Guest Author - Debbie Jacobsen

With my subscriptions to McAfee Antivirus, Spyware Doctor and Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall about to run out, I started looking for the best Internet Security Suite several months ago. As most of the big names in computer security suites have “try before you buy” downloads available, I installed and tested several suites in my efforts to find the perfect one for me.

Up until recently, it was impossible to find an all-inclusive “suite” of computer security software that would offer the kind of protection I demand. Nowadays however, internet security software developers know a lot more about each type of security threat and have gotten pretty good at creating products that protect against viruses, spyware and intruders.

Call me paranoid, but I spend a lot of time on the internet and hear all the horror stories about identity theft, system corruption and data loss that occur as a result of inadequate protection against viruses, spyware and hackers. I chose to build my own package of internet security products based on the “best of class” in each category of protection at the time. Although this gave me super-tight security, mixing brands of software resulted in a lot of incompatibility issues that I had to work out. Mixing brands also meant that I had to maintain three separate subscriptions.

With three home computers to protect, I wanted a security product that would allow me to purchase a multi-computer license. I also wanted an internet security suite that would allow me to purchase a multi-year license. Time flies by so quickly that it seems I’m always due to renew something, and I’m tired of it!

Computer security suites are “bundled” protection that includes antivirus and anti-spyware software, as well as a software firewall to keep intruders out. They often include extra software like anti-spam and parental control filters.

Since it’s important to allow enough time to get the “feel” for security software and give it a chance to impress me, it took me several months for me to decide on purchasing BitDefender Internet Security version 10.

I tried Kaspersky Internet Security, Panda Internet Security and F-Secure Internet Security, because they all have a “free trial license” that gives you ample time to determine if you like the product. I was most concerned about spyware prevention, as this is the fastest growing internet security threat. Although I felt safe and protected with Spyware Doctor, I often got annoyed with it because it caused my computer to perform slower than it should. Panda, FSecure, BitDefender and Kaspersky all seemed to do a good job of protecting me from the evils of the internet, but Bit Defender won my heart because it didn’t slow my computer down. Kaspersky came in second.

BitDefender Internet Security is easy to install and configure. I firmly believe that anyone (even those with limited computer abilities) can use BitDefender. The setup wizard is easy to follow and the interface is easy to understand. As like all internet security suites, Bit Defender “learns” what to block and what to allow based on your actions and responses to questions. The most important thing for me is that BitDefender does not slow me down. Bit Defender works in the background (keeping me safe) while I do whatever I need to do at the speed that I want to do it.

Bit Defender Internet Security includes a great Antivirus product, anti-spyware, a personal firewall, a spam filter and parental control software that prevents access to unscrupulous websites. As I do not have children to protect, I chose a “custom install” and did not install the parental controls. Bit Defender Internet Security version 10 also offers “stealth mode” on the software firewall, which essentially makes your computer invisible to outsiders. This is the reason I chose Bit Defender Internet Security over Bit Defender Professional Plus, which includes antivirus, anti-spyware, anti-spam and a personal firewall. Internet Security has the additional benefit of Stealth Mode as well as Parental Controls.

I was most impressed with Bit Defender this morning, when I wanted to uninstall BitDefender Internet Security from my old laptop and install it on my new machine. I could not install a new copy with my existing license key, so I used the “live support” feature on bitdefender.com and explained my situation. This feature is available 24X7. The online rep told me she would email me a new product key within 15 minutes, and also a link to deregister my old key. Within a few minutes I had all the information I needed and was able to successfully transfer my BitDefender Internet Security license to a different computer!

I’m pleased with my decision to use Bit Defender Internet Security. It runs well on my computers and gives me great protection against all computer security threats. As an added bonus, BitDefender provides me with top notch support whenever I need it!

Bit Defender Internet Security Suite