Internet Security Software

Internet Security Software is a product suite with a number of individual components designed to provide a wide array of protective coverage for your computer and other features that the company selling it thinks will make your computing life easier.

Typical components of an Internet Security Software Suite are:

• Antivirus
• Anitspyware
• Antispam
• Antiphishing
• Identity Theft Protection
• Two-way firewall (as compared to Windows XP's one-way firewall)
• Parental Control

Individual suites may have fewer or more features, but the above listed are common.

Many times one particular suite will really shine in one area and be less attractive in others. The term "Best of Breed" is always thrown around, but in my mind, best is a relative term. Some of these components in an otherwise quality suite may actually suck - if you'll pardon the expression.

My favorite suite as of this writing (Spring 2008) is ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite (Save $20 using this link) from Zone Labs, Inc.

I have been pretty happy in the past with Trend Micro PC-Cillin. Unfortunately, the 2008 version didn't want to allow the existence of the Fortinet VPN software that we use, so I switched to ZoneAlarm.

Both of the suites are very good, neither perfect (none is), definitely superior to Norton in my opinion. Novice PC Users seem to have a bit better success with the ZoneAlarm product simply because its "learning" mode seems a bit better.

You probably won't go wrong with either product.