. Plus, even if you choose to cancel your Identity Guard subscription within the 30 day free trial period you can keep the ZoneAlarm software (although you wouldn't receive any of the virus and spyware definitions which keep your computer safe against new threats), your 3-bureau credit report and score, and your public records report. All this alone would cost over $100 and they're willing to give it to you for free just to try the product.

We have some reservations about ZoneAlarm's stand-alone efficacy. In truth it's a four-star product, but the addition of Identity Guard pushes it up to five. Overall, Identity Guard Total Protection with ZoneAlarm offers a pretty good Identity theft protection package, online and off.

System Requirements: Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP or Windows Vista

KASPERSKY INTERNET SECURITY 2010 REVIEW:Go to Site | Back to Chart

[Editor's note: Kaspersky is offering NextAdvisor visitors a 10%-off coupon, bringing the price down to $71.95. Just use the coupon code: KIS10%. Kaspersky is also offering 10GB of online backup from SugarSync at the time of sign-up.]

Kaspersky has been an industry leader in virus protection in Europe and Asia, only recently making itself known in the US market. It has now released the 2010 version of its award-winning Internet security software. Kaspersky offers 'real-time' protection from Internet threats by updating its software with the newest virus, phishing, and spam definitions throughout the day.

Kaspersky's interface is very nice to use, and allows you to easily manage all the program's components and tells you how they're used. In addition to anti-virus and anti-phishing, Kaspersky includes anti-spam components, parental controls, a two-way firewall, a virtual keyboard for secure data entry, and ad-blocking.

Setup was painless, though don't be surprised if as soon as you load up the program its color-coded security status tells you your computer is at risk; it needs to update the virus definitions. This happens quickly and without fuss. Next, you'll probably want to follow up with a virus scan. Our quick scan was done in under two minutes, and full computer scan in less than an hour.

Kaspersky's 2010 iteration of the product adds a couple of brand new features. Kaspersky Safe Run claims to set up an isolated area on your PC to run potentially risky software. By default, it puts Microsoft Internet Explorer there, but you can add anything you want in the preferences; you can also right-click on any program and choose to run it in Safe Run. Additionally, it creates a Safe Run folder that you can choose as your download folder. While it's hard to say exactly how effective it is, it's a good feature in theory, and definitely gives peace of mind.

A second new feature is the Kaspersky URL Advisor, which is installed on Internet Explorer and Firefox. When you try to reach a page that Kaspersky identifies as unsafe, it sets up an interstitial warning page, effectively keeping you from loading the page. Many times it worked, though it did allow us to get to a few Trojan-bearing websites (although subsequent virus updates eventually blocked some of them). It is fair to say that it blocked more urls than McAfee did, but McAfee's Site Advisor, with its vast catalog of expert-tested and user-reviewed sites, is able to give more warnings of greater depth.

Kaspersky did a fairly good job against viruses and malware when we put it up against a number of recently reported threats. In our tests it blocked a number of serious trojans we threw at it, but did not do well with phony virus sites that could have downloaded fake antivirus trojans. However, Kaspersky has done very well in recent independent antivirus and anti-malware tests.

Overall, we think Kaspersky 2010 adds some compelling new features. The URL Advisor is very well implemented. Over a few days of using it, we saw initially unblocked sites added to the block list. A one-year subscription to Kasperksy comes in at $79.95 with a license for three PCs, but a 10% discount brings the price to $71.95. This is a bit pricey compared to the competition, but it's a pretty comprehensive suite. Also, Kaspersky is currently offering 10GB of free online backup with SugarSync, a service we really love. That pretty much makes up for the price difference.

System Requirements: Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7

TREND MICRO INTERNET SECURITY 2010 REVIEW:Go to Site | Back to Chart

[Editor's note: Trend Micro is offering 10% off its Internet Security 2010; just use the coupon code "trendsecurity" at checkout to get the discount.]

Trend Micro Internet Security 2010 is an early entrant in the 2010 crop of Internet security software releases. The big changes with this iteration seem to be performance oriented; it does not boast many brand new features. Instead, Trend Micro promises faster performance and better use of your computer's resources. It also seems to incorporate more frequent virus updates (every three hours by default, but can be set to check every hour).

Installation was fairly painless; there was one false start, but we were up and running soon. An initial scan found a nefarious cookie that our previous scans from other Internet security software missed. A deep scan found five Microsoft Excel patches that we needed to download. All-in-all these are soft threats, but we appreciate knowing they were there and having the opportunity to fix them.

