AhnLab V3 Internet Security is a comprehensive security tool that protects your computer from any kind of online threat, including viruses, worms, hackers, Trojans, spam and phishing. The program features a nicely designed interface with different sections for the specifically protected areas: system, network, content and email, as well as some system tweaking options.

Though this may all sound too complicated for you, the good thing about AhnLab V3 Internet Security is that it's quite easy to use, includes links to the correspondent settings menu on each separate function and is also thoroughly documented.

In a way AhnLab V3 Internet Security reminds me of the Windows Security Center, as you can control pretty much all security options from a single, centralized interface. That said, this is the kind of application you need to try it for a certain period of time in order to fully test its performances.

AhnLab V3 Internet Security protects your computer against all sorts of online threats.

Download AhnLab V3 Internet Security 8.0 in Softonic

Common computer hazards like viruses, malware, spam or phishing attacks can be really difficult to overcome once they've gotten into your computer's system. That's why it's so essential to have a proper office security application installed on your PC to keep it safe.

Kaspersky Small Office Security keeps your PC safe and also covers other fronts. In order to use all manner of programs on your computer without compromising security, Kaspersky Small Office Security has other protection measures available for your small business. These include a firewall, filter, navigation and time constraint settings, real-time protection and a new sandbox. Kaspersky Small Office Security also has other securities features, like a backup tool, a password manager, file encryption, secure deletion capabilities and the ability to delete browser activity histories.

Kaspersky Small Office Security has a slick interface that's relatively easy to navigate and use. Beginners might feel a little overwhelmed by the amount of features and configuration options, but the program is truly pretty easy to work your way through with a bit of time and a little patience.

The 60-day trial version of Kaspersky Small Office Security protects one or more teams, a total of 5 PC users and one server, centralizing the configuration from one system easily and with a high level of customization.

Kaspersky Small Office Security is a truly comprehensive tool for small and medium offices that want the utmost protection for their business PCs.

Download Kaspersky Small Office Security 9.1.0.59 in Softonic

The Shadow Defender interface is a simple one, with an area to put the computer into Shadow Mode, an area to exclude certain files or folders, and a configuration zone. There is also an option called Commit Now, but what exactly this does is a bit unclear, even after reading the Shadow Defender user manual! The configuration options can be found under Administration and are fairly basic - you can set a password, enable context menu features and a tray icon, but that's pretty much it.

Innovation should always be applauded when we're talking about technology, so Shadow Defender is definitely due some kudos. Even so, the concept won't appeal to everyone, especially because once you are in Shadow Mode, you won't be able to make any changes unless you have specified an excluded folder where you can save - and that's something you'll have to do before enabling Shadow Defender. Add this to the fact that you have to reboot every time you want to enable or disable the protection, and the measly selection of configuration options, Shadow Defender ends up being far from flexible or quick.

Shadow Defender - it's not a bad program, but it only seems useful for occasional, specific use.

Download Shadow Defender 1.1.0.315 in Softonic

With MyUSBOnly you can now protect your system from USB theft as well. This security tools lets you create a white list of authorized USB sticks, blocking computer access to any other USB devices that have not been included in that list. It comes in specially handy for professionals that move around a lot and use laptops to carry all their important work documents.

The program is very easy to use. Every time you plug a USB memory device, MyUSBOnly will display a notification window asking for a password – which can be set in the options menu. Unless the right password is provided, the system won't recognize the connected USB device as a new device, rendering it useless.

MyUSBOnly displays a small icon on the system tray from where you can access configuration settings – protected by a password as well. The default password is "0000", but we strongly advise you to change it because the program displays it on the notification window. You can also configure it to warn you via email every time a USB device is connected to the computer, but we couldn't make this feature work during our testings.

With MyUSBOnly you can control which USB memory sticks have access to your computer and which don't.

Download MyUSBOnly 5.6 in Softonic

The PC Tools Internet Security interface is cleanly designed and easy to navigate. It automatically scans on installation, which is where you see the first problem - the trial version may find problems on your system, but it doesn't allow you to remove them. PC Tools Internet Security does provide real-time protection, however, so in theory, it should keep a clean system clean.

Although there are lots of free security suites out there, people choose to pay because of the bells and whistles often present with purchased programs. PC Tools Internet Security is no exception, with a nice variety of added protection. For a start, it has various modes - for games, power saving and kernel compatibility. You can choose different firewall settings for different network connections, and shortcuts, as accessed via the taskbar, are intelligently planned.

