The new Norton AntiVirus 2011 and Norton Internet Security 2011 beta products include several new and improved features which I'm going to detail here.
Norton Internet Security 2011 Conclusion
This is really a short summary of some of the key new features in 2011. There are several other changes to enhance the usability, quality, performance, and lastly--but most importantly,--protection. Give the Beta a try and let us know what you think. We will have our eyes and ears open for your feedback.
Norton Internet Security 2011 Security Features:
Reputation Scan
In our 2009 products, we introduced Norton Insight which dramatically improved performance by not scanning known good files.
In 2010 products, we went one step further by using reputation data to mark files as good, bad or unknown.
With 2011, we are enhancing this even more by providing fine-grained reputation information about files and by allowing users to perform a Reputation Scan of their files. You can choose to do a quick or full scan or a custom scan of a folder or a drive. Once the scan is done, you will see how your files are rated based on their Trust Levels, Age and Prevalence. Reputation Scan will also compare your results against the rest of the Norton Community. It is an excellent tool to give you an idea of your machine’s risk profile.
For example, in the screenshot above, my files have better Trust Levels, Age and Prevalence values compared to the rest of the community. I did this test on a clean computer, and your results will vary depending on what you have running on your computer.
You can also filter the results and choose to look at only files with low prevalence or files that are very new or have unproven or poor trust rating.
Norton Safe Web for Facebook
Facebook has become a top social site on the web. More and more people spend a lot of time on Facebook, and this gives cybercriminals the opportunity to use Facebook to propagate malware. We hear about these scams everyday – like the Farm Town scam that happened a few days ago.
This feature lets users scan their feed for malicious URLs using Norton Safe Web. You get a report of the scan, which you can choose to share on your Facebook Wall.
New and Improved Download Insight
In Norton Internet Security2010, Download Insight analyzed downloads from Internet Explorer and Firefox. In 2011, we have expanded the number and types of applications that will be monitored by Download Insight. In addition to Internet Explorer and Firefox, the list of supported applications includes browsers like Chrome, Opera, and Safari; instant messengers like Yahoo Messenger, AOL Messenger, and MSN Messenger; email clients such as Outlook and Outlook Express; download managers and FTP clients like FileZilla;and P2P clients like Bittorrent and Limewire.
Furthermore, we have added the ability to dynamically expand coverage of many more applications.
For most of these applications, when you download an executable file, you will see the familiar Download Insight notification telling you if the file is safe or unknown, or if it is a threat. If it is a threat, it will be remediated automatically. For some download applications, you may not see the Download Insight notification during the download but if you try to run the downloaded file and the file is unknown or bad, Download Insight will alert you before allowing the file to run.
Norton Rescue Tools
Norton Rescue Tools are a set of tools that help you recover a badly infected computer. In addition to the familiar Norton Bootable Recovery Tool, this year we are introducing Norton Power Eraser. These tools complement each other and can be used in various situations.
Norton Bootable Recovery Tool
We come across many computers that have been so badly infected that it is virtually impossible to install any security product on them. The only way to clean up these computers is to use the Norton Bootable Recovery Tool. Since the Norton Bootable Recovery Tool loads its own clean boot environment, it is not affected by malware on the system. Even though we had made the ISO image for this tool available, it was not easy for users to burn a CD or DVD from it. You had to download the ISO and then find an application to help you burn a CD or DVD. To add to that, many recent Netbooks do not have a CD or DVD drive. We needed to provide a way to get access to this tool on media that will work on your computer and make it very easy to use!
In 2011, we have made it really easy to create the Norton Bootable Recovery Tool on a CD or DVD, or install it on a USB drive. All you need to do is to go to the “Start” menu, locate the Norton Internet Security or Norton AntiVirus folder and select the “Norton Bootable Recovery Tool” link. That link will take you to a Web page where you can download a wizard that will walk you through the process of creating your custom copy of the Norton Bootable Recovery Tool, as shown in the following screens.
It is really easy to burn the Norton Bootable Recovery Tool on media that you can use – CD, DVD, or USB--or just create an ISO image.
The Norton Bootable Recovery Tool Wizard also allows you to automatically update the threat definitions with the latest version, and it allows you to add drivers required to access storage or network devices on your particular system.
Norton Power Eraser
This brand new tool is rescue tool that is used in slightly different circumstances. Norton Power Eraser will be a free tool available to anybody. It will detect and repair new malware threats that are not typically detected by Norton product scanners. The focus for this tool will be detecting and fixing "0-day" malware and top threats like Fake AV (also known as rogue ware or crime ware).
