Security is nowadays an international issue. And when it comes to computers there are no limits. You already know that your computer can be hacked and messed with. Browsing the Internet is no longer completely safe and you are permanently risking an information leak that can lead to empty bank accounts.

The information on your computer must be protected and security softwares are now all over the place. The one that drew my attention today is Grisoft's AVG Internet Security 7.5. Grisoft needs no introduction as I am sure that you are all familiar with its protection tools (AVG anti-virus - both free and professional versions, anti spyware, anti malware or firewall).

The application is 31.3MB large and the full version costs $69.95. Let's see what the software does for this money. The interface is the traditional AVG one. No pretty-pretties or stuff like that are present in the interface and you will see only the necessary stuff in there. If you still do not like the looks of the basic interface, then you can switch to advanced interface that is more compressed and will take you directly to the features of the software you need. To be frank the basic aspect appeals to me more.

The tool includes an anti-virus, anti-spyware (provides protection against spyware, adware and tracking web activity), anti-spam and a firewall. Each of them will fight the malware attacking your computer.

After installing the software you will be asked to configure the firewall so that there are no problems with the applications that need Internet connection. You can skip this step, as the firewall can be configured inside the software.

All that being settled the software will require restarting your computer in order for the changes to take effect. On the left side of the application window there are the menus of the software and on the right side there are the options. The main application window gives you three options: Scan Computer, Scan Selected Areas and Check for Updates.

The Menus on the left allow you to Switch to Advanced interface, open the Control Center, the Virus Vault and the Test Results. The Control Center is the gate to the anti-spyware, anti-spam, anti-virus and firewall options window. In Virus Vault the user can manage all the threats that have been sent here during the computer scan.

Test Results window's purpose is to give the user the information about the scans performed on the machine. If you right click on one test you can get all the information about the scan. The user will learn the time the software took to perform the scan, the launching method (automatic or manual), the result (number of viruses, of scanned files, threats, cleaned files, deleted, etc.).

In the Control Center, for the Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware tools do not require super special skills, because there is only a problem of updating the database. Things are a little different when it comes to Anti-Spam and Firewall settings.

The Properties window for the spam fighting tool will permit the user to turn on and off the anti-spam protection at whim and modify the subject for the messages. The user can set the score for the messages to be marked as spam (by simply dragging the slider to the left or to right). You also have a Blacklist and Whitelist option where you can add email addresses you allow and those you want to block.

The Performance section enables the user to configure the engine performance settings so that it will not use too much of your memory.

The firewall settings menu contains a series of tabs designed to help the user fully configure the firewall. In Profiles, the user can choose and manage the profiles (Allow all, Block all and Computer in network). The Export option will save your rules and configuration from the current profile into a backup file. Import function will import the configuration from your computer.

The Profile Switch tab provides you with the info about the areas and the assigned profile (can be changed when clicking on it). In Applications section the software lets the user set the firewall applications and view the rules for each of them. You can block an application, allow its accessing the Internet, configure it to ask for permission or set it as advanced. For those applications that have no rules specified you can set a default action: automatically block, allow or ask you for permission. The user can add as many applications as s/he wishes in here, or edit or delete the ones that are already there.

System tab gives you an overview of the system services and protocol rules. These can also be configured as the user wishes.

The Good

The software is easy to be configured and users should find their way through the options with no difficulty. The Control Center provides you the features that are a real help when it comes to protecting your computer.

The Test Results feature is really great. It will permit the user to see when the last scan was performed and its duration. The schedule option is an asset for this type of softwares.

Once you set the rules for the applications, you will not have too much trouble with it.

The Bad

The price is too high for my standards. The firewall gave me some trouble (I could not make it allow my email client to retrieve the messages from the server) and I was not able to make it work right.

The Truth

The truth is that after the firewall experience, I will stop using it until the problem is fixed. As an anti virus tool, the application is useful and the schedule feature makes it even more appealing.

Try it for the 30 days trial period and see what it can do. But do not expect too much from it.

Here are some snapshots of the application in action:


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