The first thing we noticed about Trend Micro 2010 was its url blocker. While trying to access a known Fake Anti-Virus Trojan site, we were sent to an interstitial warning page. It also successfully warned us away from a YouTube phishing site and a page which in the past had allowed us to download a Trojan-infected flash plug-in. Even newly-reported pages were blocked right away. The URL blocker was so effective, it was difficult to find any malware to test the virus scanner with. Finally, we found a url that wasn't blocked; Trend Micro handily quarantined the virus, an image-based trojan that had proved illusive to other virus protection programs.

Beyond virus protection, Trend Micro 2010 offers a nice network map so you can view the computers on your network. You can also use it to install the included 3-PC licenses on those computers. This is really nicely implemented.

We were also impressed with the way Trend Micro keeps logs of all its processes. You can go in and view pretty much anything Trend Micro did, including seeing which sites it blocked, which Trojans it cleaned up, and what kind of Firewall activity was detected. The interface, while not as sparkling or animated as some, is clean and responsive.

Last time we reviewed Trend Micro we took issue with its lack of identity-theft protection features. Such features seem to be more developed in its $69.95, Internet Security Pro product. Still, Trend Micro Internet Security 2010 has included some identity-theft protection measures in this product. There's data theft prevention settings, which allow you to create filters based on your sensitive data; just enter the first four digits of your credit card number, for example, and Trend Micro will prevent that data from being scooped up by websites or instant messaging.

Still, the best protection from online identity theft is keeping trojans, keyloggers, and other malware off your computer in the first place. We think that Trend Micro Internet Security excels in this capacity. It's the first of the Internet security software that we've reviewed of the 2010 crop that made us feel truly protected.

Trend Micro Internet Security 2010 is $44.95 after a 10% discount, which includes a license for three PCs. A 30-day evaluation period will let you experience its features without risk.

System Requirements: Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7

ESET SMART SECURITY 4 REVIEW:Go to Site | Back to Chart

Eset offers a curiously minimal setup that's rather emblematic of how Eset functions. The program runs rather transparently, without any link warning mechanisms or toolbars. Some users will appreciate this, though that means you won't receive warnings about phishing pages or other non-virus related threats. If Eset does detect a virus, a small dialog box tells you about it, and lets you know what's been done with it.

Eset succesfully detected a trojan hidden in a false Flash update that many others have missed. It placed the file promptly in quarantine. It also did fairly well with fake anti-virus scanners. Eset routinely does well in independent antivirus and anti-malware tests.

We really like Eset's no-nonsense software interface. It's rather clean, and we liked how it organized information and settings, and allowed us to view PC activity and important system events. It reminded us a lot of Norton's analytics features.

Eset is a little light on extra features. There are no parental controls, and there's no ID vault either. If either of these things are important to you, you should look to one of the more robust packages from Norton of McAfee.

Eset is $59.99 for one year. This makes it a bit pricey, especially since it only covers one PC. If you prefer your Internet security software to run with a minimal of interference, this may be a good choice for you.

CA INTERNET SECURITY SUITE PLUS 2010 REVIEW:Go to Site | Back to Chart

[EDITOR'S NOTE: CA is offering NextAdvisor visitors 15% off the purchase of CA Internet Security Suite 2010, bringing the price down to $59.00. Just follow the links from NextAdvisor and use coupon code: ISSP15]

It's CA's turn to enter the 2010 Internet security fray. At $69.99 per year, it's a bit on the expensive side (though a current discount brings it down to $59.00). For that price it comes with a substantial bundle of offerings, and a $10,000 guarantee against failure (more on that below), though oddly there's no free trial or satisfaction guarantee.

CA's strength has always been its user interface. For the most part, it does not disappoint. The interface is well-organized, though some items could use more explication. The firewall monitor, for instance, tells you which IP addresses have been denied access to your computer, but not anything about them. It might make you paranoid, instead of well-informed.

CA has the only xenophobic site-warning system we've seen. We were alerted when we visited sites from the Ukraine and China. It's unobtrusive, and could be useful, though deceptive sites can come from any part of the globe. There's also a built-in risk assessment module which we have mixed feelings about, particularly when it indicated a site was "low risk" and we knew it contained scareware.

CA, like many other Internet security products, rates sites that come up in search results. It's quite a bit slower than most, and color blind users may have trouble with the color coded system (most other products we've tested use distinct icons to differentiate between safe and unsafe sites). Additionally, you can decide to have CA rate links as you mouse over them. It's occasionally useful, but we recommend the option that allows you to use it selectively by using a hotkey.

