Lookout Premium review: Outstanding anti-theft protection for Android phones

Android security suites generally have a lot of tricks up their sleeves, but Lookout Premium has taken it up a notch with anti-theft and recovery features. The program’s variety of email alert settings is without peer. That said, the latest results from AV-TEST pegged Lookout as below par in malware detection and perhaps too aggressive in picking out suspect software.

Lookout performs its guard-dogging by sending information to its website and processing it there. While this saves on device memory and end-runs the need for most updates, it does incur minor data usage. The basic functions that the program covers are scanning programs and downloads for malware; scanning websites as you surf for phishing and other dangers; backing up your contacts, call log, and photos; helping you find a lost device and locking or erasing it if it was stolen; snapping “thiefie” photos and sending them to you via email when certain events occur; and showing you which applications have access to your info on the phone.

You can locate your device from Lookout's web portal with remarkable accuracy and lock, erase, or have it "scream" at you. 

Personally, I found the missing device features the most useful, or at least useful most often. You can track the device’s location accurately enough from Lookout’s nicely rendered web portal that I could tell if the device was in the house or in my car parked a block and a half away. From the same page you can lock or erase the device or have it "scream" at you. Note that the latter is actually a rather loud siren.

Lookout can run as a device administrator so it can lock your device or erase data should it be stolen.

In case of theft, Lookout can help you bring the nefarious malefactor who took it to justice. By telling Lookout to send you email alerts (with stealthily-snapped photos attached) when your device's SIM card is removed, or it's powered down or put into airplane mode, you could quite possibly wind up with a photo of the not-so-canny culprit.

Hopefully, recovery and hard time will ensue. Note that this feature can also reveal bad hair days on your own part, so you might want to read alert emails in private.

If you’ve never contemplated just how open the data on your phone is, Lookout’s privacy advisor, which shows you all the apps that are accessing it in the name of convenience and value-added service, will be a revelation. There are some apps you can’t do anything about, but some may be disabled to prevent access. Of course most companies promise not to share your private information, but that lasts only till the first NSA agent, or bozo on a mission, shows up.

Being challenged in the area of keeping track of where my stuff is, I found Lookout's missing device feature super handy. 

Alas, Lookout ranked near the bottom of the pack in AV-TEST’s latest malware detection test results, detecting only 88.7 percent of the threats and coming up with one false positive during legitimate software installs. The better programs such as the recently reviewed Eset Mobile Security clock 99 to 100 percent recognition without false positives. In my hands-on, the web surfing protection worked well, though I am hardly an experienced voyager when it comes to the dark regions of the Web. Ahem.

Okay, there’s no way to sugar-coat Lookout’s current AV detection rate. The company needs to work on that. Otherwise, it’s a great program with a lot of useful security features that costs only $3 a month. There’s also a free version that will provide basic download scanning, contact backup, and missing device help. Whoop, whoop!

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Kaspersky Internet Security 2015—Multi-Device review: new interface, same excellent protection

Given that the average person owns several Internet connected devices, straight PC security doesn’t really cut it anymore. That’s why companies like Kaspersky are starting to offer cross-platform solutions for marginally more than their traditional PC-only antivirus programs.

For just $70 a year, Kaspersky Internet Security—Multi-Device 2015 protects up to five devices, including PCs, Macs, and Android phones and tablets. In addition to antivirus, you get some useful Android safety features such as anti-theft and loss protection, remote management, and automatic app scanning.

Kasperksy polished Internet Security's interface, but it remains touchscreen friendly.

Kaspersky remains one of the best antivirus programs on the market: Independent security research institute AV-Test found no major differences between the 2014 version of Kaspersky’s software (which received our highest score in this year’s security showdown) and the 2015 version.

Kaspersky Internet Security 2015—Multi-Device offers an array of protection for Android phones and tablets.

In AV-Test’s real-world tests, Kaspersky Internet Security—Multi-Device 2015 successfully blocked all 31 malicious URLs. In the “malware zoo” test, which evaluates a software’s ability to identify and block widespread known malware discovered within the last month, Kaspersky successfully detected and blocked 12,608 samples out of 12,618. The suite also got a perfect score for distinguishing between threats and non-threats. Performance-wise, the suite is similar to the 2014 software, which was one of the lightest programs in our recent round-up.

But while the software offers virtually the same protection, Kaspersky has revamped the interface. It’s still very touchscreen-friendly, with large buttons and toggle switches and larger-than-average checkboxes in the settings menu, but the overall look is more polished.

The main screen features a computer monitor—with a check mark denoting your PC is protected and a red X indicating it’s not—and four menu buttons: Scan, Update, Safe Money, and Parental Controls.

The Scan button takes you to a more detailed menu where you can run a full scan, quick scan, custom scan, scan your removable drives, or set up a scan schedule. Safe Money is Kaspersky’s online banking and payment protection software—selecting it allows you to add a list of websites you want to use with Kaspersky’s Protected Browser for extra ecommerce protection.

Kasperksy's main screen on a Mac.

Additional tools, accessed via a link in the lower right corner of the window, include “Browser Configuration,” a wizard that helps you optimize web browser settings; “Privacy Cleaner,” which clears your computer of recent commands and accessed files; and “Cloud Protection,” which connects you to Kaspersky’s Security Network and offers “instant response to new threats.”

Kaspersky always does a great job with its settings menu, which you can access by tapping the Settings link in the lower left corner of the main window. It’s organized into five categories (General, Protection Center, Performance, Scan, and Additional), and features touch-friendly controls and easy-to-understand explanations, even in the more advanced settings screens.

The bottom line

Kaspersky’s Internet Security—Multi-Device 2015 is easy to recommend if you’re a device junkie. Protection and performance are excellent, and this year’s interface is more polished than its predecessor without losing any usability. If you’re just looking for PC protection, you can save $10 with Kaspersky Internet Security 2015, which costs $60 for one year of protection for up to three PCs.

Sarah is a freelance writer and editor based in Silicon Valley. She has a love/hate relationship with social media and a bad habit of describing technology as "sexy."
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Webroot SecureAnywhere Internet Security Complete review: Protection needs improvement

Webroot SecureAnywhere Internet Security Complete ($52 for one year of protection on up to five PCs) offers an intuitive interface, very fast system scans, and a mobile security component. Unfortunately, it falls short where it counts: protection.

In our real-world (zero-day) tests, Webroot blocked just 82 percent of Web and email threats and unknown viruses—a comparatively weak showing, considering that half the suites in our roundup nailed all of them, and two others stopped 98 percent of the attacks.

Webroot did a better job of protecting against known malware (arising within 30 days of the testing), successfully blocking 99 percent of attacks. Microsoft Security Essentials blocked just 93 percent of known malware attacks). However, most of the other security suites in our roundup successfully blocked 100 percent of known malware attacks.

Webroot's polished, touchscreen-friendly interface is one of the highlights of its suite.

Webroot SecureAnywhere was overzealous in denouncing benign files as security risks, too. In our usability tests, the program flagged five legitimate programs (out of thousands tried) as dangerous.

Performance is a bright spot: Webroot SecureAnywhere earned a score of 0 on this measure, meaning that it won’t add any discernable time to your PC startups and shutdowns.

