AVG Internet Security 2010

At a Glance:  AVG Internet Security 2010 (version 9) is a solid product with an easy to use interface. It covers all the bases with anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-rootkit, anti-spam, anti-phishing, firewall, and a link scanner. Whew...that's a lot of antis!

The Triple "E" Keys

The following table summarizes the effectiveness of AVG Internet Security 2010 based on certain tests by large independent testing labs. For more information on the scoring system, visit the Triple E Key Awards page.

Install/Remove:  Installing AVG Internet Security 2010 is painless. The installer does a couple of setup tasks, tests your Internet connection, and then downloads the needed files. There was a period of about a minute or so where nothing appeared onscreen and I wondered what was happening. No need to worry though, AVG is just getting things ready for the next step--be patient.

Then comes the user agreement and installation of files. This can take some time depending on the your system. On mine it took 16 minutes but it will vary. After installation it will offer to run a scan optimization and/or a new scan. The optimization scans for, and remembers trusted files. This makes future scans much faster.

Removing AVG Internet Security 2010 is simple. There are a few questions along the way but nothing difficult. Removing took 3 minutes 25 seconds. After installation, you'll be directed to a survey about your experience using AVG Internet Security 2010.

Setup/Use:  Setup is a snap since everything is turned on by default. Once running, the only interruptions are messages telling you there is a firewall rule change or some threat has been found. They are not very bothersome since they pop up in the lower right-hand corner of your screen.

The usual features of setting custom scans, scheduled scans, updates, and so on are easy to find and use. AVG takes the approach of displaying an icon for every feature so on the main screen you can double click on each icon for more details about that particular function. AVG does scan for rootkits which is a positive although there's no guarantee that all rootkits will be found. This is true of all security software though.

Help:  Help is plentiful. It includes a local help file, online help, technical chat. There are also various other resources such as a virus encyclopedia, specific virus removal tools, and other goodies.

The usual paid technical support via phone or chat is also available. "Virus & Spyware Removal" costs $129.99

Performance:  The main performance test is reflected in the chart above. However there are a couple of notable tests that I do as well. First, I run a scan on a selected number of files. You can compare that time to other suites for a rough idea of performance load. AVG took 10 minutes, 16 seconds.

Secondly, I determine if the product finds a test virus file that is double zipped on the desktop. AVG found this file and deleted it with no trouble. Some suites don't find this file double zipped so this is good.

Value:  At $68.99 for three computers, AVG Internet Security 2010 is on the high end. However, it's a favorite among users so it might be worth the price to you if you like the other features.

Bottom Line:  AVG Internet Security 2010 is a solid package that covers all the bases. For some users, it's just right. While it didn't score in the top three in my reviews, I'd still recommend it. AVG also has one of the best free antivirus only products available. You could try that out but I'm a believer in an entire suite. You just shouldn't take chances in today's malware-ridden Internet