CA didn't fare too well in our battery of tests. It allowed us to download a phony flash plug-in that's well known to carry malware. It also didn't stop us from hitting an image-based trojan, nor did it indicate that we'd downloaded any scareware on sites that had carried it in the past. That being said, when we ran other virus scanners to see if the viruses were downloaded, they were not found.

The suite does contain a number of bonus features. You get free registration for MobileLifeline, a service that allows you to remotely recover and wipe the files from your laptop if it's stolen (you must, by the way, register for the service to take advantage of the CA guarantee). There's also a component that helps you back up your important data to an external drive, as well as a migration assistant for transferring your data to a new computer.

A parental controls module is also included. It runs a bit on the conservative side, and configurability is limited. "Gay" is included in the adult blacklist, and there seems to be no way to edit the blacklist beyond basic categories such as: adult, weapons, hate, violence, shopping, etc. It should be noted that CA does partner with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and receives their seal of approval. They also donate up to $1.00 to the organization with every purchase.

CA guarantees the effectiveness of its products with up to $5,000 in identity theft protection and an equal amount in technical services if your PC and/or identity is compromised. There are restrictions and requirements, of course. As we mentioned above, you must have the above-mentioned MobileLifeline installed.

The number of components that CA bundles together is impressive, but the slowdown with search result pages, lack of blacklist configurability, and somewhat disappointing virus scanning are potential drawbacks. It does offer licensing for three PCs, but for the price class, we'd have to recommend Norton instead.

System Requirements: Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7

AVAST! PROFESSIONAL EDITION REVIEW:Go to Site | Back to Chart

Avast! caught our attention not just because of its association with nautical lingo (Avast comes from the Dutch for 'Hold fast!'). It's a product that we see mentioned quite a bit on antivirus bulletin boards. They've actually been in the game for a while, since 1988 in fact, when the products were only available in their home country of Czechoslovakia. Since then it's developed a loyal following.

Setup of Avast! Professional Edition was extremely easy, and one of the first things we noticed about Avast! was the initial scan. It may take some users back to the days of DOS; there are no fancy graphics of files going under a magnifying glass, no spinning logos or bouncing balls. Instead, since it runs at boot-time (after restart), you get simple text read-outs. Not the most attractive interface, but theoretically this scan will detect viruses before they've even launched in the Windows environment. It also runs faster. It did not, however, uncover anything that Norton, our previous security software had missed.

The second thing we noticed about Avast is the user interface, and this time it wasn't a good thing: first it's divided between a control panel in the control strip, and the Avast Simple User Interface. It's hardly "simple" and the default "skin" on the latter looks like a media player from 2001. There's another interface option included that's better, but not by much. The control-strip module which controls many of the basic security functions is easier to use, though frustratingly clunky and short on explanation. Why these are separate modules is beyond us.

The term "award-winning" gets thrown around a lot when discussing anti-virus products. However, for Avast! it's not marketing hyperbole. They routinely score well in independent virus detection tests. It's hard to say then why our experience was so much different. Avast! missed an image-based trojan and allowed us to download a malware flash plugin that's rather well-known. The protection kicked in a few times with an audible siren and a voice telling us a trojan had been detected. This will boil down to personal taste, but we found it irritating.

Avast's url blocker is less well-developed than most that we've tested recently. There's no ever-present toolbar, which may be off-putting to some. Similarly there's no link scanner for Google or Yahoo!, something that seems to have become de rigeur for Internet security software.

Another common feature not found with Avast is an identity theft protection vault. Also absent are any parental controls. But those that use Limewire may be comforted by P2P protection (something we didn't test).

Though many people like Avast, for us it felt clunky and disjointed. In fact, it's hard not to overstate how much we disliked using the software. While our virus intercept tests aren't infallible, we didn't like how it performed in the handful of threats we threw at it, nor are we crazy about the voice that announces when virus definitions have been updated or a virus has been discovered. Also worth mentioning is the fact that it did not play well with the windows security advisor. While there are work-arounds out there, none of them worked for our machine running Vista. On the other hand, Avast is rather inexpensive, at $39.95 for one year. A generous 60-day trial period will help you decide if it's right for you.