Once you’ve input your product keycode, installing Webroot SecureAnywhere becomes a one-click process. The main window is attractive and easy to understand at a glance. The entire window tints green if you’re protected, orange if you’re semi-protected, and red if you’re unprotected. In case that approach is too subtle for you, Webroot also posts a large banner that can be green, orange, or red, as well as a green checkmark, an orange exclamation point, or a red ‘x’ to reinforce your protection level.

The main window is divided into three sections. A white box under the protection-status banner shows scanning and subscription stats. Underneath that is a message and alert box with a quick link to Webroot’s online support site. To the right are several feature menus that you can tap to expand and gain access to some settings.

The clean, touchscreen-optimized interface is full of tappable buttons, tiles, and toggles. Clicking the Advanced Settings button will take you to a slightly less touchscreen-friendly menu. Webroot uses minimal jargon to explain most of the settings and features, and the menu is thoughtfully organized to make finding things easier.

If you have lots of PCs to protect, you’ll appreciate Webroot’s pricing structure, which covers up to five PCs for a year for $52.

Webroot is a breeze to install and it’s fairly user-friendly, but its protection falls a bit short of the competition’s. And when most of the suites we tested turn in fantastic performance, good just doesn’t cut it.

Sarah is a freelance writer and editor based in Silicon Valley. She has a love/hate relationship with social media and a bad habit of describing technology as "sexy."
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McAfee Internet Security 2014 review: Intuitive interface, decent protection

McAfee Internet Security 2014 ($56 for one year of protection on up to three PCs) offers adequate protection and an intuitive interface. The installation process can be a chore, and finding specific settings can be difficult, but its main shortcoming is that it offers fewer features than some of McAfee’s other products, despite its higher price.

In AV-Test’s real-world protection tests, McAfee successfully blocked 98 percent of all zero-day malware attacks (including Web and email threats). Though quite good in comparison to Microsoft Security Essentials’ performance (71 percent of samples blocked in the same tests), that mark lags behind the perfect scores posted by Eset Smart Security 7, F-Secure Internet Security 2014, Kaspersky Internet Security 2014,  Norton Internet Security 2014, and Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security 2014. Like most of the other suites, however, McAfee detected 100 percent of widespread malware that had been discovered in the month prior to the test.

In usability tests, the suite blocked a couple of legitimate software actions on suspicion that they were dangerous.

In AV-Test’s performance assessment, McAfee received a score of 5. This translates into slightly slower startup and shutdown times and some lag in opening programs.

McAfee Internet Security 2014's interface makes it easy to find your way around.

Installing McAfee Internet Security 2014 is somewhat arduous. First, the program scans for threats to ensure a smooth installation. Next, it asks you to log in to your McAfee account, using the email address and password that you used when you downloaded the program. Then it downloads the rest of the installer—which can take some time if you’re on a slow connection—installs the program, and requires a system reboot.

To its credit, McAfee Internet Security 2014 has among the best interfaces for Windows 8 touchscreens, with large buttons and banners that even clumsy fingers can easily tap. The main window has a large banner across the top that appears green if you’re protected, and red if you’re not. Below the banner are four large buttons for virus and spyware protection, Web and email protection, updates, and your subscription status. To the right of these buttons are three smaller buttons for data protection and backup, PC and home network tools, and parental controls.

Each section has its own settings menu—an arrangement that can be a bit confusing. Settings menus have clickable banners that you tap to open. Inside, they look like typical checkbox-and-radio-button menus. McAfee explains most of the advanced settings in simple language, and each menu features a ‘Learn more’ link that leads directly to the appropriate help section.

McAfee Internet Security 2014 offers reasonable protection and an intuitive interface, especially for Windows 8 users. But the company sells other products that offer greater functionality at a lower price. For example, McAfee All Access costs just $50 (for a limited time) and provides unlimited protection for all of your devices (including mobile), as well as online and social network protection. McAfee says that it continues to carry the Internet Security line for people who aren’t ready to switch to its all-inclusive products, which are equally effective against malware.

Sarah is a freelance writer and editor based in Silicon Valley. She has a love/hate relationship with social media and a bad habit of describing technology as "sexy."
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F-Secure Internet Security 2014 review: bulletproof protection, bad user interface

Looking for ironclad protection? F-Secure Internet Security 2014 ($80 for the “lifetime” of your PC—up to seven years) is bulletproof, ranking among the best performers in AV-Test’s protection assessments. But its interface is another story: If you don’t think user-friendliness matters, wait until you see this suite.

Along with Eset Smart Security 7, Kaspersky Internet Security 2014, Norton Internet Security 2014, and Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security 2014, F-Secure Internet Security 2014 offers the best protection of the ten security suites we tested. It protected our test systems from 100 percent of real-world (unknown, zero-day) malware attacks, including web and email threats, and it also shielded systems from 100 percent of widespread known malware attacks. F-Secure isn’t invincible—even Superman has a weakness—but it’s pretty darn close.

In usability tests, F-Secure identified five legitimate programs as threats during a routine system scan. That put it in a tie with Vipre Internet Security 2014 and Webroot SecureAnywhere Internet Security Complete for the most false-positive flags in our roundup.

In AV-Test’s performance tests, F-Secure scored a 2, meaning that it imposed less strain on system resources than all but one of the other most effective malware-blocking suites, that one being Kaspersky Internet Security 2014.

No touchscreen-friendly tiles on this settings menu.

Installing F-Secure is arduous, with a few screens stretched across a long process. The first screen is a license and user agreement (no other suite has this). The second screen walks you through downloading the rest of the installer, which can take awhile if you have a slow connection. A third screen asks whether you want to participate in F-Secure’s real-time reporting program, and the fourth screen commences the actual installation process. F-Secure detects conflicting programs, such as rival security suites, and requests that you uninstall them before proceeding. And you’ll have to reboot your computer before the installation is complete.

Instead of using a big, touchscreen-optimized window, F-Secure opts for a small, unobtrusive launch pad that hangs out at the bottom of your screen. The launch pad has five buttons, for Computer Security, Online Safety, Safe Profile, Search, and F-Secure. Clicking Computer Security opens a window that’s closer to what you see in other suites: It provides a picture of a computer with a green checkmark (if you’re protected) or a red ‘x’ (if you’re not), and quick links to scan and settings. The window also includes tabs for tools (advanced scan, firewall settings, quarantined files) and statistics.

The settings menus are not designed for amateurs—they're full of checkboxes with little accompanying explanation. Each icon from the launch pad has its own settings menu, except ‘Safe Profile’ and ‘Search’, which are browser-based options.

We should also underscore F-Secure’s unique approach to pricing: Whereas most of the nine other suites in our security roundup charge between $40 and $80 for a single year of protection but offer coverage for between one and three systems, F-Secure charges $80 to cover only one PC—but its coverage lasts for seven years (only Vipre, which charges $50 for two years of coverage for a single system offers more than a one-year term of coverage). Its pricing structure makes F-Secure a real bargain if you have just one PC to protect.

F-Secure Internet Security 2014 may offer top-notch protection, but so do several other suites in our roundup. Unfortunately, the program’s antiquated interface mars an otherwise great product.

Sarah is a freelance writer and editor based in Silicon Valley. She has a love/hate relationship with social media and a bad habit of describing technology as "sexy."
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Norton Internet Security 2014 review: Polished security suite with excellent protection

Norton Internet Security 2014 ($80 for one year of protection on up to three PCs) looks great—and it offers excellent protection against all threats. Internet Security 2014 also provides mobile security, comprehensive parental controls, and system insights, so advanced users can track their PCs’ performance. But Symantec’s suite isn’t perfect: Its menus, settings, and features are geared a little more toward advanced users than toward security newbies.

