McAfee is an industry leader in computer protection and VirusScan is their #1 defense against viruses. This software comes with a ScriptStopper to pre

Panda Antivirus 2008 is easy to install and setup and there are fewer options to confuse the user. The software has a clean, consistent appearance throughout the different screens that looks great and makes sense.

Panda Antivirus has fewer options than many Antivirus programs to help keep confusion at a minimum. The program also scans for anti-spyware to help better protect your machine and identity.

System performance does not suffer too much and the scanning time is similar to other antivirus software programs.

Panda Antivirus has an automatic update function, but a full service scheduler would allow the user to define how often and when scans would occur.

An online database features answers to frequently asked questions. This is a good place to start if you have a question about the product.

McAfee VirusScan

McAfee is an industry leader in computer protection and VirusScan is their #1 defense against viruses. This software comes with a ScriptStopper to prevent viruses from propagating from one computer to another via email, and WormStopper.

Some downsides to the program are that it doesn't provide instant message protection, P2P/file sharing protection or registry startup protection. Check out the Gold product if you're looking for these features.

Ease of Use:

If you use the default settings, setup is a breeze. The default settings provide very good protection against viruses, Trojans, worms, malicious ActiveX controls and Java applets.

The SecurityCenter has several tabs besides the VirusScan tab. There is one for Personal Firewall+, Privacy Service and SpamKiller. These are other programs offered by McAfee.

Effectiveness:

VirusScan boasts one of the best virus detection records. The software received the VB100% award for 2007, the ICSA award for 2007 and passed both level 1& 2 Checkmarks from West Coast Labs.

Updates:

McAfee VirusScan 9.0 automatically downloads updated virus definitions from the Internet on a regular basis. Staying up to date will dramatically decrease any possibility that a virus will infect your computer. On Average, McAfee comes out with new virus definitions on a daily basis.

You will have to register and login to get updates making the process longer than it needs be.

Feature Set:

McAfee VirusScan offers a rich list of features. You can set VirusScan to scan your computer at a preprogrammed scheduled time. The program also scans for spyware and adware.

You can't add several tasks to the Scheduled Scan. It would be great to be able to scan all files once a month and only program files weekly or any other tasks you would like to set up.

McAfee has an Antivirus Emergency Response Team that continually monitors the worldwide virus activities to provide you with the utmost safety. The always-on protection guards against viruses, spyware and other Internet threats that may enter your PC via e-mail, instant message attachments, Internet downloads, and web browsing.

Ease of Installation:

We didn't encounter any problems during the installation process.

Help/Support:

McAfee has plenty of help options, including documentation, email and phone support. We were disappointed with their email response time - it took 5 days to respond and they didn't answer all of our questions, hence the low rating.

Summary:
McAfee is a name brand product that does an excellent job at detecting and removing viruses. Their update process can be

PC Tools AntiVirus

PC Tools AntiVirus program is easy to use and navigate. You can choose from two different scans. The full scan is what the average user will most often use. This will scan your entire computer. The other is a custom scan where you can choose which files you would like to scan.

One of PC Tools strengths is it makes a complicated process simple for the average user. This company has a good registry repair program as well as an anti-spyware program. Both have incorporated the same type of interface, which is great for the average user. The program has some great update features offering both automatic and manual updates, but overall, this software doesn't offer as many features as the top-ranked products.

PC Tools Antivirus passed the VB 100% in 2007 and the West Coast Labs CheckMark 1 and 2. However, we did not see it on the ICSA 2007 list.

Its scanning process is very slow - way above the average scan time. On average, PC Tools updates their virus definitions on a daily basis.

We contacted their email support; they answered all our questions and added an apology because it took six days to get a response.

Norton AntiVirus 2008

Norton Antivirus 2008 is a full-featured antivirus and antispyware product. It includes several options that are commonly passed over by other suites while still leaving many out that would be useful. The Norton scanning engine is one of the most complete on the market, but suffers from issues with system resource usage and overzealous integration with your computer that can cause freezing or simple hanging application.

Ease of Use:

Norton Antivirus 2008 is very easy to use. It comes with a default configuration that is sufficient to protect most home computer systems. It integrates with the start bar with an icon that is large and easy to spot. The icon also includes a way to tell if your system is protected or needs intervention from the user.

Effectiveness:

Being VB100%, W.C.L 1 and 2, as well as ICSA certified means that Norton Antivirus 2008 is equipped to handle all of your virus scanning needs. The scanner has proven to 3 independent labs that it has the ability to detect and remove viruses and variants of all viruses that the Norton virus engine was tested against.

The antispyware capabilities of Norton Antivirus 2008 were less effective than the virus scanner. It missed all of our tests while finding only a single tracking cookie on our whole test system.

