A General Observation On Internet Security Suites

My new laptop came with a trial version Norton Internet Security Suite that expires in 60 days which I plan to use up. While I believe this is a good product, I also believe that it is quite taxing on the resources and its close integration with IE and Outlook Express does me no good as I use Firefox and Thunderbird. In researching for a replacement product, I've come to the only advantage to getting a suite is the idea of having security products that worked closely together and managed under one control panel. What I have concluded is that this is not the case: Most of these products are packaged together, with some of the components acquired by purchasing 3rd party products (or their companies) or licensing agreements. In their rush to market, full integration was either ignored or left to future upgrades. This is especially true of Microsoft OneCare, Norton and ZoneAlarm.

Personally I would rather simplify everything into one package. I'm not interested in separately maintaining a firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware. From that perspective its easy to understand why these suites are being marketed and sold as such. What I am concern with is that I am not getting the best of breed. For example, ZoneAlarm is using Computer Associates' anti-virus and anti-spyware products. Fine but are these really good products? How are these products working together and even more important how are they not (e.g. resource sharing)? Microsoft OneCare is another weird one: Defender is free and be installed prior to installing OneCare.

Base on this conclusion I really don't see any reason of using a combination of freeware and purchased products. Overall I want something that gives me the best protection but without sucking up my resources.

What do you think?

 

I do not like suites. They are bloated and hog resources. They fall into the "jack of trades ace of none" motto. I prefer to use small lightweight tools that do one thing and do it very well. I reccomend NOD-32, MS Defender and a router. If you really want a software firewall, I would look at Kerrio, but I don't think a software firewall is necessary and adds a lot of complexity to your system.

As for maintaining these, there really is no need for that. If the system is setup properly, you should not have to do anything.

 

HA! We agree on something related to security? Amazing. But that's a GREAT motto, and very true to suites. Very few (if any) suite can do everything well. I love that phrase.

The best way to go (even if it is not all-in-one) is separate programs for desired functions. I second the NOD32 recommendation as being excellent at resource use. Windows firewall (or defender) will be fine for a firewall, and Ad Aware, Spybot Search and Destroy, or Webroot Spysweeper will work for Antispyware software.

 

Kaspersky's internet security suite is a good option. KAV2006 is light on resources like NOD32 and the suite is pretty nice. I don't usually use suites ither as i also prefer individual programs for individual tasks as usually there is someone that does a certain task better then the other.