In our protection tests, Norton Internet Security 2014 was excellent, on a par with Eset Smart Security 7, F-Secure Internet Security 2014, Kaspersky Internet Security 2014, and Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security 2014. Norton successfully defended our test systems against all zero-day malware attacks and all zoo malware assaults. Norton’s algorithms didn’t block or erroneously warn against any safe websites, nor did it flag any legitimate software as dangerous.

In AV-Test’s performance test, Norton received a mark of 8, tied with Eset Smart Security 7 for the highest mark among the ten suites in in our roundup, and an indication that you can expect to see a significant performance hit—slower startup and shutdown times and lag when opening and installing programs—when the software is running.

Norton Internet Security 2014's interface is easy to navigate.

Installing Norton is a breeze, unless you have other security suites on your system (including trial versions). You must uninstall other antivirus programs before you can proceed with your Norton installation. Fortunately, Norton lets you uninstall incompatible programs from within its installer. The uninstalling process may require a restart, but a straight Norton installation does not.

Norton’s interface blends perfectly with Windows 8, with large buttons and toggles instead of tiny checkboxes. The main screen presents you with four large squares, for status (colored bright green if you’re protected, and red if you’re not), scanning, updating the malware library, and access to advanced settings such as network protection and parental controls. Along the top of the window are text links to other settings and services.

The settings menu is clearly designed for relatively advanced users. When you click the little question-mark boxes next to certain items, you jump to explanations on Symantec’s main support site, but Inline explanations—like those used in Kaspersky’s security suite—would have provided a more seamless experience.

Norton Internet Security offers excellent protection, albeit at some cost to PC performance. Its polished, touchscreen-friendly interface is a plus, but it isn’t especially accessible to novices.

Sarah is a freelance writer and editor based in Silicon Valley. She has a love/hate relationship with social media and a bad habit of describing technology as "sexy."
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ESET Smart Security 7: newcomer brings top-notch protection

Eset Smart Security 7 ($60 for one year of protection on one PC) is relatively new to the U.S. market. This all-in-one security suite includes antitheft protection and a social media scanner. Unfortunately, though Eset offers good protection and a fairly intuitive interface, it puts a lot of stress on your system.

In our real-world (zero-day) tests, which include email and Web threats, Eset protected against 100 percent of attacks, matching the outstanding performance of F-Secure Internet Security 2014, Kaspersky Internet Security 2014, Norton Internet Security 2014, and Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security 2014. Eset handled known malware well, too, blocking 100 percent of attacks from malware discovered in the month before testing.

Eset didn’t flag any safe websites our usability tests, nor did it try to prevent actions carried out while installing and using legitimate software, or warn users about them, or identify any legitimate programs as dangerous.

Unfortunately, Eset’s suite hobbles system performance. Its score of 8 tied Norton for the highest (and therefore least desirable) in our roundup; you can expect slower start-ups, and longer lags during downloads and installations with this security suite in place. During my test of Eset, my PC’s fan ran on high nonstop until I uninstalled the program.

Eset Smart Security 7's interface is a mixed bag, with both touchscreen-friendly buttons and checkboxes.

Eset’s installation process is a drag, too. You have to click through several screens, some of them separated by long downloads. Eset’s installer recognizes incompatible software (such as other security suites), but it can’t uninstall them directly. Instead, it asks you to go into your Control Panel and manually uninstall each incompatible program. You can skip this step, but doing so could abort Eset’s installation.

Eset’s main interface has a menu on the left for the main feature categories, which include scan, update, setup, tools, training, and help and support. A home screen shows you your protection status (a banner at the top displays “Maximum protection” in green when you’re fully protected) as well as any notifications or alerts.

Though Eset’s left menu is touchscreen-optimized, the setup menu isn’t: Each setting ties to a drop-down menu that lets you disable certain features for a fixed amount of time. A link at the bottom of the setup menu takes you to Eset’s advanced settings, which are even less touchscreen-friendly, with lots of nested menus and tiny checkboxes. The program does a pretty good job of explaining confusing terms and settings in plain English.

Eset has some nice features for newbies. The training link in the left menu takes you to videos, slides, and information about Eset’s security suite and about online security in general.

Eset Smart Security 7 offers very strong protection, and it’s a great choice for beginners—if you can accept the toll it takes on your system’s performance.

Sarah is a freelance writer and editor based in Silicon Valley. She has a love/hate relationship with social media and a bad habit of describing technology as "sexy."
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Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security 2014 review: All-in-one suite offers excellent protection

Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security 2014 ($45 for one year of protection on up to three PCs) stands out for being an all-in-one security suite. It offers the usual antivirus and anti-malware protection, plus a mobile security component, 5GB of free online backup, and password and online-banking security. It also carries the same price as Trend Micro’s Internet Security 2014 suite at the moment, so fans of Trend Micro will find it well worth grabbing for all the extra features.

In AV-Test’s real-world (zero-day) tests, Trend Micro successfully blocked 100 percent of unknown malware attacks, putting it on a par with Eset Smart Security, F-Secure Internet Security 2014, Kaspersky Internet Security 2014, and Norton Internet Security 2014. It also blocked 100 percent of known malware attacks, and it didn’t flag any safe files or websites as threats in our usability tests.

Further good news: That excellent level of vigilance has relatively little impact on performance. In AV-Test’s performance tests, Trend Micro earned a mark of 5, so it will slow your system somewhat but not too excessively.

Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security 2014 offers outstanding security, but its interface needs to step into the touchscreen era.

Prior to installing the program, Trend Micro will scan your system and ask you to uninstall any other antivirus programs (including trial versions) you may have; you can perform this step directly from Trend Micro’s installer. Though uninstall routines may require a reboot, simply installing Trend Micro won’t. The rest of the process is simple, with just a couple of screens to click through.

Trend Micro’s main screen is relatively easy to read. Along the top of the main console window are five large tabs: Overview, PC/Mobile, Privacy, Data, and Family. The first tab features a large checkmark to indicate that your system is protected, as well as information such as a ‘Security Summary’ (which keeps a running count of how many threats the suite has stopped) and a button for scanning your system. One potential source of confusion is the fact that a selected tab is tinted red; in many other security suites, that hue signals “danger,” but it appears here as Trend Micro’s brand color.

The other tabs offer additional features, including ‘System Tuner’ and ‘Rescue Disk’ in PC/Mobile, ‘Social Networking Protection’ in Privacy, and parental controls in ‘Family’. You can access the suite’s settings from the main tab, just below the large green checkmark, next to the scan button.

Trend Micro’s interface is heavy on check boxes and radio buttons rather than touchscreen-friendly toggles and tiles, and explanations are sparse. The seemingly redundant Other Settings menu within the settings menu offers a hodgepodge of advanced and not-so-advanced settings.

Of the four suites we tested that delivered very strong antimalware performance and that offer coverage of up to three PCs for one year, Trend Micro’s had the lowest price: $45, versus $80 for Norton, $60 for Kaspersky, and $56 for McAfee Internet Security 2014.

If you’re willing to overlook the interface’s shortcomings, Trend Micro Titanium Maximum offers outstanding protection and a lot of features for the money.

