With Windows 10 compatibility, this updated security software from Panda aims to keep your PC safe. Roland Waddilove takes it for a test drive
Malware software is under constant development and new variants appear daily, which is a problem if you have old security software. To combat the latest malware Panda Security looks to update its software range every year with newer and better threat detection and security features. Internet Security, reviewed here, is one step up from the base package, Antivirus Pro and costs just £9 more. This, it strikes us, makes it the best value for money package in Panda’s range.
The most obvious change in the software is the completely new interface. The old one had bright and colourful tiles, which was reminiscent of Windows 8. Internet Security 2016 is much plainer; mainly white and blue. There are still tiles, but they are simpler and can be rearranged into any order you like by dragging and dropping.
These provide access to the elements of the program, showing status and malware detected, scanning options for the drives, and several monitors and shields. They also show the current on/off status of each module and sometimes other information like the number of processes, the wi-fi network you are connected to and number of devices on the network.
An Application Control module determines what programs on your computer are allowed to run and, when unknown applications are detected, you are asked whether to allow or block them. Programs can also manually be added to a list and set as allowed or blocked. It recognises a lot of software and you are rarely bothered with pop-ups asking what to do.
A firewall is part of Internet Security and in its default settings it ran silently in the background without pop-ups asking whether an application should be permitted internet access. You can view the programs that access the internet and revoke or allow access manually, modify the rules and so on, but it seems to work well enough when left to itself. There is wi-fi protection and you are notified when connecting to networks with security problems. You can also see a list of devices connected to the network, so you can check that no-one is connecting without your knowledge. A Safe Browsing module checks website URLs that are accessed and even processes running in the background are monitored too.
A Data Shield module protects folders that contain your files and blocks programs that do not have permission to access them, so any ransomware that tries to encrypt your files and lock you out will be blocked. USB protection prevents malicious programs on USB flash memory drives from executing automatically. There are parental controls, if the computer is a child’s, and a bootable USB flash memory drive can be created to start the PC and clean up malware infections.
Panda security products rate very highly in real-world protection tests by companies like AV Comparatives and AV-Test, and they get perfect or very nearly perfect scores. It is currently one of the best security suites and is recommended. Roland Waddilove
Excellent protection from malware combined with a simple interface.