As with all security suites, you need a long period to really test them. On the surface, however, PC Tools Internet Security looks very promising, with excellent configuration options, password protection and plenty of options that don't always come as standard.

PC Tools Internet Security performs very well against the hundreds of similar programs on the market.

Download PC Tools Internet Security 2011 in Softonic

Tracks Eraser Pro is just the tool for the job. This little application runs through all the major areas on your computer where evidence of your activity might be left, identifying it and erasing it securely. Tracks Eraser Pro works with a variety of browsers, cleans hard disk space, manages plug-ins, clears a number of standard Windows settings (start menu history, clipboard, etc.) and even syncs with and clears Outlook Express.

Tracks Eraser Pro also provides a secure file shredder with a variable number of overwrite times. The program has a stealth mode, so it can run discreetly in the background and a boss key, ideal for using in the office! You can also schedule Tracks Eraser Pro to run automatically, but compared to other auto-schedulers, the options aren't very advanced.

Tracks Eraser Pro is a steady option for erasing personal information, but isn't very advanced.

Download Tracks Eraser Pro 8.65 in Softonic

A good example is PC Tools Antivirus, a tool that protects your system from the most common threats on the web, such as viruses, Trojans, worms and other undesirable creatures. And all of it for an unbeatable price!

Unlike other security tools that are tagged as "free" but then hide a bunch of limitations, PC Tools Antivirus is not crippled in any way. It scans your system and whenever it detects any danger, the program prompts you to disinfect, put into quarantine or actually delete all affected files. Plus, you can choose between three different scanning modes and also schedule automatic scans.

PC Tools Antivirus also includes a feature called IntelliGuard, which protects the computer's file system, processes and memory in real time. This protection can be temporarily disabled when you need full system resources – for example, when you're playing a game or encoding a video. However, it's worth noting that PC Tools Antivirus is quite light on resources.

PC Tools Antivirus displays a nicely designed interface with big, bright buttons for the most common tasks and a wide range of configuration settings that enable you to tweak the program's behavior.

PC Tools Antivirus is reliable, efficient and safe as its rivals, and has back up phone support in case things go wrong.

Download PC Tools Antivirus Registered (Paid) 6.1.0.25 in Softonic

McAfee SiteAdvisor Plus works with Internet Explorer and Firefox, and is installed on your computer rather than your browser. You'll see the software in the top or bottom bars, where you'll be able to tweak some basic options or use the app to carry out safe searches - Yahoo is used as the default search engine for this.

When you search on the internet using your normal search engine (Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.), you'll also see that McAfee SiteAdvisor Plus has rated each of the results - green for safe, orange for possibly dangerous and red for risky. Hovering over the rating will give you more information and clicking will bring up a new tab with more detailed information.

McAfee SiteAdvisor Plus also allows you to surf the web in Protected Mode, scan emails and IMs for danger and to assess the safety of downloads. Just bear in mind, however, that some of these features are not available in the trial and free versions.

In all, McAfee SiteAdvisor Plus is a useful and efficient piece of software. Even so, we can't help but feel that it doesn't offer anything over and above the benefits of a little common sense when surfing the net.

If you're unable or unwilling to look out for your own safety online, McAfee SiteAdvisor Plus is a useful tool.

Download McAfee SiteAdvisor Plus 3.2.0.152 in Softonic

What makes the application attractive is its accessibility. A cartoon-like interface, with large colourful icons depicts each of the options: web pages visited, cookies, private information, graphics and temporary files. Don’t worry about erasing the wrong files by mistake. Once you’ve carried out one of the security tasks, you will see a list of the corresponding files that My Privacy has found. Just click wipe to get rid of them for good. If you’re really lazy you can just click the “Analyze” and “Wipe” buttons at the bottom and My Privacy will take care of everything. You should consider carrying out these tasks daily if you use the Internet often.

How do you know that you’ve performed all the My Privacy tasks fully? Just check out the privacy level percentage at the top. It’s a mystery as to how this number is calculated and what it really means. Is it the amount of files My Privacy has erased? Is it the percentage of My Privacy tasks you’ve carried out? From our observations, we guessed it corresponded to the amount of files you erased out of all the ones My Privacy found. So if you’ve wiped out everything, it should tell you your privacy level is 100%. You should be aware by now though that the web is riddled with dangers and that it’s impossible to have total protection. A 100% privacy level doesn’t mean you’re bullet proof against any threat.

The basic PC user will enjoy My Privacy’s security recommendations, found in the options section. These are obvious yet often overlooked tips to improve the safety of your PC. For example, did you know that using autofills in online forms puts you at risk? What about allowing access to temporary file preferences? Check that you’ve tweaked them to My Privacy’s recommendations to increase the privacy of your PC.