Sarah is a freelance writer and editor based in Silicon Valley. She has a love/hate relationship with social media and a bad habit of describing technology as "sexy."
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VIPRE Internet Security 2014: Adequate protection, interface needs a makeover

The name Vipre Internet Security 2014 sounds impressive. But this security suite ($50 for two years of protection on one PC) offers merely adequate protection, and its interface needs a makeover.

In our real-world (zero-day) tests, Vipre blocked 87 percent of unknown malware attacks, compared to 98 percent or better for most other products (only Webroot SecureAnywhere Internet Security Complete fared worse than Vipre on this measure). Vipre performed extremely well against known malware attacks, however, successfully blocking 100 percent of them.

Though Vipre didn’t incorrectly tag any safe websites as threatening, it did flag five legitimate programs as dangerous in our usability tests. Only F-Secure Internet Security 2014, and Webroot SecureAnywhere (again) had as many false positives in our ten-suite roundup.

Vipre adds some bulk to your system resources, with a performance score of 7–that’s marginally better than Norton Internet Security 2014 and Eset Smart Security 7, but significantly slower than Kaspersky Internet Security 2014, F-Secure Internet Security 2014, and AVG Internet Security 2014, among others. With Vipre running, you may see some lag in startup and shutdown times.

Word links, checkboxes, and radio buttons don't fly in the touchscreen era.

Installing Vipre is a quick process, but it does require a system restart. The program identifies incompatible software, such as other antivirus programs, but it doesn’t require that you uninstall them before continuing (though it recommends that you do so).

The main console window has Vipre’s logo in the upper left corner, next to five tabs: Overview, Scan, Firewall, Manage, and Tools. The Overview screen shows you your protection level in four status indicators (scan status, protection, updates, and firewall). Each status indicator has a circle with a green checkmark (if you’re protected) or a red x (if you’re not), and a link to that status’s settings menu.

The other tabs offer more-advanced features, such as quarantine and scan schedules in the Manage tab, and ‘Social Watch’ and ‘History Cleaner’ in the Tools tab. Though the main buttons and tabs are touchscreen-friendly, most of Vipre’s interface is full of word links, checkboxes, and radio buttons.

Vipre’s settings menu needs a lot of work. You can access specific settings (such as settings specific to scanning, or to the firewall) from the main screen, but the menu is confusing, unintuitive, and not at all touch-optimized. The program doesn’t explain terms and features, though you can always click the Help button if you want to slog through VIPRE’s Help literature.

Vipre Internet Security 2014 pales next to the competition. The level of protection it offers is just adequate, and its interface lacks polish.

Sarah is a freelance writer and editor based in Silicon Valley. She has a love/hate relationship with social media and a bad habit of describing technology as "sexy."
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Apple’s Next iPhone Could Come With Built-In Drop Protection, Patent Hints

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Review: BleachBit offers free, comprehensive disk cleaning and privacy protection

There are so many system cleaners out there, you could pack a Start screen with them. They're not all equally good, though, and some are have restrictions for business use. CCleaner and PC Decrapifier are among the best, but they are not completely free to use in a professional setting. Businesses wishing to use either of these have to pay up. If you're a business user looking for a truly free system cleaner, one interesting option is open-source, cross-platform BleachBit.

BleachBit's text-heavy interface is suited for users who know what they're doing.

BleachBit doesn't have much in the way of a flashy interface. There's a list of items running down the left side of the window, subdivided into categories such as Google Chrome, Flash, Microsoft Office, and so on. There's also a System category for more general cleanups, and a Deep Scan one for tracking down junk files strewn all over the disk (such as .DS_Store and thumbs.db files).

Pick a category, and a quick explanation appears about each of its sub-items. Explanations are usually very brief and assume prior knowledge, though For example, under Firefox, you can opt to clean out something called DOM Storage. If you're not sure what that is, the text informs you that this means it will "Delete HTML5 cookies." If you know what that means, great. If not, you'll have to start searching the Web for answers.

BleachBit is smart enough to know that some operations are going to be more time-consuming than others. For example, when you check the box to remove Temporary Files during a Deep Scan, it pops up an alert telling you that this is going to be a slow operation. Other alerts exist too: Check the box for deleting Backup files, and BleachBit will prompt you to inspect the Preview report for any files you do want to keep.

BleachBit does include single-line descriptions of what each item does, but some of these are laconic.

Once you've decided what you want to clean out, it's time to click the Preview button. This executes a dry run of the options you've checked, outputting a log of planned operations. If this sounds dry and technical, that’s because it is: the output is just a long, long, text dump full of inscrutable paths for temporary files and cookies, and other information. At the end of the report there's a more human-readable summary, letting you know how much disk space would be recovered by the operation, how many files would be deleted, and how many "special operations" would be performed. Special operations include things like securely wiping free disk space.

The log is only marginally useful. Not only is it difficult to read, but if you spot an operation  you wish to exclude (for example, a file you don't want deleted after all), there isn't much you can do about it. You can't exclude it: all you can do is to cancel the whole operation.

Another problem with the log is that it doesn't make it clear which disk drives are affected. For example, when I ran BleachBit, it cleaned out an impressive 18.5GB of files. But it didn’t clarify whether that was on my relatively small SSD, or my roomy 2TB hard drive. It probably cleaned some from both, but the report only stated a total without breaking it down per drive.

BleachBit can free up lots of disk space, but neglects to tell you which drives now have more breathing room.

BleachBit feels like a solid, no-nonsense utility for users who know what they're doing. Being free, open-source, and cross-platform are great advantages, especially in an enterprise environment. If you're just a home user looking for a simple way to clean out your computer, BleachBit doesn't beat CCleaner. But for an office, or a home user who likes to keep their computers clean, BleachBit makes for a lean solution.

Note: The Download button on the Product Information page takes you to the vendor's site, where you can download the latest version of the software.

Endlessly tweaking his workflow for comfort and efficiency, Erez is a freelance writer on a mission to discover the simplest, coolest, and most effective software and websites to make tomorrow happen today.
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Review: BleachBit offers free, comprehensive disk cleaning and privacy protection

There are so many system cleaners out there, you could pack a Start screen with them. They're not all equally good, though, and some are have restrictions for business use. CCleaner and PC Decrapifier are among the best, but they are not completely free to use in a professional setting. Businesses wishing to use either of these have to pay up. If you're a business user looking for a truly free system cleaner, one interesting option is open-source, cross-platform BleachBit.

BleachBit's text-heavy interface is suited for users who know what they're doing.

BleachBit doesn't have much in the way of a flashy interface. There's a list of items running down the left side of the window, subdivided into categories such as Google Chrome, Flash, Microsoft Office, and so on. There's also a System category for more general cleanups, and a Deep Scan one for tracking down junk files strewn all over the disk (such as .DS_Store and thumbs.db files).

Pick a category, and a quick explanation appears about each of its sub-items. Explanations are usually very brief and assume prior knowledge, though For example, under Firefox, you can opt to clean out something called DOM Storage. If you're not sure what that is, the text informs you that this means it will "Delete HTML5 cookies." If you know what that means, great. If not, you'll have to start searching the Web for answers.

BleachBit is smart enough to know that some operations are going to be more time-consuming than others. For example, when you check the box to remove Temporary Files during a Deep Scan, it pops up an alert telling you that this is going to be a slow operation. Other alerts exist too: Check the box for deleting Backup files, and BleachBit will prompt you to inspect the Preview report for any files you do want to keep.

