A capable package that is perhaps let down by poor results in spyware and firewall features.

Recommended for the basic home user and doesn’t hog system resources, so it will be appreciated.

With a wide array of protections for your PC, Avast! works superbly to keep your computer safe, a rare thing in free software.

Panda works well enough, identifying and quarantining suspicious items and providing control over what hits your PC. As with all such products, it's not the product you choose so much as regular virus definition updates that are vital to keep your PC secure.

An invaluable tool for big companies that need an increased layer of security.

A new centralised management interface and impressive attention to detail makes up for below par anti-spyware capability.

Desktop users plagued by spam and phishing emails would be well served running the simple and effective Cloudmark 9 suite.

If you’re after a simple, stable and reliable desktop firewall application to suit either a corporate or home environment, look no further.

Though it's slow, Norton Internet Security 2006 offers comprehensive protection on the desktop against spyware, spam, viruses, worms, and other malware.

Simple to use and inexpensive, Steganos Safe 8.0 does exactly what it is supposed to do, and does it well to boot. This is the sort of protection you can't afford to be without if you have data you need to keep private.

As a standard spyware stopper, Acronis is simple to use - but it isn't exactly revolutionary. The secure deletion facility will be of use to the paranoid or those looking to wipe old hardware before disposing of it, but could be considered overkill for everyday use.

Suite protects against a wide range of baddies and adds much-needed anti-spyware features, but it may require too much hand-holding for some users.