My Privacy’s weakness lies in its purpose. When run for the first time, the program failed to identify all of the cookies, temporary files and private information stored in the PC. Basic information like the cache could not even be wiped. We also realized that My Privacy had no way of blocking pop ups or websites, an absolute necessity when browsing the web.

My Privacy makes beginners aware of the importance of privacy on the web and what steps they should take to protect it. Unfortunately, in terms of security, the program does not offer anything you wouldn’t find in full security suites. Chances are if you’re using a relatively recent browser like Opera or if you have a good antivirus program you’ll be able to carry out the same security tasks much more efficiently.

Download My Privacy 3.5 in Softonic

Gili Privacy Protector is an easy to use security tool that enables you to hide data in your computer – making it invisible to other users. Lock access to selected folders and even create virtual private disks that are only available for you.

Using Gili Privacy Protector is dead simple: just select the desired action (hide data, lock data) and add as many files or folders you want to hide or lock access to. Creating virtual drives is easy as pie too: all you have to do is click the Private Disks link and select the drive you want to mount. When you're finished saving data to this drive, simply close it and it won't be available anymore.

Gili Privacy Protector includes some other extra tools with which you can wipe files and folders in a secure way – to prevent anyone from recovering them -, erase web browsing history or recent document lists and delete several other system locations from computer usage tracks.

Gili Privacy Protector is easy to use and works fine. The only drawback I can think of is the lack of support for drag and drop – not to mention the fact that if you lose the program's master password you're doomed, as there's no way to recover it.

With Gili Privacy Protector you can easily protect private data in your computer by hiding files, blocking access to folders and even creating temporary virtual secure drives.

Download Gili Privacy Protector 3.2 in Softonic

It's really difficult to keep kids safe online but an app like Family Cyber Alert will make it easier. The program divides monitoring into various sections - applications used, websites visited, keystrokes and files accessed. It also monitors instant messaging conversations and can be configured to take regular screenshots, so you can see exactly what's going on.

Family Cyber Alert worked well in tests - when you unhide the program, you can see a comprehensive list of absolutely everything that has been done on the computer since you last checked. The program is protected by a password and doesn't show up under Task Manager, so it's difficult to detect or modify the app unless you know the hotkey to reveal the management interface.

Unfortunately, Family Cyber Alert didn't do well on instant messaging conversations, and seemed unable to record chatting activity, except when a chat window randomly appeared in a screenshot. Family Cyber Alert isn't a very attractive program either - it looks old-fashioned and monitoring results aren't the easiest to view or manage. Apart from this, however, Family Cyber Alert is an accessible and easy to use device that will help protect your kids from online predators.

Keep an eye on your kids with Family Cyber Alert.

Download Family Cyber Alert 4.37 in Softonic

Making security backups of your computer is a slightly complex process, which is precisely why lots of people fail to do it properly. O&O DiskImage will take a virtual snapshot of your system and all the information on it. You can then use this snapshot to restore your data in case disaster ever strikes. Obviously, it's a good idea to store this file separately from your computer!

Disk imaging isn't complicated, but looks a little intimidating. O&O DiskImage makes the task as easy as possible by providing a start page that lists the basic tasks you might want to carry out, ample help files, and an info panel, with basic information on the task in hand. Even still, you'll probably have to refer to the help files the first few times you use the program.

Happily, O&O DiskImage has improved several of the features that weren't up to scratch the last time, most notably the encryption options for your image files. It is now possible to choose between three different modes, so you can relax in the knowledge that your data is safe.

O&O DiskImage allows you to carry out three basic tasks - imaging, incremental imaging and cloning. The differences between these options are well explained in the O&O DiskImage help files. When imaging, there are three modes - used sector, forensic and direct forensic - while the program will alert you if you haven't chosen the right mode for the job. Finally, O&O DiskImage allows you to burn the resulting .OMG files to disc so they are easily accessible to restore your system ¡f disaster strikes.

Don't be intimidated - O&O DiskImage is an imaging program worth getting to grips with.

Download O&O DiskImage 6.0.473 Professional Edition in Softonic

Information from every website you visit is stored on your computer in hidden Windows locations, including temporary files, cookies, internet cache, the Windows registry, and the index.dat file. Web browsers provide partial privacy protection by allowing some temporary Internet files and cookies to be deleted. By contrast, Total Privacy cleans out all of these hidden files, and makes them unrecoverable.

Download Total Privacy 5.88d in Softonic