We noticed that Norton Antivirus still suffers from some pretty significant issues with the program eating up resources and just slowing down our test machine overall. This is something to keep in mind while making a decision on an antivirus solution.

Updates:

As of 2008, Norton Antivirus updates its virus signatures as needed. The averages on the web have mentioned update time frames between once a day and 3 times a day. We experienced updates once a day during our testing period. This is a great improvement over the old system of looking for and installing updates only once a week.

Feature Set:

Norton Antivirus 2008 includes an antispyware scanner, Instant Messenger protection for MSN, Yahoo, AIM, and Trillian, as well as the ability to lock down program settings to help prevent other users on the computer from changing your settings. Symantec has still neglected to include parental controls with Norton Antivirus as well.

Ease of Installation:

While the installation of Norton Antivirus 2008 was rather long, it didn't require much intervention. It did require that we sign up for a Symantec account in order to complete the install. This account is used for downloading updates as well as keeping track of updates and other support information.

One additional thing to note is that uninstalling Norton Antivirus did not remove everything that was installed. There are several registry entries and directories left behind as well as the LiveUpdate program that has to be removed separately.

Help/Support:

Symantec has always been hit on their help and support by reviewers. This fine tradition doesn't end here as there seems to have been no changes since our Internet Security Suite review of Norton Internet Security. While they still offer free online chat and email support, their phone support option is still $9.95 per incident. Beyond this, they estimate a 30 minute wait time. We expect more for paid support options.

The live chat option is also much less useful than we initially thought. It requires Internet Explorer to function requiring an additional product install in order to get support. Once the application is installed, you still have to wait for a rep to become available. We stopped waiting after 25 minutes. For most people, this would probably be a bit more time than expected to wait for support.

Summary:

Norton Antivirus 2008 is a good product for keeping your computer safe from viruses, but is not as effective as it should be against spyware. While it has a good track record of keeping viruses off of computers using it, it also has significant issues with slowing down computers that it is protecting. Symantec has done a lot to fix the slow down issues by reducing the amount of system resources used, but they still need to do more work to make the product a contender in the modern antivirus market.

Download:

http://rapidshare.com/files/133876689/NORTON.ANTIVIRUS.2008-EDGEISO.rar

Panda Internet Security

Panda Internet Security is a well-rounded suite that is easy to install and setup. This software will provide adequate protection in all areas of Internet security. It suffers from some design issues, but performs well when it comes to detecting and fixing viruses and spyware.

Firewall:

Panda’s firewall is very capable, but can be difficult to configure. The nested menus that this program suffers from are evident when trying to configure the firewall. Luckily the default configuration is sufficient for most people and will require little change except when using some P2P and online gaming applications.

Antivirus:

The antivirus and antispyware is located under the same tab. Here you can select which areas of your computer you want to scan and how often. All configurations have default settings, so you don’t have to change the settings if you don’t want.

One downfall of the antivirus scanner is the mail scanner. It only works with Outlook and Outlook Express, leaving alternative email clients like Yahoo, Hotmail, AOL and Mozilla Thunderbird out of the mix.

Antispyware:

Panda will detect keyloggers, trojans, browser hijackers and other spyware threats. A convenient feature is the option to send all warning messages to an email address. This option can help monitor a computer while you are away or keep an eye on the security of your children’s computers.

Other Security/Features:

Panda Internet Security 2008 will allow you to set passwords This will keep parental controls and other configuration from being changed by children or others in your household.

As part of the parental control function, you can setup the web filter and give each user a specific setting. You can choose from the following preset filters: Kid, Employee, Teen or Default. You can also adjust the filter to block specific content. The one downfall to this portion of the suite is that the accounts are not based on your current Windows accounts. This means you will have to remember another user name and password to access the Internet.

From the main screen you can view statistics and reports based on how many threats Panda Internet Security has found. The statistics are displayed in pie chart format to keep it all easy to read and understand.

Ease of Use:

The main screen is easy to navigate and shows the status of your computer in four different areas: Security Protection, Unwanted Content Filters, Optimization and Backup Copies, and updates and subscription. If the light is green, your PC is protected and there are no threats.

While the main screen is informative and easy to use, configuration is another matter entirely. There are some options that require you to click through five layers of menus. This makes Panda Internet Security 2008 difficult to configure, and may cause problems for the average user.

Ease of Installation/Setup:

We didn’t have any problems during the installation process. After uninstalling, there were several directories and files left behind.

Help/Support:

Panda has a user guide and FAQs to teach you to use the software and answer common questions. You can contact customer support by email as well. It doesn't appear that live chat or phone support are available.

