Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security 2013

Bottom Line

Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security 2013 (*Est. $25 for 3 PCs) offers the solid Internet protection of Trend Micro's Anti-Virus Plus software, along with extras such as parental controls and system tune-up tools. It placed second only to BitDefender Internet Security 2013 in AV-Test's cleanup and repair tests, though its performance in detecting and blocking malware scores average in tests at some professional journals. Installation is straightforward and fast, though Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security 2013 has a noticeable effect on computer performance when copying files and scanning for spam emails. It's compatible with OS X computers and comes with a free Android app.

Ease of Use

Great support information. Installing Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security 2013 is fast, requiring users to click through just three or four screens to register the product. The interface is clean and horizontally focused with large touchable icons at the top for Windows 8. Where Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security 2013 excels in ease of use is in its support information; the company website offers instructional videos, a threat encyclopedia and articles on hot topics, and during business hours, you can use the toll-free telephone and chat lines.

Features

System tune-up has limitations. Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security 2013 builds on the malware protection features found in Trend Micro's Anti-Virus Plus software - antivirus, phishing protection and spam filtering tools -- by adding parental controls and data protection. An unusual feature included here, and usually found in premium Internet security software, is the system tune-up feature, though it is quite limited. Social media network protection covers links on Facebook, Twitter, Google, LinkedIn and Pinterest. Titanium Internet Security 2013's subscription includes the security software for Android devices and OS X computers.

Performance

Some system lag, but generally good. Reviewers report mixed results for Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security 2013's speed. Seth Rosenblatt of CNET says it has the smallest impact on computer boot times, and the reviewer at PC Pro agrees, also highlighting the software's relatively small footprint of 84 MB. Titanium Internet Security 2013 slows down file-copying operations more than some of its competitors and is slow to filter spam emails. However, it receives ratings of "very good" from reviewers for its protection levels when detecting and blocking malware threats, as well as in cleanup and repair. Test results from AV-Test labs, a renowned Internet security test facility, support these assessments.