Consumer Reports' Annual Test of Security Products

[Negative]

Consumer Reports just released its annual test of security software (both suites and stand-alone programs). Its hands-down overall winner: Trend Micro.

- For complete suites: Trend Micro’s PC-cillin Internet Security 2007 first place (with a score of 81), Check Point’s ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 7.0 second (75), McAfee’s Total Protection 2007 third (72). The biggest loser: Symantec (Norton 360 and Norton Internet Security 2007 both score 62).

- For stand-alone anti-virus software: Trend Micro first (81), Check Point second (79), MS’s OneCare (Vista) third (76). For those of us using free software: Avast and AVG score the worst of all 12 tested (55 for Avast and 53 for AVG).

- For stand-alone antispyware: Trend Micro first (82), Sunbelt’s CounterSpy 2 second (79). When it comes to free software: Windows Defender scores 69 (the #7 spot), Spybot scores 60 (#10 out of 12 candidates). The biggest loser here: Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware SE Plus with a score of 48.