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Trend Micro Internet Security 2012 Review: Internet Security Software |
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| Best bet for users looking for quality, inexpensive software. New features up the software's game. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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[Editor's Note: Trend Micro is offering an exclusive deal to NextAdvisor.com readers. Simply click any Trend Micro link on NextAdvisor.com and get 40% off.]
Trend Micro doesn't throw in a lot of complicated options, but that doesn't mean it's lacking in any way. The software has improved in both protection and performance, and the sleek and simple design streamlines the security experience for the user. Installation For the most part, Trend Micro does all the work for you. Besides needing to enter your serial number and agreeing to the terms of use, the software does the rest of the work. It's also very fast, installing the software in less than 10 minutes, although the initial download does take longer. Interface In the last two years, Trend Micro has done much to improve their security software suite, including the effectiveness of its interface. The simple design gives the user the information they need when they need it, without all the extra explanation that the others give. The main page gives you a big green check mark to let you know you are protected, with two small counters underneath that keep track of all the viruses, spyware and web threats that Trend Micro has stopped. It also tells you exactly when your subscription will lapse, so you never go unprotected. The Tools button leads you to a small screen with three feature icons (Parental Controls, Data Theft Prevention and Rescue Disk) and simply tells you if they are activated or not. Clicking the icons will obviously lead you to the pages for those features, which have more details and settings. The interface also offers a very sleek security report that tracks the threats to your system and maps them out in both a pie chart (cut up into virus, spyware and web threat slices) and a line chart that maps the historical ups and downs of the threats. Antivirus/Anti-malware and Performance Trend Micro's interface is not the only thing that has been overhauled. Both the protection offerings and the performance have gained ground since our last review. The new suite offers a slew of protection features, including spam guards, cloud detection, installed-applications protection, an optimized firewall, identity guards and file shredding, just to name a few. Not only did Trend Micro decisively block all of our attempts at compromising our computer's safety, it also scored 3 out of 3 stars in AV-Comparatives' Whole-Product Dynamic Test, which takes into account the sum of the product's parts in protecting PCs, which is a first for the company. The suite also stepped up in the performance department, garnering 2 out of 3 stars in AV-Comparatives' Performance test. Other Features While Trend Micro doesn't offer any features that are above and beyond the normal offerings, they do have a complete list of all those features. Per user request, the Trend Micro Vault can seal off files so they don't infect your computer. The parental controls offer the standard restrictions on surfing the web. The Rescue Disk is a nice feature to have as backup. And the email protection helps filter spam and scan attachments for possible threats. While most of these are included on many security software suites, it's nice to see them added to Micro Trend's wide range of features. Conclusion Trend Micro is the most reliable protection software of the smaller security suites. It offers many of the same features that the more expensive suites offer, as well as similar test results. It has grown a lot in the past two years, and we happily recommend it for those looking for reliable, inexpensive security software. System Requirements: Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 AV-Comparatives ratings on a variety of tasks related to the antivirus and anti-malware product. Scores may reflect previous software versions. AV-Comparatives ratings on a variety of tasks related to the antivirus and anti-malware product. "Known Malware" refers to a product's ability to catch pre-identified viruses, while "Unknown Malware" refers to its ability to detect brand new viruses. Older scores may reflect previous software versions.
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**Score indicates impact of antivirus product on system performance. August 2010 test by AV-Comparatives. 
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