Trend-Micro Internet Security 2009

At a Glance:  Trend-Micro Internet Security 2009 is one of the best I've seen this year. With a great firewall and terrific malware performance, it scores high.

The Triple "E" Keys

Firewall:  Trend's firewall is terrific. It fights back hard at all sorts of attacks including registry changes. It's a smart firewall like Norton's so you don't have to do anything to set it up. If you do wish to jump in to the works, you can use a simple slider to adjust the security level. Or for more control, decide which programs and network connections can get access through an easy to use interface. There are also profiles (manual or automatic switching) for Direct Connection, Home, Office and Wireless connections. Each one has pre-configured settings making it very simple to use.

Malware:  Great performance in the malware area too. Viruses, spyware, Trojans, rootkits, you name it and Trend-Micro Internet Security 2009 did a fantastic job all around. Remember that no product gets them all, all of the time. The labs that test them agree, they are one of the best.

Install/Uninstall:  Installing was easy and fairly quick and no reboot required. Uninstalling is very fast and intuitive but does require the restart. After that, I found 5 files and 2 folders left behind.

Setup/Use:  Trend-Micro Internet Security 2009 has a simple setup and user interface. I liked it a lot except for one thing: Sub menus. In some places, like scheduled scans, you keep opening new windows until you complete the final step. Then you have to back out again, clicking OK each time. This annoys me but isn't really a deal breaker.

Scanning, updating, reports, turning features on or off, and others are very simply available from the tabbed main screen that is laid out very nicely. I like it better than the Norton approach.

Help:  Help comes from a single blue button in the upper right corner. That opens a window that includes links and content for product info, help files, support contacts, and virus info. Again, very succinct and simple. High marks for me.

Performance:  Ah, the big question. Loading Windows will take a hit, unfortunately but actual real time performance and system drag were very good. Some areas, like email scanning, were a bit slow but that's to be expected anyway. Personally, I turn off email scanning since it's usually SLOW, I never open an email from anyone I don't trust, and I don't get much junk email. Overall, excellent.

Value:  $50 for 3 PCs with discounts for greater than 1 year license purchases.

Bottom Line:  I had to give Trend-Micro Internet Security 2009 an excellent score since all three "E"s were excellent. I'd place it right next to Norton Internet Security 2009 with Norton edging out on performance by just a little. However, I like Trend's user interface better.