Product Description

Protect yourself, your computer, your identity and your family with McAfee Internet Security 2009. With the daily emergence of new and more sophisticated Internet threats that could disrupt your digital life, you need more than a simple anti-virus program. You need McAfee Internet Security 2009 - a comprehensive, feature-rich, and simple-to-use security software.

Identity Protection Shop, bank, and trade online safely 2-way Firewall Protection SiteAdvisor Warns about unsafe web sites SecurityCenter A security status screen with fully customizable options SystemGuards Warns when your computer shows specific behaviors that may signal virus, spyware, or hacker activity Stealth Mode Makes your computer invisible to intruders online Shredder Removes any trace of confidential files from your computer Parental Controls Data Backup Protection without Interference Watch movies or play games uninterrupted as McAfee security service intelligently defers tasks, updates, and alerts when you're in full-screen mode Minimum System Requirements Microsoft Windows 2000 (32-bit) with Service Pack 4 (SP4) or higher, XP (32-Bit) with Service Pack 1 (SP1) or higher, Vista (32 or 64-bit) 256 MB RAM or higher 800 X 600 or higher resolution 150 MB of available free drive space Internet connection Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or later Optional - Mozilla Firefox 1.5 or later For up to 3 users

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #53 in Software
• Brand: McAfee
• Model: MIS09EMB3RAA
• Released on: 2008-09-07
• Platforms: Windows 2000, Windows Vista, Windows XP
• Format: CD-ROM
• Dimensions: 5.40" h x 7.70" w x 1.50" l, .20 pounds

Features

• Enterprise-class Anti-spam--Powerful industry-grade spam protection helps keep your inbox free from unwanted, fraudulent, offensive, and phishing emails
• QuickScan--Checks for threats in the areas of your computer that are most often attacked
• Age Appropriate Searching--Sets the proper content filtering levels of search engines
• Anti-virus/Anti-spyware--Detects, blocks, and removes viruses, spyware, and adware
• Anti-phishing--Alerts you to web sites that may try to steal your identity

Amazon.com
With the daily emergence of new and more sophisticated Internet threats that could disrupt your digital life, you need more than a simple anti-virus program to protect yourself, your computer, your identity and your family. You need McAfee Internet Security 2009--comprehensive, feature-rich, and simple-to-use security software.

Comprehensive, Easy-to-Use PC and Online Protection with Powerful Web Site Safety Advisor

When using popular search engines, McAfee SiteAdvisor's safety ratings appear next to your search results. To see more information about the web site, roll your mouse over any SiteAdvisor safety rating. Click to enlarge.

Easy-to-use, intuitive "security console." Click to enlarge.

New Product Features for 2009

New--Simplified Set-up
Installation is now easier and faster with improved detection and removal of malware that tries to halt the set-up

New--Enterprise-class Anti-spam
Powerful industry-grade spam protection helps keep your inbox free from unwanted, fraudulent, offensive, and phishing emails.

New--QuickScan
Checks for threats in the areas of your computer that are most often attacked

New--Friendly Alerts
Provides you with easy to understand alerts regarding your protection

New--Age Appropriate Searching
Automatically sets the proper content filtering levels of popular search engines

Key Product Highlights

Anti-virus/Anti-spyware
Detects, blocks, and removes viruses, spyware, and adware

Anti-phishing
Alerts you to web sites that may try to steal your identity

Identity Protection
Helps you to shop, bank, and trade online safely

Two-way Firewall Protection
Confidently use the Internet 24/7 knowing hackers can't get access to your PCs

McAfee SiteAdvisor
Warns with color-coded ratings about unsafe web sites

Other Product Features

McAfee SecurityCenter
Provides an easy-to-read security status screen and puts you in control with fully customizable options

McAfee SystemGuards
Warns you when your computer shows specific behaviors that may signal virus, spyware, or hacker activity

Stealth Mode
Makes your computer invisible to intruders from the Internet

Shredder
Allows you to effectively remove any and all traces of confidential files from your computer

Parental Controls
Allows your children to go online safely at times that you define

Data Backup
Automatically saves copies of your most valuable files on a CD/DVD, USB, external, or network drive

Protection without Interference
You can watch movies or play games uninterrupted as McAfee security service intelligently defers tasks, updates, and alerts when you're in full-screen mode

The McAfee Advantage
McAfee's security products use award-winning technology, are easy to install, and come with unlimited email and chat assistance. With continuous and automatic updates, McAfee helps ensure that you are always running the most current security to combat the ever-evolving threats on the Internet for the duration of your subscription.