Norton Internet Security 2011 Performance Alerts
Performance of security products continues to be a concern amongst users. Every year, Norton takes great strides in improving our product’s performance. This year we have made significant improvements that will make our products the fastest yet. In a lot of cases though, there is some other application that is slowing your computer down to a crawl. Ever wondered if you could somehow know what that application was? Enter Performance Alerts.
In our 2009 products, we put the CPU and Memory meter on our UI. The reason was to show the world that Norton is lean and mean, and let our users measure it. In 2010, we introduced the performance graph, which lets you track your computer’s CPU and memory consumption over time, and also tracks installation of other products on your computer.
In 2011, we have taken it one step further by adding real time proactive Performance Alerts. We measure the four broad metrics of performance: CPU usage, memory usage, disk IO, and handle counts. If a particular process is taking too many resources, you will get a notification like this:
You can click "Details & Settings" to get more information. For example, in this case cpuhog.exe was consuming too much CPU.
We expect our users to run legitimate resource-hungry applications knowing that they will consume a lot of resources, so we have given you the ability to exclude certain apps from being monitored. Once you exclude those apps, you will not see performance alerts for them.
We did a lot of research on exactly how much an application can consume before we should alert you. We don’t want to alert you too many times, but still want to provide you with details if you think your computer is running slow for some reason. We came up with three different levels based on your sensitivity to system performance. The default is the medium level but you can make Performance Alerts less or more aggressive by changing its levels to high or low respectively.
We have also considered battery-powered computers and automatically lowered our thresholds so that we tell you if an application is consuming too much of something that will drain your battery faster.
6/21/2010
F-Secure Internet Security 2011 Beta Released
Buy Security Software 2011
F-Secure Internet Security 2011 Beta is now available for download.
Latest version
Version: IS 10.50 (build 164)
Released: June 14, 2010
Supported operating systems
Windows XP
Windows Vista (32-bit, 64-bit)
Windows 7 (32-bit, 64-bit)
F-Secure Internet Security 2011 Beta Features:
All-in-one security solution for your online life
(Beta: Non-released version of our product or solution that is still in an active development phase. You should use this version for testing purposes only.)
F-Secure® Internet Security keeps you and your family safe on the Internet. It protects your data and privacy when you send e-mail, download music, bank, shop or play online. This comprehensive security package provides complete protection against online threats with powerful detection and removal of all types of malicious software.
What's new in Internet Security 2011
- Easier and faster to use -- Based on multiple usability studies, the user interface of IS 2011 has been improved, giving you an easy access to the most important tasks and features.
- Reliable protection -- Automated malware removal logic has been taken to a new level by utilizing prevalence information from F-Secure cloud services, making your Internet use safer with minimum distraction from virus alerts.
- Easier to take into use -- Thanks to enhanced installation, restarting is no longer required on Windows Vista and Windows 7. This applies only to new installations.
Benefits for beta participants
- Six-month subscription -- As a beta tester of our product, you will get a free six-month subscription during which you will automatically receive the latest updates to the software.
- Opportunity to influence -- Getting feedback during the beta period is
important to us. This is a unique opportunity for you to have a say on the final product.
- Rewards for active feedback -- Rewards will be given for the best enhancement suggestions and for active feedback.
6/09/2010
Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 had been released!
The leading security software company Kaspersky Lab announces the release of the latest versions of its flagship consumer products Kaspersky Internet Security 2011.
Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 has everything that you need to stay safe and secure while you're surfing the web. It provides constant protection for you and your family ¨C whether you work, bank, shop or play online.
More informations of the NEW Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 here: Kaspersky Internet Security 2011.
Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 has everything that you need to stay safe and secure while you're surfing the web. It provides constant protection for you and your family ¨C whether you work, bank, shop or play online.
More informations of the NEW Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 here: Kaspersky Internet Security 2011.
12/16/2009
Review: Norton Internet Security 2010
Buy Norton Internet Security 2010 for only $53.99 (NOT $69.99 Save $16.00)
When late 2008 rolled around, and Symantec was launching yet another version of its venerable Norton Internet Security 2009 software, I was originally sceptical that Symantec would actually deliver on its promises that its new version would be faster and better than the last.
After all, in the earlier years of this decade, Symantec’s Norton software was not one for seductive speed, but ever slower speeds degrading into a cyber soup of silicon sludge.
Although many were quick to blame Microsoft, people soon realised that their Internet security software was slowing them down way too much, and over the years, despite Symantec still staying atop the security software sales spreadsheets, Symantec’s sweet sales success was starting to sour.