BleachBit does include single-line descriptions of what each item does, but some of these are laconic.

Once you've decided what you want to clean out, it's time to click the Preview button. This executes a dry run of the options you've checked, outputting a log of planned operations. If this sounds dry and technical, that’s because it is: the output is just a long, long, text dump full of inscrutable paths for temporary files and cookies, and other information. At the end of the report there's a more human-readable summary, letting you know how much disk space would be recovered by the operation, how many files would be deleted, and how many "special operations" would be performed. Special operations include things like securely wiping free disk space.

The log is only marginally useful. Not only is it difficult to read, but if you spot an operation  you wish to exclude (for example, a file you don't want deleted after all), there isn't much you can do about it. You can't exclude it: all you can do is to cancel the whole operation.

Another problem with the log is that it doesn't make it clear which disk drives are affected. For example, when I ran BleachBit, it cleaned out an impressive 18.5GB of files. But it didn’t clarify whether that was on my relatively small SSD, or my roomy 2TB hard drive. It probably cleaned some from both, but the report only stated a total without breaking it down per drive.

BleachBit can free up lots of disk space, but neglects to tell you which drives now have more breathing room.

BleachBit feels like a solid, no-nonsense utility for users who know what they're doing. Being free, open-source, and cross-platform are great advantages, especially in an enterprise environment. If you're just a home user looking for a simple way to clean out your computer, BleachBit doesn't beat CCleaner. But for an office, or a home user who likes to keep their computers clean, BleachBit makes for a lean solution.

Note: The Download button on the Product Information page takes you to the vendor's site, where you can download the latest version of the software.

Endlessly tweaking his workflow for comfort and efficiency, Erez is a freelance writer on a mission to discover the simplest, coolest, and most effective software and websites to make tomorrow happen today.
More by Erez Zukerman

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Review: Kaspersky Internet Security 2013: Good protection, advanced settings (minus the jargon)

Sarah is a freelance writer and editor based in Silicon Valley. She has a love/hate relationship with social media and a bad habit of describing technology as "sexy."
More by Sarah Jacobsson Purewal

Kaspersky Internet Security 2013 ($60 for one year and three PCs, as of 12/19/12) is a solid antimalware suite that provides admirable protection and an excellent settings interface. This program looks a little different from the other suites we tested, mainly because of its teal-and-white colors, in contrast to the green-is-good/red-is-bad user interface that most other security packages use. But once you get past the fact that teal is sort of the same as green (trust us, this takes a moment), it’s a good program that will keep you safe from most incoming attacks.

In our real-world attack test, Kaspersky completely blocked 94.4 percent of attacks. Unfortunately, the 5.6 percent of attacks that it failed to block completely were not blocked at all—in other words, our test system got infected 5.6 percent of the time. The real-world attack test demonstrates how well a suite will be able to block brand-new malware attacks as it encounters them in the wild, so this is not a great sign.

Kaspersky’s suite was able to detect 98.1 percent of known malware samples in our malware-zoo detection test. This detection rate is fairly good, but seven of the nine suites we tested had higher rates (98.8 percent or more). Kaspersky did have an excellent false-positive rate, as it didn’t flag any safe files as malicious; that puts Kaspersky in the top four of the suites we tested for that measure.

In our system cleanup test, the Kaspersky software did an excellent job of detecting, disabling, and fully cleaning up infections. It detected and disabled all infections on our test PC, and fully cleaned up all traces of malware 80 percent of the time. Of the suites we tested, only two packages (Bitdefender and F-Secure) cleaned up more infections (90 percent), while three suites, including Kaspersky’s, cleaned up 80 percent.

Kaspersky will add a little weight to your system, and it will slow down some operations more than most of its competitors will. In our performance tests, the program added just over 2 seconds to startup time (as compared to a PC with no antivirus program installed), and just over 10 seconds to shutdown time. Although that doesn’t seem like a lot, those extra seconds make Kaspersky’s suite one of the heaviest antimalware programs we tested (it placed seventh in startup time and dead last in shutdown time). In addition, Kaspersky’s software dragged down the speed of file downloads, as well as of file copying operations.

Its manual scan times are better than average, however: The program took first place in on-demand (manual) scan time (1 minute, 10 seconds), and ninth place in on-access scan time (6 minutes, 8 seconds). Its on-demand scan time is significantly better than the average scan time of 1 minute, 33 seconds, but its on-access scan time is more than a minute slower
than the average scan time of 4 minutes, 50 seconds.

Kaspersky Internet Security 2013 is quick and painless to install. It has just four screens to click through, and registering your product is as easy as typing in your email address. The program doesn’t try to install a toolbar, but it does attempt to install the Kaspersky Anti-Banner Firefox add-on, which appears to be an ad blocker. Kaspersky doesn’t require a reboot.

Kaspersky’s user interface is simple, straightforward, and easy to understand. The main window features a large top banner that shows whether your system is protected, with smaller links to important features below: scan, update, Safe Money (a feature designed to keep you secure when you make financial transactions online), parental control, applications activity, network monitor, quarantine, and tools. In the upper-right corner of the main window are buttons for reports and settings.

The settings menu looks a little intimidating at first glance, but it’s actually quite easy to navigate. It presents four tabs—Protection Center, Scan, Update, and Advanced Settings—and each tab has several subcategories, which lead to settings screens. Each settings screen has a short description of what the feature does, and all wording is simple and lacking in security jargon. Although the suite has plenty of advanced options for veteran security users, it explains everything in plain English.

Kaspersky Internet Security 2013 is a competent antimalware program complete with an understandable user interface and settings that are easy to navigate. We especially like how the program combines advanced settings with simply worded explanations, so that beginners and advanced users alike will be able to get the most out of the product.

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G Data InternetSecurity 2013 Review: Excellent protection, but a terrible user interface

Sarah is a freelance writer and editor based in Silicon Valley. She has a love/hate relationship with social media and a bad habit of describing technology as "sexy."
More by Sarah Jacobsson Purewal

G Data InternetSecurity 2013 ($35 for one year, as of 12/19/12) is a comprehensive security suite with an excellent protection record: It blocked, detected, and disabled all of the malicious files we threw at it, and cleaned up 80 percent of infections in our system cleanup test. However, it’s not the most user-friendly suite, with a tedious installation process and an advanced-users-only settings panel. As a result, it ended up toward the bottom of our rankings.

In our real-world attack test, G Data completely blocked 100 percent of attacks. This indicates how well the product will successfully block brand new malware attacks when it encounters them in the wild. Of the nine security suites we tested, five completely blocked all attacks: G Data, F-Secure, Bitdefender, Norton, and Trend Micro.

G Data also has an excellent malware detection rate. In our malware-zoo detection test, the program detected 99.7 percent of known malware samples. This detection rate puts G Data in fourth place for malware detection. G Data did have a higher false positive percentage than other security suites—it flagged three safe files (out of over 250,000) as malicious. Although this is a very low false positive rate, seven of the suites we tested flagged fewer than two safe files as malicious.

In our system cleanup test, G Data detected and disabled 100 percent of infections. It also managed to completely clean up 80 percent of infections, which puts it in third place (alongside Kaspersky and Trend Micro). This test shows how well a product can find, disable, and remove every last trace of an infection, so you can rest assured that G Data will do a respectable job.

