Which Is The Best Internet Security Uk
Many disparate components must thoroughly mesh and work together well to make a security suite. Some suites are barely more than an antivirus plus firewall, while others include every feature imaginable. In the very best, all components are equally effective, but a suite that s only good at a few security tasks can still be useful if its strong points match your needs.
There are just a few 2013 suites left, and the corresponding 2014 editions for most of those are already in my queue of products to review. Impressively, ZoneAlarm has released a 2015 product line, skipping 2014 completely. Ten suites have dropped year and version numbers entirely. To avoid confusion, we re appending 2014 to those product names.
Name
Webroot SecureAnywhere Internet Security Complete 2014
Bitdefender Total Security 2014
Norton Internet Security 2014
Kaspersky Internet Security 2014
McAfee Internet Security 2014
Editor Rating
Lowest Price
displayPrice
seller
79.99
MSRP
69.95
79.95
Type
Business, Personal, Professional
Personal, Professional
OS Compatibility
Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8
Read the Review
But wait, you say, why should I pay for a security suite when modern Windows versions already include an antivirus and a firewall. Here s the deal. Yes, the built-in firewall does a good job hiding your computer from outside attack, but it doesn t exercise control over which programs can access your network the way third-party firewall components do. As for the built-in antivirus, its stated purpose is to make sure everyone has at least some protection, not to compete with third-party antivirus vendors. Most of the independent testing labs treat Microsoft s antivirus as a baseline; a product that can t do better than the baseline is pretty poor.
Notable Components
The chart below summarizes our findings for three dozen current security suites, boldfacing overall scores and category scores of 4.0 stars or better. It s easy to see that some products earned high scores in all or nearly all the categories, while others got just a few high scores.
Avira Ultimate Protection Suite 2014 earned low to average scores in most of our tests, but it proved quite effective at blocking malware attack on a clean system. G Data InternetSecurity 2014 likewise did its best work in the field of malware blocking.
ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 2013 has perhaps the most complete parental control system of any suite, because its parental control component is a licensed version of the well-regarded Net Nanny. I m holding off reviewing the 2015 version for a few weeks, giving them a chance to incorporate the very latest Net Nanny.
Protection against fraudulent phishing sites is a primary component of the Privacy score. Because the actual phishing sites available on a given day are different from those on any other day, I rate antiphishing tools by comparing their detection rates with Norton s. Very few products come close to Norton s accuracy, but in recent tests both Bitdefender Internet Security 2014 and Kaspersky Internet Security 2014 beat Norton, and Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security 2014 came close.
The chart below lists current suites, along with their prices and star rating in several security categories. Note that in a few cases the price listed for three-pack actually gets you more than three licenses. Click it for a full-sized image.
Our Top Choices
As you can see in the chart Norton Internet Security 2014 earned four stars or better in every category. If you re looking for a traditional security suite, with essential features like antivirus, firewall, antispam, parental control, and phishing protection, it s a great choice, and it s one of our Editors Choice suites. If you need local/online backup and tuneup, consider Norton 360 2014, also an Editors Choice.
Norton 360 falls into the category I call a mega-suite because it offers so much more than the basics. With Bitdefender Total Security 2014 you get even more security components, pretty much anything you can think of. It s another Editor s Choice for mega-suite.
Looking for the smallest, lightest protection available. The installer for Editors Choice Webroot SecureAnywhere Complete 2014 would fit on a 3.5 diskette if you could fine one. Its unusual antivirus component doesn t use virus signatures; rather, it detects threats by their behavior and other characteristics. Webroot omits spam filtering and parental control, two common suite features that aren t universally needed, but adds a very flexible online backup and sync utility along with password management powered by Editors Choice LastPass.
Modern malware is tough. If it s gotten a foothold on your PC already, it may resist your attempts to install the security software that could eliminate it. Tech support will help, of course, and many vendors will eventually escalate to remote-control diagnosis and repair of your troubles. Comodo Internet Security Complete 2013, also an Editors Choice, makes that top-tier level support the default. Call on Comodo s GeekBuddy service for help with absolutely any PC problem, including getting the product installed on an infested system.
Make Your Choice
You won t go wrong selecting one of our Editors Choice suites. McAfee Internet Security 2014 and Kaspersky Internet Security 2014 also proved impressive in testing. Click the links in the blurbs that follow to read our comprehensive reviews of all the current security suites.
