A Review of Trend Micro Internet Security Pro 2009

I have long been a fan of Trend Micro's line of defence products for Microsoft operating systems. Their slimline, efficient antivirus software has long been top-shelf in my opinion. Trend Micro's newest security package, Trend Micro Internet Security Pro 2009, comes bundled with antivirus, anti-spyware, parental controls, a personal firewall and assorted tools. Lets find out if these features can justify the footprint of internet security software.

If purchasing this software via the internet, the user needs to first download the TM download manager in-order to begin the IS Pro 2009 download. This seems a bit redundant as this is not a site that would be frequented for new software, perhaps once or twice a year at most. IS Pro 09 as well as other TM software contain their own update downloader so it does not assist in this area either. A download manager is just a flat-out bad choice for semi annual downloads.

Upon installation the user is prompted to create a TM account. I know that this helps Trend Micro fight against internet piracy caused by overpriced software...but who wants a username and password for each piece of software? Aside from big brother standing over our collective shoulder, the install goes without a hitch and I am ready to test out our new software.

The first step after installing a piece of software, especially security and anti-malware, is to download and install any available updates. Trend Micro can update your software automatically just as any other security software on the market today. This is a great feature to utilize and can be found in the Other Settings and Subscription pane. You can also check for updates at anytime from the Overview pane. The one key issue that I hold with the update process occurs during the installation of a firewall update. A firewall is the software that protects your computer from malware trying to enter via all the gaping holes in the incoming and outgoing network connections. During the installation of said update the firewall is temporarily shutdown so that that files can be changed. For this brief moment the computer is left completely open to incoming threats unless protected by a network firewall. This sort of update should only be done during a restart before the network services are initialized. This prevents malware from slipping in while the protection is down. Not a very good choice on the part of the developers.

It is important for a user to have the ability to run scans on the fly in case a potential infection occurs during normal use of the computer. Although the IS Pro 09 scans are quite bloated in there memory usage, taking up 22 megabytes on top of the average 33 megabytes to run the live protection, they are also quite fast. The quick scan only hits folders that are highly targeted by malware and is done in about five minutes. The full system scan, hitting all folders on the main drive, is done in about forty-five minutes. This is of course partially dependent upon the size of the drive and the amount of files present. These quick scans are a huge plus, enabling users to prevent problems by making reaction quick and easy.