I believe the mention of Anti-Virus software is going to get people thinking about cost, slow down of computers and the mentality of “I can get free version of Anti-Virus software on the Internet anytime”.
Although it is true that there are free ones around, it is important to know if you are using the ones that can prevent current threats. Nowadays, although users can still rely on virus definition files to prevent virus from entering their computers. The challenge is whether they can update their local virus definition fast enough to protect them against latest new threats, which is created every 1.5 sec. There are also other threats that you also need to take care.
For example,
- Banking Trojans
- Botnet Warfare
- Personal Data Theft
- Targeted Attacks using Email
- Search Engine Poisoning
With the advance in Technology, viruses are no longer the ONLY threat. In fact, I am sure that you have encountered numerous types of threat everyday. The question is “What if one day I fall into their traps?”
So, getting a suitable software to counter such threats is important. However, in my own experiences, there are compromises. Example like it takes forever to update the software to prevent latest threats; or it slows down your processor as it is also taking up your computer resources; it takes a long time to scan the computer and etc.
According to Trend Micro report, there are 1 new threat every 1.5 secs. 92% of the threat come from the web.
So, that brings me to the main subject. The review of Trend Micro latest Titanium Maximum Security software.
Features
Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security Features: –
- Strong protection — uses cloud security technology and real-time antivirus scanning to defend you immediately, without waiting for updates and downloads
- Easy to use and understand Internet security — has friendly display screens and set-it-and-forget-it simplicity
- Light demands on your PC’s resources — has a small “footprint” so it doesn’t affect computer performance
Installation
You don’t need to be an expert to install. Just a few clicks and after entering the security key, it will be installed automatically.
Usage
Actually, after the installation, there is no need to touch it anymore. It is running on the background. Here is a look at the main console.
However, my advice is to take a few minutes to go through the setup. If you have children using the same computer, do setup the Parental Controls.
There are also other tools that you can or want to setup.
If you are always shopping online, I do suggest you setup the Data Theft Prevention. By setting up this feature, it prevents hackers and spyware from stealing sensitive data like credit card information. It can also prevent children from accidentally sending out sensitive information.
For those who wish to store sensitive files, you can use the Trend Micro Vault feature. It is a password protected folder for you to keep the information. If your computer is reported stolen, even with the correct password, the user will not be able to access.
Finally, the Secure Erase feature will erase your file permanently. For your information, when you delete a file, it just prevents the directory from locating it. With the correct tool, you can still locate that file. However, with the Secure Erase feature, it will delete it by overwriting the file with random data for 7 times so that the data is really erased (in this case overwritten).
But I guess many people are interested to know how does Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security update itself against threat. According to Trend Micro, 80% of the threats are web-based. Therefore, Trend Micro only download 20% of the virus definition to your computer. That will dramatically reduce the PC resources.
I did pose a question to them on how external (non Web Based) threat are being handled since 80% of the virus definition are cloud based. The answer is actually quite simple. The 20% of the virus definition downloaded to the computer will be able to handle such threats.
And because the updating of the virus definition is being done in the background, there is no notification or annoying updates for you to click to download. Everything is done in the background.
Some information on how Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security does its job.
The non-Trend Micro Security Approach
The Trend Micro Security Approach
And here is the illustration on how Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security works.
Of course, if you are still a little unsure on why Trend Micro might be suitable for you. Trend Micro Titanium products and their ENT security products are using the same security technology platform which is used to protect large organizations in the FSI (Financial Security Insurance) industry, Government bodies, Education Sector etc.
Facebook Contest
BTW, Trend Micro is conducting a contest on Facebook from now until 28th February 2011. The grand prize is a private movie screening at GV Vivocity.The more referral you make to register at Trend Micro Facebook page, the higher chance you can win the grand prize.