Customer Reviews

Better than the previous version
I tried the previous version which I considered average, Internet Security 2009 seems to be improved in a number of areas,

Installation was trouble free. McAfee gives you the choice of installing the version on your CD or downloading the most current version. This is a sensible approach, I think. I chose the download it sent smoothly. Even with the downloading, the install went pretty quickly.

For my testing, I installed it on a system running Windows XP SP2 Media Center, having first uninstalled the free Comodo anti-virus and firewall applications running on the machine.

I could not complete the registration/activation process because McAfee's server did not respond. Thus, I was unable to learn if McAfee still forces you to give them a credit card number for automatic renewal of your anti-virus subscription. You weren't able to cancel this forced transaction online: you had to call McAfee. A poor way to do business in my opinion.

McAfee may have changed this policy somewhat. In combing through their Customer Support area, I learned that it may only be online purchasers who get nailed this way.

The problem with an ordinary person testing ant-virus programs is that unlike a formal lab, they may not have a bunch of viruses and malware lurking in their machines. I can tell you that the anti-virus scanning speed appears to be high and doesn't over burden the CPU, which is nice when compared with some other programs, like Norton's.

The Help file will leave most users pretty much in the dark with its brusque explanations. For example, an inexperienced user wanting to change the firewall settings for some reason may quickly be reduced to pulling their hair out.

McAfee, to its credit, does an excellent job of identifying the applications on your machine and setting the right firewall permissions for them. I don't know how it will do when you add new programs to your system.

McAfee has put a lot of features into Internet Security 2009 at a very reasonable price for three users. Some of them, such as the file shredder and file cleaner, aren't mentioned on the box. Neither is the back up program or the network manager. I didn't try any of these features.

Overall, I think Internet Security 2009 is an improved product over last year's version. It seems to execute faster and hog fewer system resources. Happily the number of inrusive pop-ups seems to have been substantialy reduced. For the money, it seems to be a good, solid product.

Jerry

Surfing in the green zone, shredding the "wares"
This version of McAfee offers a whole bundle of features, including some cool stuff that isn't on previous versions. Installation is fast and easy, even though you have to remove your existing anti-virus software, and it doesn't cause application errors or slow down system performance. The single CD in the package can provide protection for up to three computers for one year, after which you need to shell out for the annual fee at the going rate. Installation also offers the option of installing from the CD provided and then updating from the web after installation is completed or downloading the application from the web and then installing.

It has a simple, user friendly appearance and a choice of two interfaces -basic and advanced. It should be noted that some of the options are only available to persons logged in as "administrators" and not to the other users on your computer with limited permissions. If you're the only user you can consider yourself promoted to Administrative level.

"So what does it DO?" enquiring minds want to know. Well, here goes.

1. It provides a firewall as your computer's first line of defense against identity theft, viruses, spyware, spam, hackers and other bad things that go "bump" in cyberspace. There's a "lockdown" feature that stops all internet access with one click.

2. It makes web-surfing safer by rating your search results, as well as the sites you visit, using a color code. Green = safe; Yellow = caution; Red = get the heck out of there NOW. (Works with Google, Yahoo! And MSN searches.)

3. Automatic updates and upgrades

4. Stops viruses in their tracks, as well as worms, Trojans and other slimy things, and then automatically cleans or quarantines the little boogers. The QuickScan feature patrols the vulnerable areas of your computer to check for threats.

5. Offers you a "stealth mode" that blocks incoming network connections so you can lurk on the internet without being detected by hackers.

6. Blocks spyware, adware, and other bad "wares" from stealing your log-ins and passwords, tracking your cookies, or filling your screen with pop-ups.

7. Keeps your computer uncluttered with a QuickClean system that takes out the trash, such as temporary files, cached files, lost file fragments, deleted e-mail messages and other undesirable junk.

8. It includes a "Shredder" for permanently deleting top secret documents such as love letters or romantic poems penned under the influence. To make it even cooler, there are three different shredding levels.

9. Automatically recognizes spam, phish and scams, fake virus messages and all that weird foreign language stuff, and stops it from filling your in-box

10. Provides different levels of blocking depending on the age or maturity level of your child. It has easy to understand settings like "young child", "child", "younger teen", "older teen" or "adult". Age appropriate searching makes sure that the safety filters of some popular search engines are enabled. It uses keyword filtering and even blocks offensive images.

11. Provides an automatic back-up feature which requires the installation of Microsoft.net Framework 1.1

12. Tactfully defers certain updates and alerts while you're watching movies or playing games in full-screen mode to prevent interruptions.