G Data is one of the lightest security suites we tested this year. It adds practically nothing to startup time (compared to a PC with no antivirus installed), though it adds about 5.5 seconds to shutdown time. G Data’s scan times aren’t quite as good—it takes one minute and 56 seconds to complete an on-demand (manual) scan, which is the second-worst time of the tested suites. It also takes six minutes and two seconds to complete an on-access scan, which puts it in third-to-last place.

G Data’s installation process is, simply put, annoying. It has ten screens to click through, several of which require user input, such as choosing services and registering for a G Data account. The program automatically changes your screensaver, although it does offer up a one-click option to change it back. This seems over-the-top, considering a screensaver is not in any way associated with antivirus protection. G Data does not have a toolbar.

The suite's interface isn’t very attractive, nor is it very usable. At the top of the main window sits a large banner that displays your security status. Underneath this are separate modules for different areas of protection, including virus protection, Web protection, spam protection, and the firewall. The modules’ titles are clickable, and when you click on them you’ll get a drop-down menu that relates to that module, with quick links to different types of scans and settings.

Here’s where it gets difficult: The settings menu in G Data isn’t quite as intimidating as Avira’s settings menu, but it’s also not designed for beginners. The nested menus seem simple enough, but aside from the general settings menu (which lets you optimize settings for a standard computer, a slow computer, or a user-defined type of computer), everything is confusing. There are no simple explanations for different features and settings—instead, there is just a help button that takes you to a comprehensive online help manual.

Overall, G Data InternetSecurity 2013 is an effective antimalware suite that will keep you protected from almost all new threats. However, it suffers from a confusing, overly complicated user interface and settings panel, both of which seem to be designed more for advanced users than less experienced ones.

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Review: Bitdefender Internet Security 2013: Excellent protection, user-friendly interface

Sarah is a freelance writer and editor based in Silicon Valley. She has a love/hate relationship with social media and a bad habit of describing technology as "sexy."
More by Sarah Jacobsson Purewal

Bitdefender Internet Security 2013 ($70 for one year and three PCs, as of 12/19/12) may just be everything that you’d want in a security suite. This program, which earned the highest rating in both our real-world attack test and our system cleanup test, has a user-friendly interface that will appeal to both regular and advanced users. It also comes with several extra services, such as antitheft protection for various mobile devices.

In our real-world attack test (which indicates how well a suite will be able to block new malware attacks as it encounters them), Bitdefender completely blocked 100 percent of attacks. (Four other tested security suites also put up perfect scores in this test: F-Secure, G Data, Norton, and Trend Micro.) Bitdefender was also able to detect 98.8 percent of known malware samples in our malware-zoo detection test. That’s not a bad detection rate, but five of the nine security suites in this year’s roundup had detection rates of 99.0 percent or higher.

Bitdefender managed to detect and disable 100 percent of the infections in our system cleanup test, and it successfully cleaned up all traces of infections 90 percent of the time. This result is the best full-cleanup rate of any of the suites we tested—only F-Secure Internet Security 2013 had a similar cleanup rate (90 percent). Bitdefender flagged just one file (out of over 250,000) as malicious, which gives it a very low false-positive percentage compared with its competition.

The program adds just a little extra weight to your system—in other words, its slowdowns are tolerable. It added 3.5 seconds to startup time (compared to a PC with no antivirus program installed), which puts it in the lower half of the suites we tested. It also added a second or so to shutdown time. Bitdefender has the longest on-demand scanning time (2 minutes, 1 second) of the programs we tested, and the fourth-longest on-access scanning time (5 minutes, 41 seconds).

Bitdefender’s installation process is a little tedious. It has only six screens to click through, but a couple of those screens re­­quire user input (such as choosing whether to turn on certain features), and the last screen requires you to log in to, or create, a Bitdefender account. Bitdefender does not come with a browser toolbar, but it does install a widget that sits on your desktop and displays protection status and notifications.

Bitdefender’s user interface is attractive and nicely laid out, with a large banner that shows protection status and smaller modules for specific areas of protection. It’s easy to find things on the main screen: A big settings button, for example, takes you to a comprehensive list of settings, to a notifications area, and to smaller modules (for antivirus functions, online privacy, the firewall, program updates, and so on) that allow you to quickly access and configure those features.

Settings and options are abundant, but not overwhelming. Bitdefender does a good job of keeping things simple, unless you want to see more-advanced options. If you do start to get a little confused, you can always click the help button in the bottom-right corner of each screen to see pop-up messages that describe what the settings do.

Bitdefender also lets you manage your services, apps, and mobile devices from a Web portal called MyBitdefender. This portal, which you sign up for when you install the program, lets you configure online parental controls, manage Facebook and Twitter protection, set up antitheft protection for your devices, activate identity theft protection, and access Bitdefender’s Safebox cloud backup storage (you get 2GB for free).

Overall, Bitdefender’s 2013 Internet security suite is an excellent, user-friendly program. It does have some mild scanning-speed issues, but otherwise it’s an easy-to-use suite that gives you several nice extra services.

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Review: F-Secure Internet Security 2013: First-rate protection and usability has a small performance price

Sarah is a freelance writer and editor based in Silicon Valley. She has a love/hate relationship with social media and a bad habit of describing technology as "sexy."
More by Sarah Jacobsson Purewal

F-Secure Internet Security 2013 (about $73 for one year and one computer, as of 12/19/12) came in first in several of our malware detection, blocking, and removal tests. It successfully blocked attacks, detected and disabled infections, and proved adept at cleaning up all traces of malware, landing at the top of this year’s security suite roundup.

In our real-world attack test, F-Secure completely blocked 100 percent of attacks. This test indicates how well the product will successfully block new malware attacks as it encounters them in the wild. But F-Secure wasn’t unique: Of the nine security suites we tested, four others also managed to completely block all attacks: Bitdefender, G Data, Norton, and Trend Micro.

F-Secure also put up great scores in our malware-zoo detection test: The suite detected 99 percent of known malware samples. This score puts it in the top five of the security suites we tested, though it’s at the bottom of that group (G Data, McAfee, Norton, and Trend Micro all posted detection rates of 99.7 percent or higher). F-Secure flagged just two safe files (out of over 250,000) as malicious, which is a good false-positive rate overall. However, since four of the suites achieved a perfect score in false-positive testing, and two suites flagged only one safe file as malicious, on this measure F-Secure still ends up in the bottom half of the list.

In our system cleanup test, F-Secure performed very well. In fact, it’s at the top of the list (alongside Bitdefender) after detecting and disabling all infections on our test PC and completely removing 90 percent of infections. So F-Secure should effectively dispatch any malware it finds on your machine.

While F-Secure does an excellent job of detecting, disabling, blocking, and cleaning up malware, all of this power comes at a price (a small one, to be sure): F-Secure added 6 seconds to startup time (compared to a system with no antivirus software installed)—the worst showing out of all of the suites we tested. It also added 5 seconds to shutdown time. F-Secure performed well in the rest of our PC speed tests overall, but it significantly slowed application installation.

Scanning speeds were better, though. F-Secure took second place in both on-demand (manual) scan tests (1 minute, 16 seconds) and on-access (automatic) scans (3 minutes, 50 seconds). Both results are better than average by a healthy margin.