System Requirements: Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows 7

WEBROOT INTERNET SECURITY ESSENTIALS:Go to Site | Back to Chart

Webroot's security suite is relatively new, and while it shows a lot of potential, so far it is still a bit lacking in features. "Essentials" is an apt descriptor, since this suite includes just the basics, combining an antivirus scanner from Sophos, a firewall from Privacyware and the same antispyware protection found in Spy Sweeper. It doesn't include spam and phishing protection or parental controls. Webroot Internet Security Essentials does include automatic local and online backup and offers a free 2GB of online storage space, which differentiates it from other security software (upgrades from 5 GB to 50 GB are available for $10 to $70 respectively). At $59.95 per year for three users, it's a bit pricey, though the online storage is a nice bonus.

Webroot also offers a cleanup tool, which clears your browsing history, cookies, Windows file history and other records by default. Users may be unpleasantly surprised by what gets deleted, though, so they should be sure to deselect the items they want to keep before running the cleanup. There is also an optional browser toolbar, which doesn't offer much value and makes Ask.com the default search engine. We would recommend against installing this toolbar. Webroot also includes Gamer Mode, which prevents interruptions, but this mode does significantly reduce your security. We found that, aside from a few firewall glitches, the normal mode is less disruptive than most Internet security software.

While Webroot Internet Security Essentials is generally good at catching malware, it does let a few threats slip by, and is particularly weak at identifying new viruses. Users can schedule a full system scan to run daily, weekly, or monthly, but when we installed the software, the default setting was set to run a full sweep once a week, and a system cleanup once a week. This is worth noting, since most security software runs an automatic scan once a day. And some users may be caught unawares when the default weekly cleanup removes all their cookies.

In general, Webroot Internet Security Essentials is a fairly solid basic security option. It runs quietly in the background and didn't noticeably slow down our computer. The interface is neat and easy to navigate. The lack of features may make this software ideal for users who really do want just the basics, and the online backup is an interesting addition. But users looking for more robust protection will probably want to consider an alternative option. Webroot offers a 30 day money back guarantee and free U.S.-based online and phone support.

System Requirements: Microsoft Windows XP or Windows Vista

ZONEALARM REVIEW:Go to Site | Back to Chart

[Editor's Note: ZoneAlarm is offering NextAdvisor visitors 50% off of a year's subscription, bringing the price down to $24.99. No coupon code necessary, just follow any of the links to ZoneAlarm]

ZoneAlarm has released the 2010 version of its Internet Security Suite, promising Windows 7 compatibility as well as new and improved features such as Advanced Download Protection and OSFirewall. It continues to offer one free year of Identity Guard's Good Start identity theft protection services with purchase. It's an ideal combination, and with the current 50% discount, it's an incredible deal.

ZoneAlarm offers a sometimes-confusing multi-tiered website warning/url interception mechanism. While it warned us about almost every malicious site that we visited, it used different methods. Some sites we were allowed to visit, while a browser warning told us we should probably leave. Some urls were treated with a more severe warning that effectively stopped us from loading the site. We appreciated the latter response (even if the "you are now safe" message felt a little silly), but some warnings of the first type came too late, since we knew from past experience that the sites contained viruses. In fact, it let two threats pass by using this soft-warning method.

It may seem like a small quibble for a program that's designed for security, but ZoneAlarm's user interface feels is less user-friendly than most. There's something a little cheap in the implementation; perhaps it's a small thing, but it doesn't match the usability and look-and-feel of other 2010 security software we've tested such as Trend Micro and Kaspersky.

ZoneAlarm did impress us with its integrated Wi-Fi detection wizard, which changes security settings based on how well you trust the network. Its firewall was also rather diligent, detecting the activities of our remote desktop software, but was somewhat stubborn about ignoring it. This seems to be a function of the new OS Firewall which detects out-going firewall activity from programs you've installed. This can help protect you from malware or adware hidden inside seemingly innocuous programs like screen savers.

ZoneAlarm also offers myVAULT to protect your personal information from unauthorized access. By entering your credit card number, for instance, myVAULT will prevent unauthorized access to this data via email or web. A layer of data encryption keeps it safe.

ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 2010 is $49.95 with a license for three PCs, although a current discount cuts that price in half, making it an excellent deal. They will even let you try it out for 14 days, free. You will also get one year of free Good Start identity theft protection from Identity Guard if you stick with the program. Overall, we like the new features, but wish it had the virus-catching acumen of Trend Micro 2010.