Seeing the potential of its software besmirching the Symantec name irreparably, Symantec’s CEO surged forward with a new plan: re-write its security software to make it the best in the industry, so as to super-strengthen its stranglehold on the summit of sales supremacy while swiftly swinging its way back into the good books of consumers.
That was NIS 2009’s mission, and it clearly succeeded. Competitors rushed to ensure their security suites were also speeded up, signifying the arrival of much better performance from most of the industry, even on low-specced netbooks.
Now, with the 2010 version, Symantec still leads the pack in consistently strong performance (while not always being the very top spot, as seen in this Passmark AV report- PDF link), strengthens its various features and introduces, as has some of its competitors, a cloud-based “reputation” engine that can immediately tell you whether the file you’ve just downloaded is seen as safe by Norton users, is seen as dangerous, or is too new to accurately give a rating on.
For consumers who blindly download things without any real knowledge of what they’re doing, aside from adding nice new programs to their computers, this simple reputation sensing tool won’t stop users from junking up their machines with shovelware freebie downloads, but it could well save them from malicious malware that specialises in menacing mostly non-cyber-savvy users – at that crucial moment right before they accidentally install said malware.
Although there are still yet other new features that you can read about in other reviews on or Symantec’s main website, another area that Symantec excels in, at least when it comes to its software, is graphical user interfaces.
I’ve seen what the competition has to offer, and for some reason, Symantec just has the superior user interface, something it has always had, even in the bad ol’ days of earlier Norton versions.
The competition all sport very functional interfaces too, some even looking as though they have been inspired a bit by Norton over the years, but just like the iPhone has a level of smooth that competitors have struggled to simply match, let alone improve on, so too does Norton Internet Security have a level of smooth that effectively leaves competitors choking on some very powdery silicon dust, facemasks at the ready.
Buy Norton Internet Security 2010 for only $53.99 (NOT $69.99 Save $16.00)
When late 2008 rolled around, and Symantec was launching yet another version of its venerable Norton Internet Security 2009 software, I was originally sceptical that Symantec would actually deliver on its promises that its new version would be faster and better than the last.
After all, in the earlier years of this decade, Symantec’s Norton software was not one for seductive speed, but ever slower speeds degrading into a cyber soup of silicon sludge.
Although many were quick to blame Microsoft, people soon realised that their Internet security software was slowing them down way too much, and over the years, despite Symantec still staying atop the security software sales spreadsheets, Symantec’s sweet sales success was starting to sour.
Seeing the potential of its software besmirching the Symantec name irreparably, Symantec’s CEO surged forward with a new plan: re-write its security software to make it the best in the industry, so as to super-strengthen its stranglehold on the summit of sales supremacy while swiftly swinging its way back into the good books of consumers.
That was NIS 2009’s mission, and it clearly succeeded. Competitors rushed to ensure their security suites were also speeded up, signifying the arrival of much better performance from most of the industry, even on low-specced netbooks.
Now, with the 2010 version, Symantec still leads the pack in consistently strong performance (while not always being the very top spot, as seen in this Passmark AV report- PDF link), strengthens its various features and introduces, as has some of its competitors, a cloud-based “reputation” engine that can immediately tell you whether the file you’ve just downloaded is seen as safe by Norton users, is seen as dangerous, or is too new to accurately give a rating on.
For consumers who blindly download things without any real knowledge of what they’re doing, aside from adding nice new programs to their computers, this simple reputation sensing tool won’t stop users from junking up their machines with shovelware freebie downloads, but it could well save them from malicious malware that specialises in menacing mostly non-cyber-savvy users – at that crucial moment right before they accidentally install said malware.
Although there are still yet other new features that you can read about in other reviews on or Symantec’s main website, another area that Symantec excels in, at least when it comes to its software, is graphical user interfaces.
I’ve seen what the competition has to offer, and for some reason, Symantec just has the superior user interface, something it has always had, even in the bad ol’ days of earlier Norton versions.
The competition all sport very functional interfaces too, some even looking as though they have been inspired a bit by Norton over the years, but just like the iPhone has a level of smooth that competitors have struggled to simply match, let alone improve on, so too does Norton Internet Security have a level of smooth that effectively leaves competitors choking on some very powdery silicon dust, facemasks at the ready.
Buy Norton Internet Security 2010 for only $53.99 (
11/07/2009
How to import / export settings in Kaspersky Internet Security 2010?
This How to articles Concerning Kaspersky Internet Security 2010.
Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 includes the option of importing and exporting settings. This is a helpful feature when, for example, you need reinstall the OS, save the program settings and usу them after the OS reinstall. You can export settings into a configuration file and import the saved settings back once both the OS and product have been reinstalled. You can also use this option if you want to load settings of Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 onto another computer.
