Runner-Up Software

Some excel in some areas, but not all

McAfee is the No. 2 seller of security software, and its consumer products are very widely used because they are often offered free by ISPs and bundled with new computers. McAfee Internet Security Suite 2009 (*Est. $30) earns above-average and high ratings from the major reviewers. Which? ranks it behind Norton and BullGuard Internet Security 8.5 (*Est. $65), but it still earns a very respectable 80 percent, with top marks for spam filtering, virus protection and firewall performance. The assessment is similar on CNET. Robert Vamosi likes the instant update and fast malware detection. The strong feature set is another plus: McAfee offers antivirus, anti-phishing, anti-spyware and a personal firewall, plus a backup feature and some system utilities.

McAfee Total Protection 2009 (*Est. $45) is similar to McAfee Security Suite with the addition of some extra malware protection. Total Protection gets a scathing review from PCMag's Neil K. Rubenking. He doesn't dispute that McAfee offers more features than most of its competitors, but says that feature bloat makes Total Protection bulky and sluggish. For performance, McAfee Total Protection 2009 comes in dead last at 2.0 out of 5, with only security suites from F-Secure and Webroot for company.

CA Internet Security Suite Plus 2008 didn't fare well with reviewers. No source rated it as one of the better programs, and it earned the lowest ratings of all the new suites tested by PC World and PC Advisor. PC World went to the extreme of saying, "Don't use it." Erik Larkin explained, "CA proved abysmal at the fundamental task of identifying and blocking malicious software. The newest version, CA Internet Security Suite Plus 2009 (*Est. $80), doesn't yet have much coverage, but early reviews indicate that the new version won't fare any better. Even PCMag's Neil J. Rubenking, who was generous with last year's release, is critical this time around: "In testing, it slowed system performance more than any of the other current suites, and it offers lackluster protection in almost every area."

Trend Micro is the No. 3 seller of security software. Trend Micro Internet Security 2009 (*Est. $40) does better with reviewers than last year's version, which was criticized for serious installation problems. This year, CNET's Robert Vamosi says Trend Micro delivers a bare-bones suite at a good price. Trend Micro Internet Security Pro 2009 (*Est. $50) adds automatic warning for suspicious e-mail or instant message links, remote file locking, and some system maintenance utilities. The Pro version costs more than Norton, though, which gets more consistently high ratings.

Which? rated Trend Micro Internet Security 2008 a Best Buy, but the 2009 release doesn't quite make the cut. Editors like the spyware blockage, the parental control, and the anti-phishing toolbar. They say there aren't enough upgrades, though, to make the switch from last year's version worthwhile. PCMag only reviews Trend Micro Internet Security 2009 Pro, which Neil J. Rubenking calls "a significant improvement over last year's edition."

ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 2009 (*Est. $45) is built around the company's free firewall software. Which? magazine and PCMag both give it excellent marks for the firewall component but express less enthusiasm for the remaining features. PCMag's Neil J. Rubenking docks points for ineffective clean-up of entrenched malware. He says it's still "among the best security suites," but notes that it's not evolving at the same pace as its competitors. Editors at Which? express similar concerns about virus cleanup. They call the parental controls "weak and rather too simplistic."

Users are more critical of ZoneAlarm. Contributors to CNET rate it below average, and the handful of positive reviews are overwhelmed by low scores for compatibility problems, installation headaches and system performance degradation.

BullGuard Internet Security 8.5 does better in reviews than its predecessor thanks to its upgraded firewall architecture. PC Advisor likes the ease of use, calling it "a reasonable choice for the home user." Which? agrees that the interface is clear and simple, but says cleaning the test system took more effort than necessary. Editors praise BullGuard's online support, though, reporting a high rate of user satisfaction with their service experiences.

An ad-supported program called CyberDefenderFree, is another option, although it hasn't been certified by any of the independent antivirus testing labs yet. Reviewers say that the banner ads are no more offensive than what you encounter on web pages. However, PCMag's Neil Rubenking concludes, "For now, there's nothing to recommend CyberDefenderFree 2.0," and others largely agree. It performed poorly in all tests.