Trend Micro Internet Security scores well in tests that evaluate its abilities against its competition, protecting users against zero-day malware attacks while being compatible with Mac, Android and Chromebook devices along with Windows desktops.
Main UI includes links for Family (Parental Controls), Data (Folder Shield, Secure Erase and the Vault) and Privacy (Privacy Scanner and Social Media Protection), although use of latter feature requires installing a browser plugin separately.
Antivirus
Trend Micro’s dashboard presents virus definitions, scans and updates in an easy-to-read display, while its interface offers big icons with clear descriptions of your security status.
The main menu allows for quick, full or custom scans of drives or individual folders, using behavior-based analysis instead of conventional signature-based detection methods. This focuses on what malicious programs actually do rather than what they look like and can detect new infections not yet included in malware databases. During tests this approach performed exceptionally well against zero-day attacks – malware that exploit vulnerabilities in Windows that take days for Microsoft to address.
Other features of Trend Micro include password storage and auto-fill, password generator and secure file vault storage. In addition, Trend Micro’s program protects against ransomware extortion Trojans which encrypt files before demanding payment in exchange for decrypting them; Trend Micro claims it can detect and neutralize these threats in real time; however it doesn’t offer the ability to restore encrypted files later.
Firewall
Trend Micro Internet Security’s Firewall feature helps keep hackers and spyware from accessing and stealing your data, protecting it against ransomware and ransomware attacks, while using malware detection technology to check all programs, websites, files and files entering your PC. In addition, Trend Micro includes tools designed to keep passwords safe and stop fake apps as well as prevent phishing scams from entering.
It performed an efficient scan, taking less than 44 minutes in our tests – well below industry averages. Furthermore, it prevents multiple malware scanners from interfering with each other and integrates seamlessly with Windows Defender’s built-in firewall to add an extra layer of protection.
This program features an intuitive and user-friendly interface with large icons and an easily identifiable Scan button, providing options to run quick, full or custom scans as well as schedule them daily or weekly. The settings page features an intuitive layout with clear descriptions of options and helpful tooltips; Parental Controls features can protect specific browsers while it can also detect suspicious links sent via email and social media.
Parental Controls
The user interface (UI) of Secure My Files is extremely straightforward. Just one quick button allows for scanning of your device, while Data tab enables encryption or destruction of files. Another button launches a secure web browser that augments your current browser to allow secure transactions without risk (similar to VPN).
The Family tab gives you an easy way to monitor and limit your children’s device usage and access to programs and the Internet. You can add programs and set a daily time limit as well as apply these settings across each child account linked with software.
Parental Controls allows you to filter websites based on age groups for children ranging from 3-7, pre-teen (8-12) and teens (13-17). Additionally, you can choose to block sites containing inappropriate images; restrict children from watching age-restricted YouTube channels/videos; and monitor what information about your kids is being shared via social media and optimize their Facebook privacy settings using Privacy Checkup.
Anti-Spyware
Trend Micro Internet Security features an intuitive Windows interface that makes it simple and straightforward for any user to navigate. In our antimalware tests, it ranked highly at keeping malware and adware off your system while performing exceptionally in our real-time malware testing, stopping a significant percentage of threats before they download onto and run on your PC.
In our tests, it proved itself several percentage points better than industry average in blocking so-called ‘Zero-Day Malware,’ an attack against unpatched Windows vulnerabilities which typically take up to five days for Microsoft to patch. Furthermore, its anti-ransomware capabilities were superb: stopping many files before they could encrypt your data and demand a fee from you in exchange for decrypting them.
The Settings menu allows you to set and update scanning and update schedules, but does not offer manual scan scheduling capabilities. Parental Controls gives access to Family Safety, which keeps tabs on your kids’ online activity and prevents them from accidentally downloading malware. Furthermore, it provides an easy way of blocking programs at specific times so they do not disrupt homework or other important tasks for children.
Malware Protection
Malware Protection cleans out programs, cookies, and personal data that clog your computer or cellphone and slow its performance. It scans for weak points in both operating system and applications where hackers could access your device – offering more advanced security tools such as password managers, parental controls and identity theft monitoring with higher-priced subscriptions.
Trend Micro’s behavior-based detection system works differently from most antivirus products; instead of searching for known parts of malware, as most products do, Trend Micro uses behavior analysis to detect threats not currently in its databases and prevent false positives.
Windows interface of Kaspersky Anti-Malware Pro features an inviting design and is straightforward to navigate, with simple slider controls for how aggressively it scans and blocks websites, along with custom schedule options and limiting how many resources it uses during operations. Furthermore, Kaspersky also protects against fileless malware that lives in memory, tech support scams and cryptocurrency mining threats; plus provides “Folder Shield” technology to add extra protection for sensitive folders.