In order to export the application settings into a file, perform the following:
In order to import the application settings from a file, perform the following:
Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 includes the option of importing and exporting settings. This is a helpful feature when, for example, you need reinstall the OS, save the program settings and usу them after the OS reinstall. You can export settings into a configuration file and import the saved settings back once both the OS and product have been reinstalled. You can also use this option if you want to load settings of Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 onto another computer.
In order to export the application settings into a file, perform the following:
- Open the main application window
- Click the Settings link in the right upper corner of the window
- Select Settings in the menu
- Click the Save button in the Application settings management section
- Enter the file name and select the folder where the file will be saved
- Click the Save button
- Click the OK button
- Close the main application window
In order to import the application settings from a file, perform the following:
- Open the main application window
- Click the Settings button in the right upper corner of the window
- Select Settings in the menu
- Click the Load button in the Application settings management section
- Select the folder where the configuration file is saved and select the file
- Click the Load button
- Click the OK button
- Minimize the main application window
11/04/2009
Setting Update Source of KIS 2010
Keeping Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 (KIS 2010) updated is a prerequisite for reliably protecting your computer. If you can’t update kaspersky sometimes, you will change the update source of your KIS 2010 by manually. In order to update your Update Source of KIS 2010 ( or Kaspersky Antivirus 2010). Perform the following steps:
Step 1. Run Kaspersky Internet Security 2010. If the application was not launched and in the right bottom corner there is no the K icon, then simply press Start -> All Programs -> Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 -> Kaspersky Internet Security 2010.
Step 2. You will see Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 main window. Click the “Settings” link in the right upper part of the window. Select the “My Update Center” section in the left part of the window. Click the “Settings” button in the “Update source” section. In the window “Update settings” click the “Add” link. Then type “http://dnl-01.geo.kaspersky.com” (dnl-01 can be instead of dnl-02, dnl-03… dnl-19) to the textbox of “Source”. Click the “OK” button in the window “Select update source”.
Step 3. Unselected the Kaspersky Lab’s update servers. Click the “OK” button in the windows.
Now you can update your Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 from the new update source. This Howto article is powered by Security Software & Internet Security 2010.
Step 1. Run Kaspersky Internet Security 2010. If the application was not launched and in the right bottom corner there is no the K icon, then simply press Start -> All Programs -> Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 -> Kaspersky Internet Security 2010.
Step 2. You will see Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 main window. Click the “Settings” link in the right upper part of the window. Select the “My Update Center” section in the left part of the window. Click the “Settings” button in the “Update source” section. In the window “Update settings” click the “Add” link. Then type “http://dnl-01.geo.kaspersky.com” (dnl-01 can be instead of dnl-02, dnl-03… dnl-19) to the textbox of “Source”. Click the “OK” button in the window “Select update source”.
Step 3. Unselected the Kaspersky Lab’s update servers. Click the “OK” button in the windows.
Now you can update your Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 from the new update source. This Howto article is powered by Security Software & Internet Security 2010.
10/26/2009
Run your applications with Kaspersky Internet Security Freely
Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 is a full-featured security suite. But sometimes, in order to test some softwares or solve the problem that some of our safe applications, such as some games, were blocked by Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 (KIS 2010), we can use the following method to prevent our applications being blocked!
1. Open KIS 2010, click the label "Setting". See picture 1
Picture 1
2. In the window "Settings", click "Threats and exclusions" on the left, then click the button "Settings" in the section of "Exclusions" and reach another window "Trusted zone". See picture 2
Picture 2
3. In the new openedwindow "Trusted zone", click the label "Trusted applications", then click the label "Add" and two labels "Browse" and "Apllications" appear for you to choose. See picture 3
Picture 3
4. Click the label "Browse" and find the application which we do NOT want to be disabled or blocked by KIS 2010. Then a new window "Exclusions for application" will be shown. See picture 4
Picture 4
5. Checked all the four options of "Exclusions" and click the button"OK". See picture 5
Picture 5
6. Click the button "OK" in all opened windows for the setting.
After that, our applications which have been allowed will not be blocked or disabled by KIS 2010.
Download Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 or other Internet Security 2010 Software Here: Security Software.