The suite installs quickly and easily, with just four screens to click through and no restart required. It doesn’t install any extras (such as a toolbar), nor does it change any of your default settings. It does install a launcher, which is what you open when you double-click the program’s system tray icon. The launcher has three buttons to take you to different program screens: a computer-security screen, an online-safety screen, and a third for F-Secure’s website.

F-Secure’s user interface is sleek and easy to understand. It presents a large round checkmark (or X mark) that shows your protection status, as well as three modules for checking your security status, F-Secure’s extra tools and features, and statistics and reports. Below these modules is a scan button, an update button, and a settings button. The settings are fairly easy to get around, and each screen has a quick explanation of what the feature does and how it works.

With excellent protection and a user-friendly interface, F-Secure is definitely worth a look. This security package adds a little extra weight to your system, but if you can get past those performance issues, it’s a great program.

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McAfee Mobile Security Review: Good Overall Protection, But Can Be Pricey

McAfee Mobile Security provides comprehensive security for your Android device.

McAfee Mobile Security provides comprehensive security and antivirus for your Android phone or tablet. It protects your personal data in the event of loss or theft, enables data backup and restore, locates and tracks your device, safeguards against viruses and spyware, and provides safe surfing and app protection.

This trial protects your device for 7 days. After the trial, you can purchase McAfee Mobile Security within the app for US$29.99.

IMPORTANT: You need your PIN to uninstall McAfee Mobile Security. This requirement is to protect your phone and data by preventing thieves from uninstalling the app without your permission.

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? FEATURES ?

Antivirus, Anti-spyware, and Anti-phishing — Scan and clean malicious code from inbound/outbound emails, text messages, attachments, and files

Safe Mobile Web Surfing — Protection against web threats by blocking access to risky sites from texts, emails, QR codes and social networking sites

Safeguard Your Privacy with App Protection — Identify which apps can access your sensitive data like contacts, location, photos, and other personal info

Device Lock — Prevent misuse of your phone and personal info by remotely locking all data, including data on your memory (SIM) card, and displaying a "contact me" message on the device

Remotely Wipe Data — Protect your privacy by remotely deleting the data on your device and removable memory card in case of loss or theft.

Backup and Restore Data — Preserve irreplaceable personal information on demand, or on schedule, then restore your information to your new device

Locate and Track — Find your device if it is lost or stolen. View its location on a map; send a text to prompt its return, and use a remote alarm to make it "scream”

Call Blocker and SMS Blocker — Easily filter out spammers, incorrect numbers and unwanted texts

Uninstall Protection — Keep a thief—or another user—from uninstalling the app and accessing your phone when it is lost

Manage your mobile device protection

Remotely manage your mobile security from one central, easy-to-use web portal or even via SMS texts using any smartphone or tablet

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? AWARDS & ACCOLADES ?

- Productivity/Tools Winner and Third overall, Android Developer Challenge 2

- Test Winner – PCTipp Magazine, Sept 2011

- "Software Of The Year 2010," Softwareload

- The Best Smartphone App For Business, Inc., Mar 2010

- "As complete a package of protection as you can hope", PC World, Mar 2010

- App Of The Week, The New York Times, Jan 2010

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? WHY McAFEE MOBILE SECURITY? ?

We keep many of the important details of our lives on our mobile devices and increasingly use them for critical tasks and communications, yet we don’t always think about the importance of mobile security. It is essential to safeguard your privacy and to make sure your personal data doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. Malware is on the move, spreading far beyond personal computers. With the growing popularity of mobile devices comes an increase in mobile viruses , Trojan horses and worms targeting these devices.

With more than 150 million mobile devices protected worldwide, McAfee offers the most robust, comprehensive mobile security solutions in the market today. Protect your identity and your personal life with McAfee Mobile Security.

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? GET SUPPORT ?

Having trouble with McAfee Mobile Security? Visit us at http://service.mcafee.com.

For the latest product updates, remember to follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mcafee and Twitter at www.twitter.com/mcafee.

McAfee Mobile Security Screenshotsby Eric Geier, PCWorld

As threats to mobile devices sharply increase, a good security app can make a huge difference. McAfee Mobile Security, the mobile version of McAfee's desktop software, can help protect your phone or tablet from mobile malware, phishing, and device theft. McAfee provides a free seven-day trial, but requires a $30 yearly subscription if you decide to keep using the service once thereafter.

Once you've installed the app, McAfee Mobile Security will prompt to verify your mobile number and set up a six-digit PIN the first time you run it. After you complete those steps, the main app screen will list shortcuts to each component: Security Scan, App Protection, Call & SMS Filter, Backup, Restore & Wipe, Lock Device, and Web Protection. The entire app is password-protected with your chosen PIN, and you can set the app so that the user can't uninstall it without first entering your PIN.

Security Scan lets you run on-demand malware scans of your apps and device. The antivirus protection also automatically scans installed apps, code from text messages, attachments, and files. App Protection searches for apps that have access to your sensitive data or device functions, and organizes them for you to investigate further; you can then set McAfee to remove suspect apps. McAfee also monitors other apps you install, alerting you to possible privacy issues. Web Protection blocks malicious websites in the Android browser, and it warns you when you receive dubious email or text messages.

You can initiate the app's remote location and antitheft functions from your account on its website or via SMS commands that you send from another phone. You can view your device's location on a map and set off its alarm so you can track the device by sound when it's nearby. You can also lock your lost phone or tablet with a custom message that will prevent someone from using it and yet inform the person about how to return it. You can also wipe your contacts, call logs, text messages, photos, videos, and SD Card if you determine that you won't be able to get your device back.

McAfee Mobile Security's backup feature saves your contacts, text messages, call logs, photos, and videos to McAfee's servers. You can view all of your backups via your account on McAfee's website, and you can reload the messages and contacts from there back onto your device (if you've had to wipe it).

The Call & SMS Filter allows you to block communication with all or select numbers on phones. You can also block all anonymous callers and text messages that contain keywords you specify. McAfee Mobile Security maintains a log that lists all blocked communications.

McAfee Mobile Security also offers SIM card tracking. The app can send out a text message alert when the person in possession of your phone changes the SIM card (thieves often replace the SIM card on a stolen phone so that they can use their mobile number on the handset. You can also always view the device's assigned number via your account on the McAfee website. And you can view device information, such as the device IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number, in case you want to report it to your service provider or to third-party theft databases as stolen.

Both the app and McAfee's Web interface are user-friendly and easy to navigate. My one gripe involves the awkward six-digit PIN that McAfee required me to use. Password-protecting the app is smart, but a four-digit PIN is much more common and a lot easier to remember. Moreover, for phones, McAfee requires you to use your mobile number as the username to access the Web interface, and you have to remember to include your country code (1 for the United States). This requirement doesn't apply to tablets, however--on them, you use your email address as your username.

Overall, McAfee Mobile Security does a good job of protecting Android devices against malware and theft. Nevertheless, its steep price makes it hard to recommend. In contrast, Avast Mobile Security is totally free and contains more antitheft features. AVG Anti-Virus Pro provides very similar protection to what McAfee Mobile Security offers, and you can get it for a one-time payment of $10--much cheaper than the $30 per year that McAfee charges.

