Norton Internet Security 2010 review

Norton Internet Security is one of the big names in online protection. This latest version builds on the changes of the 2009 version, which delivered a reduced footprint and faster installation, and now adds extra features.

This suite offers everything you need from an Internet Security Suite, so you'll find a fast and efficient anti-virus engine, anti-phishing and other spyware tools, a two-way firewall to prevent hackers, as well as a set of parental controls.

This is a comprehensive package, but what you won't find are PC tune-up tools.

Easy installation

The first thing we noticed about this suite was how quickly it installed, as the software was up and running in less than five minutes. The interface has the standard controls down the left-hand side, with details appearing in a central pane.

If you've ever wondered how much impact scanning has on system performance, there is even a neat little usage monitor, with most scans using around 12 per cent on our dual-core Intel Pentium system with 2048MB of memory.

When it comes to scanning, the engine is fast and doesn't impact on allowing you to keep working.

Of the new features, the new Quorum engine is the most impressive. This database works in the background, checking any sites or downloads you're about to access against its user-generated database. If it finds anything suspicious you'll be alerted.

There is a degree of lag involved in this, but we expect this engine to become more effective over time.

Safe Web, first seen in Norton 360, has been added to this package. This browser based tool works on the same basis as Quorum, by gathering user-generated content about websites, giving them a trusted rating. It's not a foolproof system, but if you like to stray away from the more obvious sites, then it's worth checking out.

Norton Internet Security 2010 remains an incredibly effective solution and offers plenty of tools for the price.

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