CA Internet Security Suite Plus 2008

(Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista)*

CA has made a few improvements since last year's offering for total PC security. However, CA Internet Security Suite Plus 2008 feels like it's been patched together from other applications in order to build a sort of Frankenstein of PC Internet Security. Don't get me wrong, there's still plenty to like about CA Internet Security Suite Plus 2008, but not enough to get high marks from us.

For instance, when it comes to the basics, like antivirus and antispyware, CA Internet Security Suite Plus 2008 scored very high on being able to detect and remove all forms of malware. On the negative side, the firewall needs improvement, the antispam has good intentions, but doen't cut it, and the anti-phishing feature is virtually worthless.

$69.99

Editor's Overview

Great antispyware
Good antivirus
Average firewall
Poor spam filter
Poor parental controls
Poor antiphishing
Pushes third-party software

Third-Party Installs and PC Protection

One thing we really didn't appreciate during install was CA's efforts to install the Yahoo! toolbar. This would effectively take over your PC search function as well as make your browser a bit top-heavy. The Yahoo! toolbar has not bearing on CA Internet Security Suite Plus 2008's performance. It's obvious CA is simply trying to make more money by partering with Yahoo! We didn't appreciate that effort.

The software installs relatively easily with few hangups. However, once the system begins a scan, it has two stages that don't always work hand-in-hand: antivirus scan and antispyware scan. This is part of the "patched together" feel of the software. Along with the leaky firewall, CA has pieced together a product that works ok, but could be much better had each feature been seamlessly integrated with each other.

When it comes to real-time scanning and protection, CA Internet Security Suite Plus 2008 actually does a decent job. Both the anti-virus and anti-spyware scan both protected the system from incoming attacks with relative ease. However, during testing, a few malware did slip through. This is because of the pieced together formate of the antivirus and antispyware that don't always work seamlessly together. A single scan and removal would've been much better.

Internet Security Features

Supports up to 3 PCs
Anti-Virus
Anti-Spyware
Personal Firewall
Anti-Spam
Anti-Phishing
Parental Controls
Data Backup and Transfer

Now for Some Bad News

On one hand, the antispam feature is really tough in that it won't let ANY email come through that isn't on your whitelist. On the other hand, you have to sift through lots of quarantined spam that CA has filtered out. This can become very annoying after months of building spam.

The anti-phishing tool bar is supposed to gather bits of information about the site you're viewing, then give it a "valid" or "non-valid" status to ensure safety. The problem, however, is that the toolbar was gray on most sites that were obviously safe. In other words, it can't make up its mind well enough to be effective.

Parental controls are easily overruled by simply changing the system time clock to allow more time on the Internet. Most kids can figure this one out very easily.

Support

The tech support is virtually non-existent. CA is a big security company, so you'd think they would have a substantial customer support system in place. Unfortunately they don't. The on-board help documentation is light on details, and there is no owners manual to help either. If you want to contact CA for tech support, good luck. There is no online chat nor any support forums to browse. On top of that, they charge $19.95 per incident if you want to talk to a live person. Not exactly "service" in our book.

Conclusion

While CA Internet Security Suite Plus 2008's antivirus and antispyware remain strong components, we can't recommend CA Internet Security Suite Plus 2008 this year because of its average firewall, poor antispam, and terrible anti-phishing.

Try Kaspersky Internet Security 7.0 or BitDefender Total Security 2008 or even Norton Internet Security 2008 for better total PC protection.

*System Requirements

Note: Product does not currently support the following operating systems: Windows XP 64, Windows Vista 64, Windows 98/Me

Windows 2000 (SP4+), Windows XP (SP1+), or Windows Vista
256 MB RAM (512 MB for Windows Vista)
300 MHz or higher processor (800 MHz for Windows Vista)
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher (7.0 for Windows Vista)
150 MB hard disk space
CD-ROM drive
Internet access
Download Size: 91.2 MB

For Anti-Spam:

Microsoft Outlook 2000 or higher, Microsoft Outlook Express 5.5 or higher, or Windows Mail
One or more POP3 or MAPI email accounts

Also supports data migration from Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, and Windows NT 4.0

$69.99