Useful 20.0% Stable 0.0% Fun 0.0% Attractive 0.0% Met expectations 0.0%

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McAfee Mobile Security Screenshots

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Eset Smart Security 5 Review: Significantly Improved Protection

Eset Smart Security 5 ($60 for one year and one PC as of January 25, 2012) places seventh in our 2012 roundup of Internet security suites. Smart Security 5 is a significant update of Eset’s suite, and although SmartSecurity 5 still has some room to improve according to our test results, it’s a nice step up from last year’s offering.

In detection of real-world threats, SmartSecurity 5 fully blocked 88.5 percent of malware attacks, and partially blocked another 3.8 percent. Though it ranked behind other suites--many of which fully blocked over 95 percent of attacks--those results are certainly an improvement over last year’s showing. Detection of known malware is the same story: The Eset software stopped 98.02 percent of samples, which is a very good score, but it isn't the best we've seen among this year's highly competitive field. Most other suites we looked at registered detection rates of 99 percent or higher.

The Eset package detected all active infections on our PC and disabled 90 percent of them. It also removed all traces of malware 60 percent of the time, a good but not first-rate result (the leaders in our test group disabled all active infections). To its credit, Smart Security 5 was one of only three suites that didn’t mistakenly identify any safe file as malicious. Eset says that its detection engine does not count corrupted files as malware, which may help it in this regard.

Smart Security 5 had a moderate impact on PC performance. On many of our tests, Eset's PC-speed impact was lower than average compared with the other suites we looked at, but it lagged considerably in a handful of tests. With SmartSecurity 5 installed, our test PC completed our file-download test in 1 minute, 43 seconds; this is the second-slowest performance we saw on that particular test, and it's well behind the average of 53 seconds.

Scan speeds were middling. The Eset suite ran an on-demand scan (which kicks off when you manually start a scan) of 4.5GB of data in 1 minute, 44 seconds, ranking eighth among 14 suites, and its on-access scanner (which starts when you open or save a file) completed its check of 4.5GB in 4 minutes, 12 seconds (ranking fifth).

In the past, we’ve criticized Smart Security for having a frustrating design, especially in its advanced settings. In this version of the product, Eset made most panes and windows easier to navigate, and the basic settings are more accessible. The main panel is clean, attractive, and simple to work with. The advanced settings are still too complex for most people, but Eset has done a better job of surfacing what the majority of users will want to access, while retaining expert-level controls for nerds.

The installer uses a fairly typical wizard to step you through the process. One nice touch: The installer will download any available updates before you install the software, so you'll always have the latest version.

Other suites in this year's test group did a better job of blocking malware--especially in our real-world tests--but if you're an existing Smart Security user, this new version is a must-have upgrade, considering its significantly improved malware detection and blocking, as well as its easier-to-use interface.

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Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security 2012 Review: No-Frills PC Protection

If you’re looking for a suite with a ton of features, Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security 2012 ($70 for one year and three PCs as of January 25, 2012), which finished fifth in our 2012 roundup of security suites, isn’t for you. But if you need a set-and-forget suite that will keep your PC reasonably safe, it may be the right choice.

Trend Micro's suite fully blocked 92.3 percent of malware in our real-world test (which helps determine how well a suite can stop brand-new as-yet unknown malware), and it partially blocked an additional 3.8 percent, landing around the mean for the products we tested. In addition, it detected 97.49 percent of known malware samples. Although that is a decent result historically, Trend Micro lags behind rivals in this regard (most other suites we looked at detected over 99 percent of samples). As for false positives, it identified four safe files out of a pool of 250,000 as potentially malicious. Percentage-wise, that's a negligible false-positive rate, though most other suites managed an even lower number.

Trend Micro’s suite is very effective at cleanup, as it detected and disabled all active infections on our test PC, and removed any and all malware traces for 70 percent of our test samples--a better-than-average result.

In our testing, the cloud-based Trend Micro suite had a generally low impact on system performance. It added 1.5 seconds to system startup, and added only 0.7 seconds to PC shutdown time, as compared to our test PC with no antivirus software installed. On almost every other speed test we ran, it had a smaller-than-average impact on PC performance compared to its rivals.

Unfortunately, its scan speeds were uneven. It finished our on-demand scan of 4.5GB of files in a better-than-average 1 minute, 33 seconds, so when you manually start a scan, you shouldn't have to wait too long for it to finish. On the other hand, it took longer to complete an on-access scan of 4.5GB (5 minutes, 14 seconds) than most other packages did. Trend Micro's poor showing in the on-access scan--which shows how quickly a suite scans files when you open or save them--may be a concern, since it means that you'll probably have to wait longer for files to open.

The fairly basic interface, though well designed, doesn’t offer a lot of settings or options for expert-level users. It's great, therefore, if you're a less-advanced user, or if you just need something that you don't have to mess with for it to work.

Note, too, that this version of Trend Micro's suite is a little light on features; if you like Trend Micro but want more functionality, check out Titanium Maximum Security, the company’s top-of-the-line package.

I suggest giving Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security 2012 a look, but I can't give it an unequivocal "buy" recommendation based on its acceptable-but-not-outstanding malware detection and blocking rates.

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G Data InternetSecurity 2012 Review: Top-Notch Antimalware Protection

Our top pick in our 2012 roundup of Internet security suites is G Data InternetSecurity 2012 ($35 for a one-year, single-PC license as of January 25, 2012). Although its interface isn't terribly friendly to beginners, G Data's suite put up some of the best malware detection and blocking scores in the history of our testing.

G Data InternetSecurity blocked all samples in our real-world tests (which assess how well security software can stop previously unknown threats). It also spotted all but five samples in our “zoo” of 108,869 samples of known malware--the best score we’ve ever seen on this particular test.

In addition, G Data's package had a low false-positive rate, labeling only one known safe file out of a pool of more than 250,000 as possibly dangerous; you don't have to worry about it flagging a good file as bad. It rendered all infections on our test PC inert, and it removed all traces of malware 60 percent of the time.

This suite's impact on PC performance was fairly minimal overall, but it did struggle in a few areas. It finished our on-demand scan test (which measures how quickly a suite can scan 4.5GB of files when you tell it to do so) in an above-average 1 minute, 49 seconds, but its on-access scanner (which kicks in when you open or save files) processed 4.5GB of data in a slow 6 minutes, 41 seconds. By comparison, on average the products we tested completed those tests in 1 minute, 59 seconds and 4 minutes, 48 seconds, respectively.

The G Data suite added less than half of a second to startup and shutdown times as compared to a PC with no antivirus software installed--in both cases, the best result among the products we tested. It also produced a good result in our download test, adding only about 1.5 seconds compared to our test PC without antivirus installed. On the other hand, it slowed our test PC considerably when we loaded Web pages, installed software, or copied files over the network.

G Data's interface isn’t too impressive. Its installer is fairly painless, but it forces you to click through a number of screens and requires you to restart the PC before you can use the software. The main screen isn't significantly different from that of last year's G Data suite, which isn't a good thing. Reaching some commonly used features via the main control panel is difficult, since they’re often hidden in menus. And unless you’re an expert, the settings can be confusing--there are just so many of them. That said, the clearly labeled 'Correct' button that appears when a problem occurs lets you quickly and easily fix any issues that prevent you from being fully protected.

This isn't a perfect security suite, but the package excels where it counts most: stopping malware. If you can put up with some interface annoyances and sluggish scan speeds, G Data InternetSecurity 2012 is definitely a top-notch contender and worth your consideration.

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