G Data Internet Security 2010

At a Glance:  G Data Internet Security 2010 is a rock solid product that delivers advanced protection at an unbeatable price.

The Triple "E" Keys

The following table summarizes the effectiveness of G Data Internet Security 2010 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:   The installer includes all the needed files so it doesn't do an immediate download like some others do. Once started, the wizard asks the usual questions about the user agreement and anonymous usage data being transmitted to G Data. Then there's the install location and desired components to decide on followed by a couple of scanning options. That's all there is to it--nice and simple, just the way I like it.

There was a significant delay during the installation from this point on but the status screen is there to indicate that something is happening. The time to install was 15 minutes 12 seconds and required a restart.

After the restart, G Data Internet Security 2010 presents you with a registration form for the purpose of connecting to the update server. This was a bit odd to me. Since I am in the business of security, I normally wouldn't fill out a form that just pops up on my screen like that. It seemed out of place and that is a security flag in itself. However, I was sure that it was sincerely part of the G Data program so I filled in my name and email and sent it off.

It then told me that I had successfully registered and that updates were available. The updates took another 3 minutes 44 seconds to download and install and required a second restart of Windows. So, installing was a bit more work for G Data but in the end it was OK. At least I knew that everything was up to date. Though a bit more time consuming, novices shouldn't have any problems installing this product.

Removing G Data Internet Security 2010 was a snap but taking five minutes to accomplish.

Setup/Use:  As soon as I had restarted a second time I was presented with a firewall rule decision much like a couple of the other suites had done. I'm starting to notice a trend now--Dropbox (a file synchronization utility) is a problem child for these firewalls. Now, it's very simple to just click "Allow this program" or something similar since I know that Dropbox is a safe program but it's interesting to me that several of the suites needed to ask about that specific program and only that program. All of the other installed programs had rules applied automatically but Dropbox has triggered the firewall alert on several packages now. Hmmm.

G Data Internet Security 2010 has a very nice user interface. I especially liked the CPU Load graphs right on the main screen that move in real time. I could see that G Data used very little of the system's resources. Norton Internet Security 2010 has this feature too but it's in another window. Either way, it's a nice touch.

The rest of the screen displays the status of various security components. If you don't go past this screen, you shouldn't have any problems. If you click on the "Options" link on any of the components you'll get a page that has more advanced setup stuff. Fortunately, G Data and nearly all the other suites, have a default setup that covers all the bases. So, if you're not interested in all that other mumbo jumbo, you can use the program just the way you installed it.

G Data installs an anti-phishing toolbar to your browser during setup. Every time this happens during an installation it annoys me. I suppose when I chose to include the anti-phishing protection option during setup, I was signing up for the toolbar. But I still would prefer to make that decision once the program is up and running. Toolbars like these can affect browsing speed and performance.

The thing is, they can be worse, the same, or better than the browsers' built in anti-phishing tools so you're never quite sure if you want it or not. I hate redundant systems like this but better safe than sorry, I suppose. Thankfully, it is easily disabled after the fact if you desire.

Help:  From the program's main screen there is a link to a local help file. If you want more than that, you'll have to visit the web site. There you'll find a FAQ, user manual download, email contact form, and a couple of specialized tools. G Data is a German company but they maintain a nice English site as well. I didn't see phone or chat support so it may be in the works still. I'm not sure I'd want to call Germany for support anyway so hopefully the other forms of support will take care of any issues.

Performance:  G Data found my double-zipped virus test file as soon as it was downloaded--that's very good. Most suites only discover it during a scan.

Running my test folder scan took 22 minutes, 31 seconds. That's pretty slow but to repeat my suggestion from other reviews, just schedule scans to run while you sleep. In fact, I run all of my backup, virus scans, online updates, etc while I sleep. The next day everything is ready to go and not interfering with my work.

Value:  G Data Internet Security is CHEAP. A 3PC license is a paltry $39.95, literally the least expensive suite I've reviewed this year. For the performance it provides I find it to be an amazing deal.

Bottom Line:  The combination of performance, ease of use, and value make G Data Internet Security 2010 a real winner in my book and though scans could be faster, I really like G Data Internet Security 2010.