Security suites reviewed
OK, so I keep telling you that the Internet is a dangerous place. What are you supposed to do about it? Part (but only part) of your defense could be one of the security software suites that combine a number of different kinds of security functions. These suites have been getting better about using system resources and are supposedly no longer hogs that turn system performance to molasses. Neil Rubenking is an expert at PC Magazine and he has reviewed a number of commercial suites. Rubenking has been warming up to Norton (my old nemesis) and he concludes:
Norton Internet Security 2009 excelled in the most important areas—firewall, antivirus, and antispyware—and it did so with little affect on performance. Its antispam and parental-control elements are dismal, but many users don’t need those. Norton remains our Editors’ Choice for 2009. Those who’ve sworn off Norton’s suite for life (there are some who can’t get beyond its past performance problems) should consider Trend Micro Internet Security Pro 2009. Its scores are impressive, if not quite as high as Norton’s, and it does well in all areas, including those where Norton falls down.
Personally, I still have doubts that it is worth the cost of one of these commercial suites. There are yearly subscription fees in addition to the initial cost. There are good free programs available that do almost as good a job at guarding against malware. “Gizmo” Richards of TechSupport Alert has spent a lot of effort assessing the efficacy of free security software and has concluded that a combination of free programs can protect you just about as well as the commercial ones.
And as for Norton, I tried it again not too long ago and I still find it very obtrusive. I’ll grant that tests show Norton is the best at catching malware by a small amount but the difference in efficacy is not enough to make up for its big footprint on the system or its initial cost of $70. That’s a personal decision and you may see it differently. Anybody want to comment on Norton or any other security program?
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