For comprehensive protection from viruses, spam and other threats spread via the Internet, acquiring a bundled suite of security products may be simpler than acquiring each component separately.

There are several manufacturers of Security Suite products, which generally include a virus protection program, a firewall, a spam blocker, and basic malware protection.  Some Security Suite products also include system health tools that monitor the state of your computer’s hardware and software for any potential problems and privacy tools that protect personal data stored on your computer.

When selecting a Security Suite, it is important to understand how often the software will be updated to respond to new virus and security threats. Research several manufacturer’s web sites to learn how often updates are made available to Security Suite subscribers and if the Security Suite can be configured to download updates automatically.

Regardless of which Security Suite you choose, be careful to never use two firewall or two anti-virus products, or two suites that include them, at the same time.  Completely uninstall one before installing another, using the vendor’s uninstall utility or the add/remove software tool in the control panel of your operating system.

For your convenience, links to several Security Suites and manufacturers are provided below:

Reviews and third-party information on each of these Security Suites is available fromFirewallGuide.com.