Internet security and firewall

Vipre Antivirus Antispyware (beta)

AVG Antivirus 8
AVG Anti-Virus 8 is solid at finding and removing viruses and spyware as well as blocking Web threats, but could be lighter on system resources and provide more technical support options.

Haute Secure 2.0
Haute Secure 2.0 blocks malicious content on the Web and is a worthy alternative to Linkscanner and Finjan SecureBrowsing.

AVG Internet Security 8.0
AVG Internet Security 8.0 provides strong protection against malicious Web sites, but its full-system scans sometimes tax system resources and produce false positives.
Specs: Complete package, 1 GHz Intel Pentium, 2 GHz Intel Pentium, 8, 1 GHz Intel Pentium, 2 GHz Intel Pentium

Norton 360 V2
A near-perfect all-in-one solution for brand new PCs, Norton 360 v2 may be hard to install and run on legacy machines. However, don't count on Symantec's time-consuming and expensive technical support for help.

ZoneAlarm Anti-Spyware 7.1
At $20, ZoneAlarm Anti-Spyware is one of the least expensive paid antispyware option we reviewed, offers more features than other similar products, and remains one of the best.
Specs: 1 user, Complete package, 7.1, Windows

Webroot Spy Sweeper 5.5
Although Webroot Spy Sweeper 5.5 scored well in CNET tests, it installs the Ask.com toolbar, which seems odd for antispyware product to do.
Specs: 1 user, Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows Vista, 300 MHz, 5.5, 300 MHz, Windows, Internet Explorer 5.5 or later

Ad-Aware 2007
Spyware has evolved rapidly over the last few years, but Ad-Aware 2007 seems slow and has fallen behind the times.

Norton Internet Security 2008
While Symantec's protection is solid, the overall user experience within Norton Internet Security 2008 could be much, much better. Not all the features work together, and the program could use fewer system resources. We can also do without the addition of paid services within the technical support section.
Specs: 3 users, Complete package, Microsoft Windows Vista Business, Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition SP2, Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP2, Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition SP2, 300 MHz or higher, 300 MHz, CD-ROM, 300 MHz or higher, 300 MHz, Windows

McAfee Internet Security Suite 2008 - complete package
McAfee Internet Security 2008 trounces Norton Internet Security 2008, offering a better designed product with more security tools.
Specs: 3 users, Complete package, Microsoft Windows XP SP1, 500 MHz, SVGA monitor, Internet connection, 500 MHz, Windows, Mozilla Firefox 1.5 or later, Internet Explorer 6.0 or later