Vista - Security Suites User Features

Hi Team,

I do not know if this is the correct place to post this question; if not, admin is welcome to move it. This is NOT intended to be another "Best Security Suite" discussion.

My current McAfee Security subscription is running out in a couple of months, and I am considering my options. Scanning the supplier's homepages, you see all types of claims and functions, marketed under innovative names, but very little about things like logs, firewall settings and user control in general. Though I may get answers by the manufacturers themselves, if I manage to find their email addresses, I thought it perhaps easier to ask the users on the forum. This will also allow others to see the answers.

I am looking for a product keeping good logs, both for AV and firewall, preferably possible to save. I also want the suite to ask me for decisions, but as I am far from an expert, I like it to suggest an answer. I do not want to make the firewall rules myself, and I like to be able to turn off all the questions if I like to, getting notifications instead. Then I want to be able to go back and remove program entries and change the rules myself. I also would like to be able to release or tighten on the protection level.

I am targeting the following (and no else, apart from my current McAfee):

1. ESET Smart Security
2. Avira Premium Security Suite
3. Norton Internet Security 2009
4. Kaspersky Internet Security 2009

So, what logs and controls are there in these? Please do not make this a discussion of best, but personal experiences of the suites are, of course, much welcome.
Thanks in advance.

NOD32 (eset) and Norton are by far the best. I personally use NOD32 Antivirus/Antispyware as opposed to Smart Security and Use Vista's software Firewall and a router hardware firewall.
NOD32 has password protected settings and you can backup your configruation settings. It also has a smaller footprint than Norton, thus using less resources. It is configurable to "set and forget", but does alert user to threats.

Submarine,

Why do you want to choose among those five? I know Agnitum Outpost Security Suite maintains a process activity log and an internet activity log, though I haven't checked this feature out yet. They are also selling a lifetime license for the price of a 1-year license till Jan 31st, 2009, that you can use on upto 3 PCs.

Well, there's a zillion of options, I do not have time to look at them all. I picked among some reputable ones, after all what's best this year may not be best next. These 5 are at least likely to remain fair choices. I have previous experience from McAfee, NIS and N360. Hated 360 as it was a black box. NIS was heavy but has bettered. I like the McAfee features, but it is a bit heavy. Probably Norton and ESET AV performs better, yet the ESET firewall may not be a top item yet.

In my McAfee Security Center, I can adjust the firewall security level from open over automatic to prompting at inbound and new outbound to stealth and lockdown. I can trust or ban IPs, open certain ports, and decide what to log. I can allow or block pinging. For the AV, there are lots of settings as well as a log. Here are the logs:

Unfortunately, the logs cannot be exported.

You're right Submarine. I myself switched from Symantec NIS to ESET NOD32 to now Agnitum Security Suite.

It looks like most of those features you mentioned are available in Agnitum. I'm still learning, so I'm still using it with the default levels of protection but with password enabled. It saves the logs automatically as text files. There's no option to export them as, say, Excel spreadsheets, but there's an event viewer built in where you can view the same data in a grid. You can also select "logging level."

I recommend Norton Internet Security 2009.
Very less but detailed logs with a smart dual firewall.
Morover, very light when consuming resources.

Thanks for the input. Have you had previous versions of NIS, and can say if the logs and settings remain?

Not sure about the previous versions but this one keeps the logs and settings as they are password protected too...