1. Open KIS 2010, click the label "Setting". See picture 1
Picture 1
2. In the window "Settings", click "Threats and exclusions" on the left, then click the button "Settings" in the section of "Exclusions" and reach another window "Trusted zone". See picture 2
Picture 2
3. In the new openedwindow "Trusted zone", click the label "Trusted applications", then click the label "Add" and two labels "Browse" and "Apllications" appear for you to choose. See picture 3
Picture 3
4. Click the label "Browse" and find the application which we do NOT want to be disabled or blocked by KIS 2010. Then a new window "Exclusions for application" will be shown. See picture 4
Picture 4
5. Checked all the four options of "Exclusions" and click the button"OK". See picture 5
Picture 5
6. Click the button "OK" in all opened windows for the setting.
After that, our applications which have been allowed will not be blocked or disabled by KIS 2010.
Download Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 or other Internet Security 2010 Software Here: Security Software.
10/15/2009
[Reviews] BitDefender - Total Security 2010 review
Buy BitDefender Total Security 2010 securely online at a bargain price $69.95
We've been impressed in the past by BitDefender and Total Security 2009 was one of the best alternatives to more established names in this market. The new version promises a similarly comprehensive set of features and had us wondering exactly what else the company can do to improve on its past success.
Installation is quick and easy and setup involves registering an account, selecting a default settings profile for the software (choose between ‘typical', ‘parent', ‘gamer' or ‘custom'), the nature of your home setup and a level of expertise from novice to expert. This configures the software nicely for first-time use and it's easy to change these modes later if necessary.
We liked the interface of the previous version, which managed to collect a wide range of tools together in an approachable and manageable way. There has been an aesthetic refresh here to make things a bit more colourful and streamlined but thankfully the general layout remains the same, splitting tools into a general ‘dashboard' overview, security, tune-up, file-storage and network.
Another useful feature that has been retained is the software's ability to track and report potential system issues, varying from out of date virus definitions to backup and tune-up recommendations, Windows update alerts and registry clean-up. Monitored areas can be configured manually and flagged issues can be corrected using the ‘Fix all' method or individually, as required.
The clever way of structuring the interface and alerts in the ‘basic' and ‘novice' modes is necessary to keep track of the wide range of utilities provided with Total Security. Aside from essential firewall, anti-virus, anti-malware and anti-phishing, additional security includes anti-spam, parental control, home network monitoring and system vulnerability checks. There's also a range of tune-up tools that include a defragmenter, disc and registry clean-up and a duplicate file finder. Files can be encrypted or permanently wiped, and local backups are complemented by 2GB of online storage.
For a more detailed look at how these features work, check out last year's review of the software, since not much has changed, but suffice to say that this comprehensive collection is up there with the best on the market. The package is easy to configure and use, with additional features accessible in the ‘advanced' mode using a more conventional layout. The aforementioned profiles are a useful new way to switch between different software configurations without having to manually change settings, and they improve usability further.
Aside from tweaks to the interface there aren't any major additions to the software or tool-set this year, with the majority of improvements focused around refreshing security to cope with new threats, speedier scans and improved intrusion detection. Parental controls are also far more detailed and now allow you to track activities and set specific time intervals at which children can access the web.
In terms of performance, BitDefender seems to have retained the impressive statistics from recent versions and still has a low impact on system resources. Scans are notably faster thanks to a new optimised approach, which skips files that are known to be safe, and while independent certification is pending from bodies such as West Coast Labs and VBA, we would expect these to go through without a hitch if last year's performance was anything to go by.
We're not too concerned with the lack of major additions to Total Security 2010, as there's not a lot that can be added to a security suite that was already so feature-packed. It's refreshing to see that BitDefender hasn't jacked up the price to reflect its ability to compete with similarly feature-packed rivals such as Norton 360, and at £44.95 (covering three PCs for one year) for the Total Security suite this is good value for money.
Those who aren't interested in tune-up, backup and the file shredder will alternatively be able to access the rest of the tools on offer with the ‘Internet Security' alternative, which costs £29.95. Finally, users of the 2009 version will be able to upgrade for free for the remainder of their existing subscription period (if relevant), which, along with the free 30-day trial, is an excellent way to test out the new version for a little while before upgrading.
BitDefender - Total Security 2010 features - Verdict
BitDefender sticks with a tried and trusted formula for its 2010 range and this is certainly no bad thing. The suite is as feature-packed as they come, is extremely approachable for new users and still offers the level of tweaking advanced users may prefer. Its system monitoring and notification tools work well, and low impact on performance and water-tight security offer plenty of peace of mind. The low price point rounds off this package and we'd still consider this to be one of the best alternatives to more expensive, more established suites such as Norton 360.
BitDefender - Total Security 2010 price
Buy BitDefender Total Security 2010 securely online at a bargain price $69.95
We've been impressed in the past by BitDefender and Total Security 2009 was one of the best alternatives to more established names in this market. The new version promises a similarly comprehensive set of features and had us wondering exactly what else the company can do to improve on its past success.
