AVG Internet Security 2013 Software Review

AVG Internet Security 2013

Internet security, viruses, trojans, spyware, malware. We hear these terms on a regular basis and most of the time it is terrible news that usually results in frustration and in some cases a costly bill. Today we are taking a quick look at a new internet security suite meant to protect PCs from these security threats. The software in question is AVG’s Internet Security 2013 ($34.99) and we will be taking a quick look at its features, interface, and the protection it offers for today’s consumers.

AVG Internet Security 2013 New Features:

• A brand new user interface that provides easy access to the most regularly used settings. It is touch-friendly and easy to navigate, supporting the latest touch-screen devices.
• A smoother install experience through a new Welcome screen.
• Reduced boot time and minimized delays for an improved experience.
• Smarter scanning for shorter scanning time with new AVG Turbo Scan.
• Enhanced and simplified firewall making it easier for users to choose how they want to personalize their settings in order to protect their privacy and identity online.
• In addition to AVGs multi-layered protection technology, AVG Internet Security 2013 comes with an integrated firewall, AVG LinkScanner, AVG Anti-Spam, Anti-Spyware and technology to protect against WiFi hacking.
• Complementing the AVG 2013 Internet Security range, AVG PC TuneUp keeps PCs running smoothly and at peak performance by cleaning the hard drive, fixing issues, preserving battery life on laptops, and eliminating freezing and crashing.

The first thing long time AVG users will notice is the revamped interface. Gone is the more clunky yet still functional design of last year. In its place, we have a new tiled interface that will seamlessly blend in with Windows 8 upon its release later this year. The design is simple, straightforward and easy to understand. It also has all the options you would expect from a fully featured Internet security suite. It handles not just typical virus scanning as most would think, it also offers identity protection, Firewall and more. It even has the ability to scan for outdated registry entries.

Best yet it is organized in an intuitive way, no need to be searching endlessly for that one option your looking for as a simple click on the options tab and then scrolling to Advanced Settings gives a clean organized list of all the software settings for every category you would want to tweak if that’s your thing.

The simple to understand AVG Report Card is also a great feature to have for giving users a quick look at the number of files that have been scanned as well as the number of infections found and removed. This feature while not necessary, is still a nice addition, since it gives a brief look at what AVG is doing for you while you’re just surfing the net and getting your daily dose of lolcats.

As for virus protection, we grabbed a few infected files from the glorious internet and downloaded them to the machine, or at least we tried. AVG Internet Security 2013 stopped the infected downloads before they finished. So, in order to bypass this, external media was used to download infected files onto the machine. These files were placed on a secondary HDD. Instead of running the files a full scan was run in order to see if the software would detect the infected files and sure enough it did so almost immediately. So in terms of keeping the system secure AVG Internet Security 2013 did its job. It also detected some outdated registry entries and issued a few warnings about other possible issues. All of this ends up making AVG’s new security suite more than just a virus scanner. Its a fully featured product that protects users in almost every conceivable way.

Final Thoughts and Conclusions:

In the short time we spent with AVG’s Internet Security 2013 we found it was a solid security suite. Not only that, it was easy to navigate which makes it great for friends and family that are not so good with computers. That said, while it’s interface is easy for people to grasp it doesn’t give up the advanced features and tweaking power users expect. AVG Internet Security 2013 can be found online for $34.99 plus shipping with a 1-year subscription. We found it to be a solid security suite option that doesn’t break the bank or cause headaches. Seeing is believing however, so go ahead and give it a shot by downloading the 30 day trial here and keep in mind that AVG offers a 100% money back guarantee.

Legit Bottom Line: AVG Internet Security 2013 is a cost effective, solid option for those in need of a robust yet easy to use internet security suite that offers more than just virus scanning capabilities.