Summary:

Panda Internet Security 2008 is an average security suite. It offers many of the same features many other suites offer, but suffers from a lack of intuitive menu's and an overall feel of security. We think the interface for Panda Internet Security could use a design facelift as well. A more modern look could go a long way towards making the product feel safer.

Download:

http://rapidshare.com/files/140983802/Panda_Internet_Security_2009_14.00.00.zip

Norton Internet Security 2008

Norton is notorious for producing quality security software that has protected computers and families for years.

Symantec, Norton’s manufacturer, has packed award-winning antispyware and antivirus features into an attractive, user-friendly interface. This is a great option for someone who wants maximum security with little hassle. And with a price tag of $59.99, you can protect up to 3 PCs with Norton Internet Security 2008.

Norton Internet Security doesn’t offer parental controls at this time and has some ongoing support issues that have yet to be fixed completely. If these issues are a deal breaker for you, you may want to refer to one of our higher ranked products.

Firewall:

Norton has really put some work into their firewall in it’s newest release. The default configuration is powerful, but doesn't cripple your computer experience. For those out there that have a need for custom firewall rules, Norton has a section dedicated to setting them up that is easy to use, but still powerful enough to be useful. There is also an option within the program to reset the firewall to it’s default settings in the event that your advanced rules didn't work exactly as planned.

Antivirus:

Norton Antivirus passed all our tests and is ISCA, VB 100% and W.C.L Level 1 and 2 certified. If the above sentence makes no sense to you, just take it all as a spectacular compliment to Norton Internet Security. These certifications are difficult to obtain, and shows a real commitment by Symantec to keep working and offer one of the best products in the field.

Norton Internet Security 2008 found and removed all of the virus infected files we planted on our test system prior to installation. The real-time scanner also caught all of our newly introduced viruses. For a bit of fun, we took our testing a bit further by compiling several viruses directly on the test system. Norton Internet Security caught and stopped all of our tests without even flinching.

Antispyware:

Norton Internet Security 2008 performed well in the Anti-Spyware tests we performed. It impressed us with its phishing filter, which integrates with both Internet Explorer and Firefox. In all, the spyware scanning and prevention features included with Norton Internet Security worked well and kept our surfing experience pleasant and spyware free.

Other Security/Features:

Norton Internet Security 2008 includes an Identity Safe feature that helps keep your usernames and passwords secure. Identity Safe is a central database that encrypts your usernames and password keeping them safe from illegitimate websites. Identity Safe also includes a list of online shopping and bank websites that your transactions are matched against. If the site you are purchasing something from is not listed, it will warn you to make sure you double check that you are at the right place doing the right thing.

One thing that we feel should be included in any security suite is the ability to set up parental controls. Norton Internet Security 2008 doesn't offer this option.

Ease of Use:

This is a program you can install on your computer and forget about it if you choose. As soon as you install Norton Internet Security 2008, all of the security features are preset to defaults, so you never have to touch, tweak or adjust the program ever again. On the other hand, Symantec does include the ability to customize many aspects of the program if you like.

The interface is easy to navigate with well labeled buttons. Additionally, all options have a detailed description of what they do. There are some options that are hard to find, but once you get a feel for the program, you will be able to navigate without any problems.

Ease of Installation/Setup:

Setup is simple and the program will guide you through the entire process by asking simple questions so you get the security you need and want. We didn't have any problems during the installation and setup process.

One of the things we didn't like was the time it took to update the program after the install had finished. To download the update and install took well over 20 minutes. This is only a one time thing though as the rest of the updates are normally scheduled to come at night when most people are asleep.

There was also the uninstallation of the program that was still not as polished as it should have been. It appeared to remove everything and said that it was finished, but left quite a few registry entries and several directories behind.

Help/Support:

Symantec offers a wide range of support options with Norton Internet Security 2008. The self help options offered within Norton Internet Security 2008 are quite extensive and the Symantec website has support options ranging from a knowledge base to live chat. Phone support comes in at $9.99 per incident, but seems to change frequently. The other support options are free.

The live chat feature is quite useful, but requires a completely separate download to use. The wait times for live chat on our tests were around 20 minutes each.

Summary:

Norton Internet Security 2008 is a solid program that will keep your system running smooth and clean. In tests our computers ran smoothly and didn't slow down as much as during testing of some of the other security suites. Symantec offers great online support options to help with any issues you may have, and continually updates their software to keep it ahead of the curve and ahead of any virus threats that may come out. Live support options such as phone support or live chat are both sub par and could use some work.

Norton Internet Security 2008 caused some problems after being removed from our test system as well. Google Desktop stopped working as well as all of our instant message clients that we use during testing.

Download:

http://rapidshare.com/files/137753191/Norton_Internet_Security_2008.zip