One of the more popular questions we get asked is what is the best internet security suites we recommend to our readers for 2013.
Despite what many people say, it is vital to have good internet security software installed at all times, since we can all get caught out from time to time.
Of course you need to make the decision as to what company to use, and whether to venture down the premium or free avenues. Generally we recommend free software for more advanced users and a premium suite for intermediate or beginners looking for more thorough protection with support if needed.
We take a look at some of our favourite solutions, including our editor’s choice security software for 2013.
Trend Micro are a Japanese software company that have been operating since 1988 and over the last few years have been producing some of the leading security software programs available on the market. Their 2012 security program had one of the best detection rates last year and their 2013 builds on that success by adding increased social networking protection – (all links on sites like Facebook and Twitter are pre-emptively scanned for dubious destinations) and a great “Check My Privacy” feature that allows users to see how much they’re sharing on Facebook, which is a handy little feature given the privacy concerns attached to Facebook’s 2013 addition of Graph Search.
Trend Micro also allows users to create a bootable rescue disc in case they are prevented from accessing their operating system. Other more standard features includes a family/parental control interface that blocks unfavourable websites and can restrict surfing times, and a secure file-delete feature for those files you can’t risk being recovered.
Trend Micro Titanium is lightweight and loads/operates quickly, and this is partially due to their exclusion of a firewall component that you’d usually expect in a full security suite. This means those using Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security will have to rely on the inbuilt and generally reliable Windows Firewall or install a third party firewall.
Sorry for those Linux or Mac users, this is Windows only. Supports Windows 8.
Free antivirus is often the preferred choice for more advanced Internet users who may feel they do not require full protection. Free antivirus can often have similar, if not identical, malware detection rates when compared to their paid-for counterparts, but will be lacking on those extra features. It all depends on how comfortable you are on the Internet. Advanced users will feel full solutions are redundant, whilst beginners may need those extra features.
Last year we leaned towards the free version of AVG 2012, but this year Avast has pipped the free antivirus top spot. An intuitive interface, fast performance, great detection rates and plenty of options for a custom level of protection make Avast a free, easy, all-round solution for those not looking to pay for security software.
Of course since it is free it does advertise the premium version of Avast and the antivirus is the only component on offer here, meaning it may be a little too lightweight for those looking for more hands on protection.
You can get the latest version of Avast here.
Bitdefender Total Security 2013 is our editor’s choice recommended security suite for 2013. BitDefender have one of the best reputations within the security software industry with award winning security programs and Total Security 2013 builds on their excellent reputation with one – if not THE – best full security solutions available on the web.
Bitdefender’s antivirus component is one of the best available with near perfect detection rates and the inbuilt firewall acts as one would expect and allows users to create custom rules for different programs.
However what really makes BitDefender outstanding is those extra features that you don’t get with free or cheap alternatives. For example BitDefender includes a vulnerability scanner that checks for missing updates or even weak account passwords. It also comes included with extra protection from identity fraud by providing extra protection for online bankers and PayPal users.
BitDefender also includes social media and search result scanning that pre-emptively scans, for example, Facebook and Google links to see if they lead you anywhere dangerous – ideal for Facebook users given the amount of scams and spam that circulate on the site. BitDefender will also block known phishing websites that try and steal your Facebook credentials. Anti-spam features, parental controls and identity theft protection are other features that come included as standard.
And best of all BitDefender Total Security has a handy autopilot mode so you can just leave it running in the background making all the best choices! Runs on all recent editions of Windows including Windows 8.
BitDefender is our editor’s choice Internet security suite 2013 and is the software we run on our own machines.
We always get complaints from readers that tell us we’re unfairly overlooking Mac computers. Mac computers are, generally speaking, less prone to infections that Windows based computers. But this is something changing fast. More infections aimed at spreading across the Macintosh operating systems are being discovered every day meaning having security software installed is becoming more and more important.
And BitDefender Antivirus for Macs is one of the best Macintosh solutions out there. BitDefender is renowned for its superior virus detection rates that is also reflected in its Windows based products such as Total Security 2012/13. Not only does it have great, real time protection for all the latest Mac and Windows based threats – such as viruses, adware spam, spyware, trojans and other types of malware – it also allows you to perform scheduled system scans and blocks potentially hazardous websites that try and steal your banking information.
This is only an antivirus program, not a full security solution so other features such as parental controls, anti-spam, firewall and other security features will not be included.