Next: Ad-Aware Total Security 11 to F-Secure Internet Security 2014
From Ad-Aware Pro Security 10 to Kaspersky Internet Security 2012
Avira Internet Security 2012
59.99, direct; 89.99 for 3 licenses
The antivirus component is the best part of this suite, with good malware cleanup and better real-time protection. Phishing protection and parental control, however, are not so hot. Overall it s a good suite, but not a great one. Read the full review
F-Secure Internet Security 2012
59.99 direct for three licenses
Most components of F-Secure Internet Security 2012 do a good job, though phishing protection and parental control are weak. Its effect on system performance is very low. As good as it is, other suites are better. Read the full review
GFI VIPRE Internet Security 2012
49.95, direct
displayPrice at seller
VIPRE s spam filter is the best around, but its antivirus protection is average and it can t seem to remove rootkits. Its firewall avoids bombarding the user with popups simply by not enabling protection that might cause popups. Its performance drag is small, and the 10-PC home site license is a bargain, but you re better off paying more for more protection. Read the full review
Kaspersky Internet Security 2012
79.95 direct for three licenses
The independent labs love Kaspersky s antivirus protection, but it fared poorly in PCMag s hands-on tests. Its firewall is impressive, and the Safe Run sandboxing feature protects the system from questionable files and Web sites, but the antispam and antiphishing features failed to impress. Choose this suite if its strong points align with your needs. Read the full review
McAfee Total Protection 2012
89.99 direct for three licenses
McAfee Total Protection 2012 offers a huge array of security-relevant features, among them file encryption, shredding, intruder detection, and more. Its spam filter is accurate and parental control is much improved. However, its essential antivirus protection doesn t measure up to the very best. Read the full review
Norman Security Suite PRO 9
75.95 for three licenses
Most of the components in Norman Security Suite PRO 9 are second-rate. The antivirus bombed at malware cleanup, the old-school firewall left ports open, and the privacy protection is nearly nonexistent. Yes, it beat the other suites in antispam accuracy, but that alone isn t a reason to buy this suite. Read the full review
Norton 360 Version 6.0
79.99 for three licenses
Norton 360 Version 6.0 gives you all the same protective features as Norton Internet Security 2012, with a friendlier face. You also get flexible backup, including 2GB of online storage. Tuneup features are also useful, especially the diagnostic report. This full-featured suite is definitely a good choice. Read the full review
Outpost Security Suite Pro 7.5
49.95/year direct for 3 licenses
In this industry, if you re not actively advancing your technology you re going backward. The latest Outpost suite offers better performance and better malware blocking than its predecessor, but that s all the progress I could see. I can t recommend this suite. Read the full review
TrustPort Total Protection 2012
89.95 for three licenses
TrustPort Total Protection 2012 tops the charts for malware detection, but it can t properly clean up what it detects. Its much-improved firewall is strong against Web-based exploits, but its antiphishing, antispam, and parental control components aren t effective. You can do better. Read the full review
V3 Secure Cloud
69.99 for five licenses and five Android licenses
With poor malware cleanup, poor malware blocking, and a personal firewall that has issues, this suite is weak at the core. Add ineffective antispam and antiphishing components and you get a suite that nobody should install. Read the full review
Webroot SecureAnywhere Complete
79.95 direct for three PC and three mobile licenses
Webroot SecureAnywhere Complete is the smallest and lightest security suite ever. It does lack parental control and antispam, but not everyone needs those and its antivirus protection is superb. Its third-party licensed online backup and password management are also very good. Read the full review
ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 2012
79.95 direct for 3 licenses
While its antispam and antivirus scores have slipped since the last version, ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 2012 offers a powerful firewall, excellent parental control, and ForceField browser virtualization as well as whole disk encryption. If its strengths match your needs it can be a great choice. Read the full review
SecureIT Plus 2013
71.40 direct
displayPrice at seller SecureIT Plus 2013 turned in excellent scores in our malware blocking and phishing prevention tests, and its parental control system sidesteps some pitfalls that snag the competition. Its malware cleanup skills have improved, but they re still not good. You ll get better protection from one of our Editors Choice suites. Read the full review
V3 Secure Cloud
displayPrice at seller With poor malware cleanup, poor malware blocking, and a personal firewall that has issues, this suite is weak at the core. Add ineffective antispam and antiphishing components and you get a suite that nobody should install. Read the full review
VIPRE Internet Security 2013
49.99 direct; 69.99 for three licenses
displayPrice at seller VIPRE Internet Security 2013 does a good job keeping out malware, and its ten-PC home site license is quite a bargain. It won t put a big drag on system performance, which is good. However, it s less effective cleaning up existing malware, and its firewall needs a total overhaul. Read the full review
ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 2013
ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 2013 combines the ZoneAlarm firewall with a pastiche of other security components from many different vendors. The end result isn t as effective as more thoroughly integrated competitors. Read the full review.
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