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Antivirus

Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware is a stripped-down security option, offering only the most basic of protection. That's not a bad thing, but except for the Smart Protection Network, which leverages anonymous data from customers to block malicious threats that are manifesting on users' computers, we're not sure how this differs from its freeware competitors.
There is strong customer service, of course, and the user account-style lockdown to prevent unauthorized changes to programs. However, the program lacks consistent performance, and a lack of recent independent testing numbers on Trend Micro has made it equally hard to determine how effective it is. Unless you're a die-hard fan of Trend Micro, we'd advise staying away from the bare-bones AntiVirus and AntiSpyware version this year.

Publisher's description

Antivirus, Security Software

Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware is a stripped-down security option, offering only the most basic of protection. That’s not a bad thing, but except for the Smart Protection Network, which leverages anonymous data from customers to block malicious threats that are manifesting on users’ computers, we’re not sure how this differs from its freeware competitors.
There is strong customer service, of course, and the user account-style lockdown to prevent unauthorized changes to programs. However, the program lacks consistent performance, and a lack of recent independent testing numbers on Trend Micro has made it equally hard to determine how effective it is. Unless you’re a die-hard fan of Trend Micro, we’d advise staying away from the bare-bones AntiVirus and AntiSpyware version this year.

Publisher’s description

Antivirus, Security Software

AVG Free provides the bare necessities when it comes to security, but that should be enough for savvy Windows users. You’ll get a combined antivirus and antimalware engine, LinkScanner, and e-mail scanning. AVG Free 9 introduces a few new features, with improvements focused on performance, including claims of faster scan and boot times. One new feature is the Identity Theft Recovery Unit. Only for users in the United States, ITRU is a business partnership with Identity Guard which provides “consumer identity theft solutions,” accessible only from the AVG toolbar in Firefox and Internet Explorer.
The interface is nearly unchanged from the last version, and generally it’s easy to use. From the main window, though, you must double-click to get further information on any feature, whether virus scanning, LinkScanner settings, or updating. Streamlining this to one click would be helpful. A scheduling utility automates both scans and updates, while the upgrade ad at the screen’s bottom can be easily hidden using the Hide Notification button. When starting a scan, a slider makes it easy to jump between Slow, Automatic, and Fast scans: the faster the scan, the less comprehensive it is, so users should take advantage of the scan optimization that is recommended during installation to speed up that first scan. A progress meter for regular scans would’ve been useful, though. Should a virus create serious problems, AVG creates a rescue disk to scan your computer in MS-DOS mode.
The LinkScanner feature protects you from third-party code exploits before they load in your browser and for ranking search results. Annoyingly, when you install its optional toolbar, it commandeers your new-tab page, decidedly inappropriate behavior. The program doesn’t obviously tax your system when scanning or when running in the background, although CNET Labs determined that it will significantly slow down your system’s boot time, and slightly delay shutting down. AVG also detected some image files as threats, when two other scans decided they weren’t–we decided these were false positives. AVG might not be the fastest or the most effective free security option, but it still gets the job done and you’re better off with it.

Publisher’s description

Antivirus, Security Software

The successor to Microsoft Live OneCare, Security Essentials (full review here) takes a different approach to securing your computer. The program is free with core security features intact, but abandons the additional heft of a firewall, performance tuning, and backup and restore options. Under a clean and uncluttered interface, Security Essentials wraps antivirus and antispyware engines, rootkit protection, and real-time detection courtesy of Microsoft SpyNet, the unfortunately named cloud-based service that compares file behavior across computers.
There are four tabs, each with a concise, understandable label: Home, Update, History, and Settings. From Home 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. In the Settings window you can schedule scans, toggle default actions, adjust real-time protection settings, and create whitelists. An Advanced option here is still fairly basic, allowing you to set Security Essentials to scan archives, removable drives, create a system restore point, or allow all users to view the History tab. Security Essentials uses labels imported from OneCare: green for all good, yellow for warning, and red for an at-risk situation.
Independent test numbers for Security Essentials weren’t available at the time of writing, although OneCare scored high detection rates. On a real-world machine, the Quick Scan completed in less than 30 seconds. Benchmarking tests from CNET Labs reveal that Security Essentials actually makes starting up and shutting down faster, but the Full Scan is much slower than many competitors. RAM usage was not insignificant, with 85 to 90MB used during a full scan, but it felt lighter. Security Essentials is basically a good set-it-and-forget-it security program, but if you want more options, you should look elsewhere.

Publisher’s description

Encryption, Security Software

Encrypting and decrypting important files is a cinch thanks to this program’s easy-to-navigate user interface. Users of all skill levels will appreciate its solid performance. However, you’ll need to obtain a trial key to extend the trial period from a short 10 days to the standard 30.
Ashampoo Magical Security’s user interface is extremely basic, but functional. A tree-menu on the left side of the window displays your files and folders for easy browsing. Command buttons at the top of the window offer different means of encrypting and decrypting files. You can encrypt files as self-decrypting EXE files, and choose to encrypt them to CD/DVDs. The program even manages to throw in a few files compression options. It doesn’t offer drag-and-drop functionality, but using the tree-menu, we were able to quickly browse and find files. Encrypting the files does delete the original. You can decrypt the file from the user interface or by clicking in the encrypted file and entering your password. The Wipe feature permanently removed all traces of selected files.
Despite what the publisher’s description says, the program comes with a 10-day trial, but a free trial key extends the life of the trial period to 30 days. A Help file is available, but with such well-designed user interface, you shouldn’t need it. We highly recommend Ashampoo Magical Security to take care of your encryption needs.
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