The Best 2012 Security Suites

More than half of the major security vendors have released their 2012 security suites already, counting both those with "2012" in the name and those released since the first 2012 edition appeared. Their prices range from under $40 to almost $90, but the most expensive aren't necessarily the most effective. Even though quite a few haven't been updated yet, a couple of clear winners have emerged. Some of the seucrity suites of 2012 are as follows.

AVG Internet Security 2012

$54.99, direct; $68.99 for three licenses
Performance tests showed this suite has only a small impact on system performance, and its antivirus protection is very good. However, the other suite components don't measure up to the antivirus, which you can obtain for free as a standalone product.

Bitdefender Total Security 2012

$79.95 direct for 3 licenses
Bitdefender Total Security 2012 offers all the features you could want in a mega-suite, but it does its job silently. All of its components are good. Some, like phishing protection, are great. This is a good choice for those who want protection without drama.

BullGuard Internet Security Suite 12

$59.95 direct for three licenses
The best part of this suite is its real-time protection against malware attack. The flexible online and local backup system is also nice. But many of the other components just aren't up to snuff. 

ESET Smart Security 5

$59.99, direct; $79.99 for three licenses
This suite has some good points. The labs like it, it didn't put much of a drag on the test system, and malware cleanup was mostly good in my tests. However, other sub-par components make it a poor choice.

G Data InternetSecurity 2012

$44.95 direct for three licenses
Some of this suite's features are very good, others not so good. If your needs match the good ones and not the bad ones it's quite a bargain, significantly less expensive than the average suite.

Kaspersky Internet Security 2012

$79.95 direct for three licenses
The independent labs love Kaspersky's antivirus protection, but it fared poorly in many tests. Its firewall is impressive, and the Safe Run sandboxing feature protects the system from questionable files and Web sites, but the antispam and antiphishing features failed to impress. Choose this suite if its strong points align with your needs.

Norton Internet Security 2012

$69.99 direct for three licenses
Some suites are good at just one thing, but Norton is a jack of all trades. Powerful antivirus protection, smart firewall, accurate antispam? It all works well.

Outpost Security Suite Pro 7.5

$49.95/year direct for 3 licenses
In this industry, if you're not actively advancing your technology you're going backward. The latest Outpost suite offers better performance and better malware blocking than its predecessor, but that's all the progress I could see. I can't recommend this suite.

Panda Global Protection 2012

$79.99/year direct for three licenses
Panda Global Protection 2012 includes all the features you expect in a suite plus backup, system tuneup, and some unusual extras. Unfortunately, just about every component doesn't measure up to the competition.

Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security 2012

$59.95, direct; $79.95 for three licenses
This suite's backup and file sync feature is both powerful and flexible, vastly better than the average suite. Antispam is also great, and it offers a number of useful extras. However, its core antivirus protection rates poorly in my test and independent tests.

TrustPort Total Protection 2012

$89.95 for three licenses
TrustPort Total Protection 2012 tops the charts for malware detection, but it can't properly clean up what it detects. Its much-improved firewall is strong against Web-based exploits, but its antiphishing, antispam, and parental control components aren't effective. You can do better.

Webroot SecureAnywhere Complete

$79.95 direct for three PC and three mobile licenses
Webroot SecureAnywhere Complete is the smallest and lightest security suite ever. It does lack parental control and antispam, but not everyone needs those and its antivirus protection is superb. Its third-party licensed online backup and password management are also very good.

ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 2012

$79.95 direct for 3 licenses

While its antispam and antivirus scores have slipped since the last version, ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 2012 offers a powerful firewall, excellent parental control, and ForceField browser virtualization as well as whole disk encryption. If its strengths match your needs it can be a great choice.