Installation is quick and easy and setup involves registering an account, selecting a default settings profile for the software (choose between ‘typical', ‘parent', ‘gamer' or ‘custom'), the nature of your home setup and a level of expertise from novice to expert. This configures the software nicely for first-time use and it's easy to change these modes later if necessary.
We liked the interface of the previous version, which managed to collect a wide range of tools together in an approachable and manageable way. There has been an aesthetic refresh here to make things a bit more colourful and streamlined but thankfully the general layout remains the same, splitting tools into a general ‘dashboard' overview, security, tune-up, file-storage and network.
Another useful feature that has been retained is the software's ability to track and report potential system issues, varying from out of date virus definitions to backup and tune-up recommendations, Windows update alerts and registry clean-up. Monitored areas can be configured manually and flagged issues can be corrected using the ‘Fix all' method or individually, as required.
The clever way of structuring the interface and alerts in the ‘basic' and ‘novice' modes is necessary to keep track of the wide range of utilities provided with Total Security. Aside from essential firewall, anti-virus, anti-malware and anti-phishing, additional security includes anti-spam, parental control, home network monitoring and system vulnerability checks. There's also a range of tune-up tools that include a defragmenter, disc and registry clean-up and a duplicate file finder. Files can be encrypted or permanently wiped, and local backups are complemented by 2GB of online storage.
For a more detailed look at how these features work, check out last year's review of the software, since not much has changed, but suffice to say that this comprehensive collection is up there with the best on the market. The package is easy to configure and use, with additional features accessible in the ‘advanced' mode using a more conventional layout. The aforementioned profiles are a useful new way to switch between different software configurations without having to manually change settings, and they improve usability further.
Aside from tweaks to the interface there aren't any major additions to the software or tool-set this year, with the majority of improvements focused around refreshing security to cope with new threats, speedier scans and improved intrusion detection. Parental controls are also far more detailed and now allow you to track activities and set specific time intervals at which children can access the web.
In terms of performance, BitDefender seems to have retained the impressive statistics from recent versions and still has a low impact on system resources. Scans are notably faster thanks to a new optimised approach, which skips files that are known to be safe, and while independent certification is pending from bodies such as West Coast Labs and VBA, we would expect these to go through without a hitch if last year's performance was anything to go by.
We're not too concerned with the lack of major additions to Total Security 2010, as there's not a lot that can be added to a security suite that was already so feature-packed. It's refreshing to see that BitDefender hasn't jacked up the price to reflect its ability to compete with similarly feature-packed rivals such as Norton 360, and at £44.95 (covering three PCs for one year) for the Total Security suite this is good value for money.
Those who aren't interested in tune-up, backup and the file shredder will alternatively be able to access the rest of the tools on offer with the ‘Internet Security' alternative, which costs £29.95. Finally, users of the 2009 version will be able to upgrade for free for the remainder of their existing subscription period (if relevant), which, along with the free 30-day trial, is an excellent way to test out the new version for a little while before upgrading.
BitDefender - Total Security 2010 features - Verdict
BitDefender sticks with a tried and trusted formula for its 2010 range and this is certainly no bad thing. The suite is as feature-packed as they come, is extremely approachable for new users and still offers the level of tweaking advanced users may prefer. Its system monitoring and notification tools work well, and low impact on performance and water-tight security offer plenty of peace of mind. The low price point rounds off this package and we'd still consider this to be one of the best alternatives to more expensive, more established suites such as Norton 360.
BitDefender - Total Security 2010 price
Buy BitDefender Total Security 2010 securely online at a bargain price $69.95
10/14/2009
[Reviews] Kaspersky - Internet Security 2010 review
Buy Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 securely online at a bargain price $59.95
To paraphrase a politician whose career isn't having its finest moments right now, Kaspersky's Internet Security 2010 is a serious application for serious times. Professionally presented from the off, it's a suite of utilities for battling the many nasties that attempt to infiltrate your computer. As such, the product includes anti-virus, firewall, spam, phishing and banner ad protection, along with defences against denial of service attacks.
There's clearly a lot going on under the bonnet here, and the software is perhaps understandably insistent on you removing any other security software that may conflict with it as part of its installation. Once you've done that, the installation itself is quite a speedy job, and after the usual downloading of updates and activation of the product (and we hate that the latter has become a feature you'd describe as ‘usual', but we sense we're on the losing side of the battle there), you're presented with the main Kaspersky control screen.
This is a tidy and professional piece of work, with large tabs down the left-hand side of the screen giving you access to the more advance features: but otherwise, you'll be fine just leaving the program to get on with its work.
