Stories by: Roger Gann

'Total Security' is a bold claim, so BitDefender Total Security 2009 has a lot to live up to -- and, by and large, it does.

The latest version of Norton Internet Security brings some much-needed updates and improvements to a first-rate product that was groaning under its weight of features.

Cast very much in the same mould as Live One Care and Norton 360, McAfee Total Protection 2008 does what it says on the tin -- it aims to have every possible PC disaster vector covered.

A decade ago, life was much simpler: the only threat to PC security came from viruses. Today, the situation is very different. A mere antivirus program is nowhere near sufficient and most users, rightfully, are highly security conscious.

Remote-control offerings aren't exactly thin on the ground - XP Pro has one as standard, and there is always free virtual network computing. But these are one-to-one tools, not perfectly suited to the larger task of administering and supporting networks. For this, you need a product along the lines of NetSupport Manager (NSM).

The speed with which an unprotected PC picks up malware from the Internet can be truly scary, hence the rise in popularity of security bundles that combine antivirus, firewall and spam protection.