PCIS does good job in fighting nasties

If you aren't sporting internet security software of some sort on your computer these days, you're paddling in shark-infested waters.

So much malicious code is circulating on the web that anyone with an internet connection, and especially those on broadband, will eventually be on the receiving end of some unwanted virus, worm or spyware program.

At the worst it could put your entire system out of action.

A modest investment in a package that takes care of everything - firewall protection, anti-virus and anti-spam - will keep you reasonably safe, as long as you download the latest security patches for Microsoft's products and update your system with the latest virus definitions.

The consumer internet security market has three major players - Symantec, McAfee and Trend Micro - all of which have comprehensive packages in the market.

A Norton and McAfee user for years, I decided to uninstall Norton Internet Security 2005 to test-drive Trend Micro's latest PC-cillin package. The results were impressive.

PC-cillin is well known for its anti-virus protection and that strength continues with PCIS 2005.

A 46-minute scan after installation picked up seven viruses that Norton Internet Security had missed.

The installation time is relatively short and PCIS isn't memory-intensive. It will take up 100MB on your hard disk and won't slow down other programs it interacts with. This is important. Some rivals take up a lot of space and can churn away while files are scanned for infection.

In PCIS, everything is controlled from a central panel that is functional but not nearly as user-friendly as Norton's or even McAfee's.

PCIS often makes you go through several layers of menus and view several dialogue boxes. Its presentation could be simplified slightly.

As has become standard with security products, in PCIS green icons mean your system is clean and red icons signal infection. The main elements of the package are divided into sections - firewall, anti-virus, anti-spam and anti-spyware.

The firewall will scan internet traffic to and from your computer looking for potential threats and can be adjusted for your network settings.

Manual and automatic scans of your files will search for viruses. Detected nasties will be removed or quarantined. Your POP3 mail and the attachments of webmail services will also be scanned for viruses.

On its default setting the spam filtering worked well, delivering zero "false positives" - where legitimate email is mistakenly diverted to your spam folder.

A new feature protects users against "phishing" attacks, where fraudsters dupe web surfers into entering their financial details into web forms. PCIS is also equipped to secure wireless networks.

All up, PCIS is an impressive package. It's cheaper than the competition and has strong anti-virus protection. Its firewall, anti-spam and anti-spyware functions are on a level with the competition. 

Trend Micro PC-cillin

Pros: Easy set-up, strong anti-virus protection, relatively cheap.
Cons: Confusing user interface.
Price: $118.
Herald Rating: 4/5.