Cybersecurity is a big topic with a plethora of software guarding everything from your Android smartphone to the industrial control systems in the factory that made it.
Yet most people at home the key concern is Internet security. The basic package from years ago has now been augmented with protections for email, web browsing and a host of other basic computing functions. As such if you have not updated your software recently, it might be time to take another look.
1. Bitdefender Internet Security
This software from Bitdefender comes highly recommended by security experts, featuring an excellent level of antivirus protection, according to AV-Test, a security lab. In addition to detecting viruses the tool also defends against phishing attacks, threats on social networks and viruses coming in from remote drives.
In addition to the above, Bitdefender have thrown in cloud antispam measures and parental controls. Where the package falls down is on the firewall side, which has not been rewarded quite as glowing a reception by security analysts as the rest of the suite.
2. Kaspersky Internet Security 2015
Life has been good to Kaspersky in recent months, the company having uncovered a major hacking campaign that allowed a gang to bag hundreds of millions of dollars from banks and cash points. The firm’s Internet Security is not bad either, performing exceptionally well in AV-Test’s malware testing by blocking all of the threats.
The package is also noted for its light weight, not threatening to slow down PC’s to a glacial pace and make them just as unusable as if they had actually been infected. It also includes banking security, identity protection and a series of parental controls.
3. Norton Internet Security with Backup
Norton’s Internet Security package rolls a number of products into one suite, protecting not just the PC and Mac, but your smartphone as well, which is a departure from the other packages on this list.
As a means of deflecting viruses the software scores strongly, ranking alongside Kaspersky and Bitdefender’s offerings. It also comes with a range of identity protection mechanisms, a two way firewall and email spam blocking – covering multiple points of infection.
4. McAfee Internet Security
John McAfee’s old firm is still churning out respectable Internet security products long after his departure, with this edition scoring very highly on AV-Test’s assessments, especially against "zero day" malware that is unfamiliar to the antivirus tool.
Users will also be grateful for the parental controls, as well as other privacy tools and protection for Wi-Fi networks. Those worried about slowdown can also use the software to delete files clogging up the hard drive, in a neat bonus feature.
5. Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security
Trend Micro’s offering is another antivirus product that found plaudits after it tested well with AV-Test, receiving an award from the cybersecurity assessors for its particularly good performance in stopping malware entering a system.
Like many of its rivals, the package also includes guards against identity theft, an addon for web browsers that stops you from accessing malicious websites, and parental controls to help protect the kids, making it one of the most comprehensive suites of its kind on the market.
