AVG Internet Security 2014

Pros Very good scores in PCMag's hands-on malware removal and blocking tests. Encrypted storage plus secure deletion protect sensitive data. Accurate spam filtering. Smart firewall handles program control itself. Tiny performance impact.

Cons Tough time installing on malware-infested test systems. Dismal score in antiphishing test. Average scores from independent antivirus labs. Tune-up feature requires separate purchase. Bottom Line Getting AVG Internet Security 2014 installed on malware-infested systems was a challenge, but it did a good job in the end. A smart firewall, accurate spam filtering, and useful encryption system make up for less-than-stellar protection against phishing frauds.

By Neil J. Rubenking

Different security suites include different collections of security features, but they all must have antivirus and firewall protection. Most include spam filtering and parental control, though not all users need these components. AVG Internet Security 2014 ($54.99 direct; $69.99 for three licenses) includes all of the usual components except parental control, and adds tools to protect your sensitive data.

The product's colorful main window looks almost identical to that of AVG's free standalone antivirus product. All of the same buttons are present: Computer, Web Browsing, Identity, Emails, and Firewall. The difference is, they're all fully functional in the suite. As in the free antivirus, a second row of buttons links to other products from AVG, most of which require a separate purchase.

AVG includes built-in links to a variety of support options. You can get simple questions answered by Julia the chat-bot, or go to the AVG Community forums for help from other users. If that's not enough you can contact support via phone, email, or live chat. And if you're willing to pay a little extra, you can help for any tech problem from AVG's Tech Buddy experts.

Antivirus Protection
The antivirus component in AVG's suite is exactly the same as what's found in AVG AntiVirus FREE 2014, so I'll just summarize my findings here. You can read the antivirus review for full details.

Getting AVG installed on my twelve malware-infested test systems was quite a chore. All but two ran into some degree of difficulty, and a few needed days of back-and-forth with tech support before I managed to install the product and run a full scan.

Once I got past installation hurdles, the product proved to be an effective malware remover. Its 6.4 point score beats Norton Internet Security (2014) by a tenth of a point. Only Bitdefender Internet Security (2014), with 6.4 points, scored higher among products tested with the same samples. For a full explanation of my hands-on malware removal test, see How We Test Malware Removal.

AVG Internet Security 2014 malware removal chart

AVG was particularly effective at keeping malware from getting a foothold on a clean system. With 9.4 points for malware blocking, it tied with Ad-Aware Pro Security 10.5 for top score among recent products. Tested with my previous malware collection, Webroot SecureAnywhere Internet Security Plus 2013 earned a near-perfect 9.9 of 10 possible points. The article How We Test Malware Blocking explains in detail how I conduct and score this test.

AVG Internet Security 2014 malware blocking chart

AVG doesn't participate in testing by ICSA Labs or West Coast Labs. In the last ten tests by Virus Bulletin, it missed receiving VB100 certification just twice. In both cases it didn't miss any malware from the test set, but it identified one valid program as malicious. In tests by AV-Test and AV-Comparatives, AVG earns scores that are good but not outstanding. To learn more about the independent labs whose reports I follow, see How We Interpret Antivirus Lab Tests.

AVG Internet Security 2014 lab tests chart

Both the suite and the antivirus install AVG's toolbar for browser protection. The toolbar offers safe search, flags dangerous websites, and can optionally block ad networks from tracking your online activity.

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