Trend Micro Internet Security Pro Reviewer's Comments
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Trend Micro Internet Security Pro, formally known as PC-cillin, is a vast offering of useful security and PC upkeep utilities for the home user that will keep your system clean and running well.
A system tuner that offers the ability to back up your system state, clean your registry, delete tracking cookies and remove browsing history is part of the Pro Services portion of Trend Micro’s program as well as several other offerings.
Internet Security Pro also offers a high end firewall and virus scanner along with online safety utilities such as a data vault and wireless network security utility.
Firewall:
The firewall included with Trend Micro Internet Security Pro is easy to use and very effective. It has several profiles that are available to adjust your security level including Home Network, Office Network, Direct Connection and Wireless Connection. These all change the firewall rules to different levels and settings depending on the danger associated with each type of connection.
In the event that you need a custom configuration for you connection, there is an option to create a new profile that is geared for your specific connection type and needs. Most people won't actually need this capability though since the firewall software is smart and each of the pre-built profiles are designed to work with most common software.
During our testing of the firewall, we used the Office Network profile. It allowed all of our programs to work without issue, but blocked both incoming and outgoing scans on our test box. It also blocked all of our shadow port scans and prevented mass mailing from the test machine. Overall, the firewall blocked just over 95% of our probes and 100% of our malicious outbound data. While this may all sound like technical double-speak, it simply means that this is one of the best firewall solutions we have tested to date and should be a great addition to your home computer security.
Antivirus:
Trend Micro's antivirus scanner is a top notch scanner that detected 100% of the viruses that we had planted on the test system during install. Its real-time scanner caught all the viruses we tried to create or introduce on the test machine as well. Our test machine was not slowed down by the real-time scanner in a noticeable way though it did miss a few uncompiled virus files. Considering these files posed no threat to the system, this isn't a big issue. However, the full scanner did slow the system down by an estimated 50% which was more than we expected. This may not make your computer impossible to use during a full scan but we wouldn’t advise doing anything more than surfing the web or using a word processor during the scanning period.
One thing we really liked about the virus scanner is that it updates every 3 hours by default. You can also change the update setting to update every hour if you wish. The updates don't require any user intervention and have yet to require a reboot.
We did notice one issue that caused some concern. We performed a full scan on the system that the program didn't think finished. Because it did not appear to finish, the program would not allow updates. The only way to fix this was to reboot. This could cause problems if the problem isn't noticed.
Antispyware:
The antispyware features in Trend Micro Internet Security Pro are sufficient to keep you safe while surfing the net. By default, the software will search all incoming and outgoing email for spyware threats as well as watch for threats from your home or office network.
We were concerned that web mail from clients like Yahoo and Hotmail, and instant messaging attachments were not scanned by default, but the option is available in the configurations menu. We were also surprised that the contents of compressed files were not searched for spyware by default.
Other Security/Features:
The other features included with Trend Micro Internet Security Pro are what make this suite really shine. Features like parental controls, password protection for your settings, a system tuner tool and a transaction protector that integrates with Internet Explorer make this suite’s extra features second to none.
The system tuner tool is comprehensive in that it scans for recoverable disk space, checks the registry for unused and unneeded entries and removes cookies and browser history. We were fine with most of what it does, but when it starts playing with the system registry and not telling us what it is doing, we get itchy. The registry checker included with Trend Micro Internet Security Pro doesn't provide any safety information and doesn't let you know what it has removed when it makes registry edits. However, it does create a system restore point which can help if there is an issue, but is still a safety issue.
There is a Remote File Lock utility that is included as well. What this does is create a vault that is password protected. If your computer is stolen, you can log into the Trend Micro website and report it stolen. If the computer logs on to the Internet again, the your files will be locked down so that the bad guys can't get to them. This also applies if they have your file vault password. The only problem that we can see with Remote File Lock, is that it requires that the computer connect to the Internet before the files lock down.
Ease of Use:
Trend Micro Internet Security Pro is very easy to use. It performs most of its initial configuration based on a few questions it asks you during install. The menus and options are intuitive and well labeled, though some of them use different terminology than other programs. This isn't really a big issue though once you look at the program for a few minutes. In all, you could probably avoid having to touch the software after the initial configuration.
Ease of Installation/Setup:
Installation of Trend Micro Internet Security Pro is easy and to the point. It can take some time to complete, but doesn't require a reboot to complete setup. This saves time and aggravation if you are working on something while the program is installing. One downfall of the installation process is that it doesn't update and scan as part of the installation. You have to either wait for the next automatic update in 3 hours, or do it on your own. This latest release of Internet Security Pro is available for Windows XP-Vista, including Tablet PC editions of Windows.
Uninstalling Internet Security Pro was not as smooth as the installation. It left behind several registry entries and took nearly 15 minutes to complete. It also updated in the middle of the uninstall for some reason.
Help/Support:
Trend Micro Internet Security Pro offers great help and support options. There is a help option on the main window that has links to everything you need. The in-program help is comprehensive and includes things such as a FAQ, getting started guide and a how to section. There is also online help available that includes an automated help guide, live chat, email support and phone support.
Summary:
Trend Micro Internet Security Pro is an above average program that offers everything you will need to stay safe while surfing the web. The firewall is intuitive and easy to configure while the antivirus engine is thorough and effective. The interface is easy to use, but has some issues wish displaying certain screens. Some screens have about 1/4 to 1/2 of the screen cut off for some reason.
In the overall scheme of things, Trend Micro Internet Security Pro is a good product that needs some more work to make it to the top of the pack.
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