Panda Internet Security 2009

At a Glance:  Panda Internet Security 2009 shows up with the little black and white bear swinging for a knockout punch but he gets tagged on the firewall and gets a little dizzy. Maybe they should change the name to Grizzly Internet Security and hire a tougher mascot :)

The Triple "E" Keys

Firewall:  Panda's firewall is effective. During setup you can opt to have it train itself automatically so you don't have to answer questions about what programs can run. This is becoming more common in firewalls. Panda's is not bulletproof but does a good job for most peoples' needs.

Malware:  A full scan took 28 minutes. That's very fast in my tests. One test virus file was introduced WHILE the scan was running. It was presented in three forms: exe, zip, zip inside of a zip. While Panda Internet Security 2009 immediately deleted the exe file and the zip file, it did nothing with the double zipped file. I had to unzip the first layer, then the second layer and finally click on the exe file. Only then did the package detect it and disinfect it which required restarting the computer.

Then I did the same test without the scan running. Same results, but a little slower. Curiously, even after the restart, the double zipped file remained. Each time it was unzipped Panda disinfected but didn't delete it. The good news is that Panda won't let you run a virus and that's where trouble begins anyway.

Because the number of threats is growing so fast, Panda use its new "Collective Intelligence" technology which stores the database of threats on Panda's servers. It uses this in conjunction with a local database on your computer. This helps limit the load placed on your system to know about every threat that exists, and there are a LOT of them.

Install/Uninstall:  Panda Internet Security 2009 installed easily but not quickly. This is mainly due to the updates and scans it does in the process. It takes the better safe than sorry approach which I didn't mind. Uninstall was great. Very fast, easy and left nothing behind.

Setup/Use:  Panda is set up for default protection after the install and reboot. Most people won't have to do anything else but power tweakers will find plenty of options that are well laid out.

Like most suites, you can pretty much ignore the little Panda bear until it needs you. When the main screen is open, there's a status tab that tells you if anything is out of sorts. Scans were easy and intuitive. There's also the pop up that tells you when it kills something. Overall, very easy to use.

Help:  Help is easily available from a help menu. It has the usual stuff but I liked the virus encyclopedia link (a techie weakness). Just type in a virus name and find out all about the slimy little bear bait.

Performance:  I thought Panda Internet Security 2009 was very efficient with resources using its new collective intelligence technology. I think I can hear them now: "Resistance is futile".

Value:  $50 or so for three computers.

Bottom Line:  A worthy contender in the Internet security battle for the top bear but let's hope the little guy doesn't get too fat.