The main front screen, complete with a radar-esque bar at the bottom (who said security programs couldn't do a bit of eye candy?), gives you clear access to the main tools you're likely to need, and as usual you can manually choose to scan your machine, for instance, or simply schedule things in and carry on regardless.
Either way, Kaspersky is excellent at its job. With a modest system footprint, it ingratiates itself into your day to day working, adding things like a link filter to your web browser and e-mail scanning to your mail client. And while you can customise what parts of the suite you want to use, we found it best to leave it to its work. For the duration of our test, it kept our machine running at its usual speed and deflected the malware and tests we threw in its direction.
There are some new features and tweaks, too. A sandbox mode provides a ‘safe' environment to run certain applications (a nice idea, well executed, but is it any surprise that Internet Explorer is the only tool in there when you load up for the first time?), and there are accommodations for gamers, too. And performance continues to evolve, making for a satisfying package.
If there's a downside, it's that it nags you a little too often for our liking, and for less experienced users, we suspect that's not what they want to see: a security package that can completely fly under the radar is presumably the goal there. However, you can't argue with Kaspersky where it counts, and its product is strong, secure, well presented and a solid barrier against the worries of the web world.
Kaspersky - Internet Security 2010 features - Verdict
A strong package, and one that continues to improve. Some nice new features, and an all-round professional job that covers most of what the majority of people are likely to worry about in terms of PC security.
Kaspersky - Internet Security 2010 price
Buy Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 securely online at a bargain price $59.95
From: itreviews.co.uk
To paraphrase a politician whose career isn't having its finest moments right now, Kaspersky's Internet Security 2010 is a serious application for serious times. Professionally presented from the off, it's a suite of utilities for battling the many nasties that attempt to infiltrate your computer. As such, the product includes anti-virus, firewall, spam, phishing and banner ad protection, along with defences against denial of service attacks.
There's clearly a lot going on under the bonnet here, and the software is perhaps understandably insistent on you removing any other security software that may conflict with it as part of its installation. Once you've done that, the installation itself is quite a speedy job, and after the usual downloading of updates and activation of the product (and we hate that the latter has become a feature you'd describe as ‘usual', but we sense we're on the losing side of the battle there), you're presented with the main Kaspersky control screen.
This is a tidy and professional piece of work, with large tabs down the left-hand side of the screen giving you access to the more advance features: but otherwise, you'll be fine just leaving the program to get on with its work.
The main front screen, complete with a radar-esque bar at the bottom (who said security programs couldn't do a bit of eye candy?), gives you clear access to the main tools you're likely to need, and as usual you can manually choose to scan your machine, for instance, or simply schedule things in and carry on regardless.
Either way, Kaspersky is excellent at its job. With a modest system footprint, it ingratiates itself into your day to day working, adding things like a link filter to your web browser and e-mail scanning to your mail client. And while you can customise what parts of the suite you want to use, we found it best to leave it to its work. For the duration of our test, it kept our machine running at its usual speed and deflected the malware and tests we threw in its direction.
There are some new features and tweaks, too. A sandbox mode provides a ‘safe' environment to run certain applications (a nice idea, well executed, but is it any surprise that Internet Explorer is the only tool in there when you load up for the first time?), and there are accommodations for gamers, too. And performance continues to evolve, making for a satisfying package.
If there's a downside, it's that it nags you a little too often for our liking, and for less experienced users, we suspect that's not what they want to see: a security package that can completely fly under the radar is presumably the goal there. However, you can't argue with Kaspersky where it counts, and its product is strong, secure, well presented and a solid barrier against the worries of the web world.
Kaspersky - Internet Security 2010 features - Verdict
A strong package, and one that continues to improve. Some nice new features, and an all-round professional job that covers most of what the majority of people are likely to worry about in terms of PC security.
Kaspersky - Internet Security 2010 price
Buy Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 securely online at a bargain price $59.95
From: itreviews.co.uk
9/29/2009
[Freeware] Security Essentials graduates to v1.0
Microsoft has released version 1.0 of Security Essentials, the successor to Live OneCare. Originally known as Morro, Security Essentials retains the core features of OneCare, but abandons the additional heft of a firewall, performance tuning, and backup and restore options in exchange for making the program free. Rather than taking aim at full-featured security suites made by Symantec or Eset, the features available in Security Essentials indicate that Microsoft is aiming to compete with basic-but-free security apps.
For the select 75,000 public beta testers who got their hands on the program when the limited public beta was offered in June, there will be few appreciable differences between the beta and the final version. For the rest of the planet, Security Essentials features key defenses that are boilerplate for any respectable security program.
