Review: Grisoft AVG Internet Security

Grisoft may be well known for its free AVG antivirus software for both Windows and Linux, but this is just the tip of the iceberg as there is a much wider range of software offering more in-depth protection.

AVG Internet Security sits at the top of the Grisoft list with protection against viruses, spyware and spam as well as a firewall and email scanner.

The main interface window is clearly laid out and lists the different elements of protection with icons to show whether or not they are enabled and working.

The email scanner is worthy of note because although it comes with specific plug-ins for Outlook, Eudora and The Bat, it can also provide protection for all email clients thanks to the fact it sets up its own POP3 server on the computer.

All emails arriving on the computer, regardless of email client, are therefore scanned. Scanning takes place for both viruses and spam; the latter is marked as such in the offending email's subject, so a rule must be set up in the email client to send it to a spam folder.

The firewall pop-ups appear right in the middle of the screen, unlike ZoneAlarm and McAfee which prefers them to stay in the bottom right hand corner. Positioning is largely a matter of taste but we prefer it to be obvious due to the potential importance. The window also appears on top of everything else on the desktop so it is hard to miss.

In terms of information displayed, you don't get as much as with some competitor firewalls. More details can be shown about the program requesting access to the web, but this is just the full path to the application and the remote address it's attempting to access. There is no online database of software as there is with Zone Alarm to check the nature of the software, which is a shame.

Our only other worry was that it didn't warn when a program was started for the first time after an update. Some form of warning if an executable file has changed is important in case the alteration was the action of a virus.

Systems scans can be set to run at a scheduled time. If the computer isn't switched on at the specified time, the scan will run when the user next logs in. This is a very useful option, especially for home users, as they may not use the computer at a regular time each day.

Scanning can take some time (a Windows installation of around 30GB took over an hour and a half to complete) but didn't affect performance too much.

Overall, AVG Internet Security is a comprehensive suite with some useful tools and the £42 price includes two years of updates.

Also consider:
PC-Cillin Internet Security 2007
Internet and system security suite for home computers and networks

McAfee Total Protection 2007
A suite offering full security both on and offline

PC Tools Spyware Doctor 4
Spyware tackled with this efficient scanning technology

All antivirus and firewall reviews

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