Trend Micro Internet Security 2009

Trend Micro Internet Security 2009 gets the basics right in this latest installment. You get all the expected features like antivirus, antispyware, antispam, antiphishing, two-way firewall, identity theft protection, and parental controls. While on the surface level, Trend Micro Internet Security 2009 is a standard total protection suite, but dig a little deeper and this software still leaves much to be desired.

For one thing, independent tests range wildly when it comes to actually protecting your PC. Trend Micro Internet Security 2009 either scores average, or well below average depending on the test. For the most part, this simple program fails to protect your computer even against standard virus and malware threats.

Editor's Overview

• Average antivirus
• Poor antispyware
• Faulty firewall
• Average parental controls
• Average identity theft protection

On the Plus Side of Trend Micro Internet Security 2009

Trend Micro still has the right idea when it comes to user interface. They still maintain a clean, easy to understand, and easy to navigate interface. The features that you want to control are clearly labeled on the left, then expand into the right panel when clicked.

This antivirus and total protection software is easy to install and does a fair job when it comes to cleaning up your system when you first install it. But that's pretty much where the plus side ends for Trend Micro Internet Security 2009.

Internet Security Features

• Antivirus protection
• Antispyware protection
• Two-way personal firewall
• Fraud defense
• Home network control
• Household license (3 PCs)
• Parental controls

Where Does Trend Micro Internet Security 2009 Go Wrong?

Independent testing showed Trend Micro Internet Security 2009 to fall well behind when it came to detecting incoming threats. In fact, on average, this software only caught about 70% of the threats: far too low for a modern Internet security application.

Trend Micro Internet Security 2009 also proved to be a bit outdated with its heuristic scanning: using an outdated signature file in attempts to thwart incoming virus and trogan attacks.

When it does manage to identify viruses or malware, Trend Micro Internet Security 2009 doesn't give you any pop-up warnings by default. The idea is that the software will “take care of the danger for you” but we believe they should let you decide what's dangerous and what's not. You are able to set these warnings to display, but Trend Micro should have done this by default.

The parental controls and identity theft protection are average with the usual functions you'd expect. Nothing to write home about. There are much better parental control and identity theft protection applications out on the market today.


Support

FAQ pages and knowledgebase options are available. Some “how to” videos and PDF manuals also available. Phone support only for paid customers. Email can take up to 48 hours to respond.


Conclusion

Trend Micro Internet Security 2009 is a simple and easy to use Internet security suite with an intuitive interface and easy to install package. However, the basic functions of antivirus and firewall protection are still lacking this year. With independent test scores showing average or below average, we can't recommend Trend Micro Internet Security 2009 as a real security option.


System Requirements

Operating Systems

• Windows XP or Vista

CPU

• Windows Vista Ultimate Intel Pentium 800MHz (1GHz recommended)
• Windows XP Intel Pentium 350MHz

Memory, Disk Space, and Monitor

• 256MB RAM for Windows XP (512MB recommended)
• 512MB RAM for Windows Vista (1GB recommended)
• 300MB HD required available for installation

Email Software & Web-based Mail Services (for mail scans)

• Microsoft Outlook Express 6.0 with Service Pack 2 (SP2)
• Microsoft Outlook 2000, 2002, 2003 or 2007
• Mozilla Thunderbird 1.8 or 2.0
• Windows Mail (for Microsoft Windows Vista)
• Yahoo! Mail
• MSN Hotmail / Windows Live Mail
• AOL Mail

Instant Messaging Software (for Real-time Protection and Data Theft Prevention)

• AOL Instant Messenger 5.9
• ICQ 5.1 or ICQ Lite
• MSN Messenger 7.5 (for Microsoft Windows XP only)
• Windows Live Messenger 8.0
• Yahoo! Messenger 8.0

$44.95