Microsoft Security Essentials Features:
It uses both definition file and real-time defenses against viruses and spyware, and also offers rootkit protection. The program's reputation-based detection and software signature-based detection seem to rely heavily on Microsoft SpyNet, the unfortunately named cloud-based service that compares file behavior across computers running various Microsoft operating systems.
SpyNet was introduced in Windows Vista and extended to Windows 7, but Microsoft Security Essentials is the only way to access the network on Windows XP. Unlike other security vendors that allow customers to take advantage of the benefits of their behavioral detection engines while opting out of submitting information, there's no way to do that with SpyNet.
You can choose between two SpyNet memberships. Basic submits to Microsoft the detected software's origins, your response to it, and whether that action was successful, while the Advanced membership submits all that plus the location on your hard drive of the software in question, how it operates, and how it has impacted your computer. Both basic and advanced warn users that personal data might be "accidentally" sent to Microsoft, although they promise to neither identify nor contact you. Opting out of SpyNet, however, is not an option in Security Essentials.
Security Essentials benefits greatly from having a simple, streamlined interface. There are four tabs, each with a concise and understandable label: Home, Update, History, and Settings. The program also uses easy-to-grasp labels, imported from OneCare: green for all good, yellow for warning, and red for an at-risk situation.
From the Home window, you can run a Quick Scan, Full Scan, or Custom Scan, and a link at the bottom of the pane lets you change the scheduled scan. The Custom Scan lets users select specific folders or drives to scan, but it doesn't allow for customizing the type of scan used. For example, you're not going to be able to choose to scan only for rootkits or heuristics, as you can with other security programs. The program installs a context-menu option for on-the-fly scanning in Windows Explorer, too.
The Update pane manages the definition file updates, with a large action button, and History provides access to a spreadsheet-style list of All detection items, your Quarantine, and items you've Allowed to run. Although it's a basic layout, this no-frills approach to security could prove appealing to computer users who are overwhelmed by more detailed security choices.
The Settings window allows users to further customize the program by scheduling scans, toggling default actions to take against threats, adjusting real-time protection settings, creating whitelists of excluded files, file types, and processes, and the aforementioned SpyNet options. There's also an Advanced option which is still fairly basic: here you can set Security Essentials to scan archives, removable drives, create a system restore point, or allow all users to view the History tab.
Security Essentials comes pre-configured to run a scan weekly at two in the morning, when your Microsoft thinks your system is likely to be idle. New malware signatures are downloaded once per day by default, although you can manually instigate a definition file update through the update tab. Attachments and downloaded files will be automatically scanned by Security Essentials.
Help is only available in the form of the standard offline Help manual that comes with all Microsoft programs. There's nothing fancy here.
Microsoft Security Essentials Performance:
I found that it installed in less than one minute, and completed its first Quick Scan in less than 30 seconds. The Full Scan took more than an hour to reach the halfway point, and this was borne out by tests performed by CNET Labs' benchmarks. Microsoft Security Essentials actually sped up the boot time of our test computer by more than two seconds, and it sped up the shut-down time by more than two and a half seconds. However, compared to major security vendors it was significantly slower at scanning--Security Essentials took 2,340 seconds to scan, whereas most scans would clock in between 1,000 and 1,100 seconds.
In our iTunes decoding test it scored similarly to its competition, about 7 seconds slower than an unsecured computer. In our MS Office test and media multitasking tests it was faster than some--503 seconds versus 552 seconds for Norton AntiVirus 2010 in the Office test, and 844 seconds versus 876 seconds for Trend Micro Internet Security Pro 2010 in the media test.
While running the Full Scan, I noticed that it took up about 86 MB of RAM. However, it felt far lighter, and I was able to perform resource-intensive tasks like uploading photos without any noticeable freezes.
Third-party virus detection efficacy scores were not available at the time of writing, and it's not currently clear whether Security Essentials shares the same detection engine as Live OneCare. However, CNET reporter Ina Fried mentioned that Security Essentials stopped her from accidentally coming down with a case of Koobface.
Conclusion
Microsoft Security Essentials is a lightweight security app that people might turn to for a number of key reasons. It's easy on the system resources, it's easy to figure out how to use, and it comes pre-configured. It only works on legally licensed Microsoft computers, which is understandable but potentially leaves a large segment of the unprotected population still unprotected. You can't opt out of contributing to SpyNet, which isn't understandable at all. Overall, it's recommended for those who want something to set and ignore, but users who want more robust configuration choices or don't want to contribute to the cloud should look elsewhere.
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