Recommended for PCs and small networks, families with internet-savvy kids and people who like to go into sites marked with 3 X's.



Amanda Richards, October 15, 2008

Solid Contender
I am a recent convert to McAfee's internet security solution and I have recently upgraded from the 2008 version to the 2009 version. I was impressed with the VAST inprovements McAfee has made to their product line to the point that I have found myself recommending their products to people looking for a reasonable solution. With the move to 2009 I was anxious to see what other improvements McAfee has made. There are some updates and improvements, but these seem to be minor.

I have two computers, one of which runs Vista Home Premium and the other runs XP Home. Both were running the 2008 version. On the XP box, the installation was smooth and seamless, and after a reboot all was well. The Vista machine had some issues, though, during the installation of each component, where it would complain about a file that either had an invalid path or that could not be overwritten. I was offered a Retry/Cancel dialog box, and in every case the Retry button worked, but having to click over and over again during installation was annoying. I am assuming it was because it was an upgrade, not a fresh install, though both machines were upgrades. After the Vista install was complete, there were no more headaches.

I was pleased to see that my settings for the 2008 version were retained for the 2009 version.

I noticed something unpleasant between the systems that grabbed my attention, but only because I was looking for differences. The memory usage on the Vista computer is MUCH lower than that on the XP system, for reasons unknown. That said, the performance does not seem to be appreciably different.

On the same note, I have noticed that with the 2009 version installed the XP system ran faster than it did with the 2008 version loaded. The Vista machine's performance seems to be unchanged.

Next I will discuss the firewall, as that seems to be where the majority of noticeable changes have occurred. With the 2008 version, there were several settings for the firewall that could be made with the adjustment of a slider control. These level settings ranged between Off, Trusting, Standard, Tight, Stealth, and Lockdown (or some minor variation there of - I did not write these down before I upgraded). With the 2009 version, these have been replaced with just three slider settings - Automatic, Standard and Stealth. Lockdown is in a different area. The reduced number of options is not necessarily a bad thing, and I suspect it now matches the actual usage patterns that are prevalent in the software's usage. I always set mine to Stealth and saw no reason to change. When I tested the firewall for security, I was unable to locate a test that caused the firewall to fail, and I was pleased that the firewall prevented my computer from responding to any kind of probe or echo requests.

I discovered a curiosity in the firewall's application filters. The filters allow you to set up access rules for any and all applications on your system which is very handy when you have a useful application that you want to keep from accessing the network (such as Acrobat Reader, in my case). After the upgrade several applications in the rule sets that were still loaded on my system were listed as no longer installed. I am not sure what happened there, and I deleted these errant rules. I believe these were probably cosmetic issues, but regardless it was something that drew my attention.

The antivirus seems to be virtually unchanged between the 2008 and 2009 versions. The antivirus is very thorough and stable, doing an excellent job of scanning the system. I discovered a check box in the AV settings, that allows you to specify minimal resource usage during a scan. The information help that comes with it states very clearly that AV scanning is a low-priority background task when this option is taken, and it seems to work very much as advertised. With this option checked, McAfee's AV is absolutely the slowest AV I have ever used (600,000 files in 3.5 hours), but it also is so gentle on system resources that it does not impact anything and you might not know it's running except for the animated scanning icon in the system tray.

The parental controls in McAfee's suite are, in my opinion, nearly useless. If you want to block anything, you have to specify that you want it blocked, so there is no pregenerated list of URLs. Keyword filtering is a more useful aspect of the filter system, yet it still requires some manual entry.

I like the site advisor, which provides some clues as to the safety of the web sites you visit. It does not prevent you from going there, but it does tell you when you have found a potentially harmful site. That says that McAfee is tracking some kind of URL set, yet it does not make the set available to the parental control component which is unfortunate.

The antispam component does a fair job of catagorizing email, though I elected to turn it off because I use a different antispam product. With the standard settings, I find that determination of spam is a little trigger-happy but not unreasonable.

I played with the "Manage Network" component and like the mapping of the network topology. Though it is not something I personally need, it is undoubtedly useful to system administrators who need to see the lay of the land at a quick glance.

With McAfee Internet Security installed on both machines, I have seen no appreciable issues and my systems are well protected. I like the firewall configuration and I really like the fact that the antivirus is so gentle on the system when scanning. The other components in the system - with the exception of the parental controls - are sufficient protection for home and SOHO users, though not all are features I use. I am comfortable recommending this package based on my positive experience with it - it is a fine solution for anyone wishing to protect their system without bringing it to its knees.