Internet Security Software: Reviews

Updated January 2012

Internet security suites provide comprehensive protection against the many threats of modern life online. The best paid and free suites are analyzed, and recommendations are made based on effectiveness and ease of use. Independent test results, expert reviews and user experience point the way to the best choices.

FONT
PRINT

Compare All

Best Internet security suite

Norton Internet Security 2012

*Est. $70 Compare Prices

Experts say that Norton Internet Security 2012 is the best choice among security suites (software that includes antivirus, anti-spam, anti-spyware and firewall applications in one package). Expert reviews are very… expandpositive, and the Norton suite excels in independent tests. Reviewers say Norton Internet Security 2012 has excellent protection against malware and great anti-spam and anti-phishing capabilities, and the firewall detects all malicious intrusions in several tests. Norton runs much faster than previous versions, and reviewers appreciate the relatively fast scan speeds. However, the overzealous antivirus component draws some negative remarks as it is prone to incorrectly flagging harmless files as malware. collapse

See Our Full Review

Expert & User Review Sources:

AV-comparatives.org: Norton Internet Security 2012 blocks more than 95 percent of the malware thrown at it by AV-Comparatives.org, an independent testing lab.

AV-Test.org: Norton Internet Security easily earns a certification from AV-Test.org, another independent testing lab.

PCMag.com: PCMag.com reviewer Neil J. Rubenking sings Norton Internet Security 2012's praises en route to giving it an Editors' Choice award in this lengthy, detailed review.

NotebookReview.com: NotebookReview.com conducts its own tests of Norton Internet Security 2012's antivirus, firewall, anti-spyware, performance impact and more.

Download.com: CNET's Download.com awards Norton Internet Security 2012 a perfect 5 star rating.

Expert Reviews: Kat Orphanides gives Norton Internet Security 2012 a 4 out of 5 star rating.

Which? magazine: Norton Internet Security 2012 is one of more than 20 security programs reviewed by Britain's Which?

PC Advisor: Simon Williams' discussion of Norton Internet Security 2012 is brief but full of the insights he received during hands-on use and testing.

Computer Active: Computeractive magazine gives Norton Internet Security 2012 its Buy It!

ITReviews.com: Paul Lester conducts hands-on usability and performance testing on Norton Internet Security 2012, coming away impressed.

Where to buy:

See All Stores

Buy from
Amazon

for $25.27

Budget Internet security software

Bitdefender Internet Security 2012

*Est. $40 Compare Prices

Bitdefender Internet Security 2012 costs a little less than the top-rated Norton suite, and it boasts very good overall performance. In fact, Bitdefender performs better in a few areas -- it has very few false positives,… expandand it blocks more phishing attacks than Norton Internet Security. Reviewers also like the AutoPilot feature, which handles tasks automatically and rarely prompts users for input. On the flip side, Bitdefender Internet Security 2012 blocks and removes less malware than Norton, although it still receives relatively high marks in this area. The program also isn't as adept at tackling spam. Finally, a minority of users report that Bitdefender slows their computer to a crawl. collapse

See Our Full Review

Expert & User Review Sources:

AV-comparatives.org: Bitdefender Internet Security 2012 earns the highest certification possible -- Advanced+. That is based on the security suite detecting 98.4 percent of malware and registering only eight false positives in AV-Comparatives.org's extensive testing.

AV-Test.org: AV-Test.org regularly evaluates the antivirus and usability chops of security software on Windows 7 and Windows XP operating systems.

PCMag.com: Neil J. Rubenking tests the more full-featured Bitdefender Total Security 2012 package, which includes online storage, PC tune up capabilities and other features but sports the same security components as Bitdefender Internet Security 2012.

Which? magazine: Which? Magazine tests nearly two dozen security programs, including Bitdefender Internet Security 2012.

MaximumPC.com: Paul Lilly evaluates 10 security programs, testing each for effectiveness, usability and annoyance factor.

Download.com: Download.com, a CNET website, gives Bitdefender Internet Security an Outstanding 4.5 out of 5 star overall rating.

ITReviews.com: Like PCMag.com, ITReviews.com examines the more full-featured Bitdefender Total Security 2012 package rather than Bitdefender Internet Security 2012, but the base results should be the same.

Computer Active: Rob Beattie also reviews Bitdefender Total Security rather than Bitdefender Internet Security 2012.

Walmart.com: Bitdefender Internet Security 2012 enjoys a strong overall rating after about 50 users check in.

Where to buy:

See All Stores