System Requirements: Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7

AVG INTERNET SECURITY REVIEW:Go to Site | Back to Chart

[Editor's note: AVG is currently offering NextAdvisor visitors an exclusive 30%-off discount on its two-year plan, giving you a year for free. No coupon code is needed, just follow any of the AVG links from NextAdvisor]

It seems like just yesterday that we were reviewing AVG Internet Security 8.5. Version 9.0 is now ready for release and AVG has promised faster installation, more efficient operation, and better security. Last time we complained about a complicated firewall setup, and we're glad to see this has been simplified. In fact, version 9.0 improves on just about everything we disliked about 8.5's user interface and basic operations. Gone are the ambiguous link warnings and frustrating permissions errors.

While most of the setup has been streamlined, expect a few extra steps. The first scan is to evaluate the programs on your computer. This won't scan for viruses. You'll have to enable that first virus scan yourself (or wait for the scheduled scan). A scan for rootkits (nasty malware that lives in your computer in separate pieces) is an additional step. Our first full scan was faster than with AVG 8.5, but still a bit longer than most Internet security software we've reviewed. The initial scan uncovered no viruses, but it did find two tracking cookies and a piece of spyware that we'd downloaded but never activated.

We found the previous version of AVG to be awkward and counterintuitive. The new version improves a lot on the look and feel and adds some novel features. One of our favorites is a process monitor (ostensibly a function of the Identity Theft protection component) that shows all the EXE's running on your system and evaluates the potential threat-level based on key characteristics. It's a good way to see what's going on under the hood, even though the documentation could be better.

Identity theft is the buzz word du jour with Internet security software in 2009. One thing we're surprised to see absent from AVG's security software is a personal information vault that we've seen in other products. Most of AVG's identity theft protection offering revolves around the anti-malware process-viewer mentioned above, as well as free access to Identity Guard's Identity Theft Recovery Unit. The latter is not to be confused with pro-active identity theft monitoring, but if you believe your identity has been stolen, Identity Guard will help you in the steps to recover it. This includes 6 months of free credit file monitoring if they find your identity has been compromised.

AVG performed fairly well as we sent it against known threats. Most of the time the url blocker prevented us from getting to the nefarious sites in question. It did fine against scareware sites and a piece of malware disguised as a flash plugin. It did fail to block an image-based trojan and did not detect a YouTube-based phishing site that the previous version had caught, despite its claims of having anti-phishing technology.

It's hard to give AVG our full recommendation given the trouble it had with the image-based trojan, and the lack of an ID vault and parental controls may make it less than ideal for some. But if you liked previous versions of AVG, then you'll probably find 9.0 a worthy successor, and the inclusion of identity theft recovery services is a nice bonus. At $54.99 for two years it's a real bargain, though it only covers a single user. Their trial period gives you 30 days to kick the tires, with no credit card required.

System Requirements: Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7

BITDEFENDER 2010 REVIEW:Go to Site | Back to Chart

BitDefender has released the 2010 version of its Internet security suite. Don't look for many new whiz-bang features; according to the literature, BitDefender has mostly made improvements in its speed, detection, and control. It also promises Windows 7 compatibility.

Bit Defender offers various degrees of configurability through different activity types: Typical, parent, gamer, and custom. You can then choose your experience level: Beginner, intermediate, or advanced. We chose typical/intermediate settings and started our testing. The results are decidedly mixed: a confused setup process followed by great virus detection.

BitDefender's setup process was irritating from the start. It tried to update our virus definitions and run an initial scan simultaneously, only to tell us that it was impossible to do so. It also allowed us to run multiple virus scans at once, and wouldn't declare the machine safe until the redundant scans were completed.

After setup, BitDefender found three threats on our machine that were missed by both McAfee and Kaspersky. The first two times it found them we were not given the ability to delete them (due to insufficient access privileges), which is odd given that we were logged in as admins. Somehow, it figured it out and were able to delete the three trojans.

As we used it, it continued to catch Trojans that others didn't, though we were allowed to download at least one as we practiced our ultra-risky surfing behaviors, going to sites that we knew to host malware. While BitDefender does not have any kind of url interceptor for malware, it does kick in phishing detection on occasion, sending you to a warning page when you hit a suspect site.

Despite our initial problems, we were very impressed with BitDefender's virus protection capabilities. It largely outshined Kaspersky in its recognition of new threats, and it seemed particularly snappy when intercepting trojans. BitDefender also offers an encrypted file vault, so you can safely store your files on an external drive. Instant messaging encryption for Yahoo! Messenger and MSN Messenger is also included, along with a two-way firewall and Wi-Fi monitor.

BitDefender is $39.95 for 1 PC, and 3 can be protected for $49.95; a 30-day trial gives you plenty of time to see if BitDefender is right for you.

System Requirements: Windows XP, Windows 7 or Windows