2012 Antivirus Software Ratings

McAfee Internet Security 2012

McAfee has coasted on their big name for too many years and it's been showing for the last few versions.

While McAfee used to be one of the trusted names in antivirus software and Internet security suites, they've simply let things slip again.

They still have a few things going for them, like solid real-time protection, but their virus scanning and removal proved to be far below standard in several independent tests.

In conjunction with this, McAfee has become the new bloated Internet security suite on the block this year. McAfee Internet Security 2012 has more system processes running at one time than any other Internet security suite we've seen.

Especially when McAfee is checking for updates, the system nearly comes to a halt. This is also true when McAfee is scanning for real-time threats coming through your browser.

McAfee Internet Security uses massive amounts of CPU and memory just to perform the scan -- making normal computer usage nearly impossible while it figures out if a program is friend or foe.

McAfee's technical support is adequate, but you'll have to pay for any real assistance.

The online backup included is a nice feature, as are file shredder and PC tune-up features.

But none of these are enough to save McAfee Internet Security 2012. Despite the very high scores in real-time protection, McAfee's poor virus scanning and system resource usage are too much for us to recommend.

	Next: Virus & Spyware Protection

McAfee Internet Security 2012 Features

• Real-time Antivirus
  
  Protects your computer in real-time against viruses, spyware, and other malware 24/7.
• Two-way Firewall
  
  Monitors incoming and outgoing traffic from your PC. Helps stop trojans and other virus attacks before they reach your system.
• Antiphishing
  
  Identifies and blocks sites that want to steal your personal information. Helps prevent identity theft.
• Search Protection
  
  Identifies potentially dangerous sites right in your search results.
• File Shredder
  
  Permanently deletes sensitive files from your PC.
• PC Tune-up
  
  Cleans up and tunes your computer performance.
• USB Scan
  
  Scans your USB devices for viruses and other infections.
• Anti-spam
  
  Helps keep junk email out of your inbox.
• Parental Control
  
  Helps keep children safe online by monitoring and blocking inappropriate sites and applications.
• Backup
  
  Lets you backup your files and photos to an online server for safe storage.
• Social Network Protection
  
  Scans links on your Facebook and Twitter pages for viruses or phishing links.