Panda uses the same interface for all its security products. The main interface displays the system protection status, information about program updates and the modules that are currently up and running.

I have already reviewed the majority of security related features in the Panda Antivirus Pro review that is linked above. For this review, I’m going to take a closer look at the features that Internet Security 2012 offers on top of that.

When you look at the comparative chart over at the Panda Security website you will notice that Panda Internet Security 2012 offers six modules that the antivirus program does not include. This includes a backup and restoration option for disaster recovery, identity protection, parental controls, anti-spam protection and remote PC access.

Backups

A click on Automatic backup copy opens the backup configuration screen. Here you can create new backups, restore backups and save backups to CDs or DVDs.

A wizard walks you through the creation of new backups. Panda displays a list of data that it suggests to backup on the second screen of the wizard. This includes Office documents, contacts, Internet favorites and email. You can switch to folder backup mode instead to backup file folders on the system. There does not seem to be an option to combine the two though.

Once you have made the selection you are asked if you want to schedule backups or create an unscheduled copy. Backups can be saved on the local PC, network shares or at the online backup service Mozy, a cooperation partner of Panda Security. Panda Internet Security 2012 customers get 2 Gigabytes of storage space free of charge.

The backup module lacks advanced features like ftp server backups, password protection or encryption that one would expect from a backup service.

Parental Controls

Parental controls can be enabled for Windows accounts. Available are pre-configured filters for kids, teens and employees, and custom filters which offer the best flexibility. Pandora uses a content filtering system to allow or prevent access to various types of contents. Available for selection are for instance P2P, Instant Messaging and various types of websites. A whitelist and blacklist is available to allow or block access to specific websites, with the option to block access to all websites that are not on the list.

The parental controls module has been designed to complement parental controls in Windows. Users who know how can still circumvent protections, for instance by using a web proxy that is not blocked automatically.

Identity Protection

ID protection aims to block transfers of sensitive information over the Internet. This includes plain text passwords, credit card numbers and other information. Important information can be added to the Identity Protection module. This may include passwords, bank account numbers or the social security number.

Phishing protection has been integrated into the module as well. Panda’s identity protection module furthermore detects attempts to dial unauthorized numbers.

It does feel awkward to enter sensitive information into the program to protect them from being transmitted on the Internet. Especially so since there does not seem to be an option to password protect those information from local user access.

Anti-Spam protection

Panda’s anti-spam technology has been designed to protect users from spam messages. The program integrates into some but not all email clients available for Windows users. It does integrate with Outlook Express for instance and Mozilla Thunderbird.

Users can maintain a list of trusted senders so that the messages bypass the spam filter automatically.

Remote PC Access

Remote Access needs to be installed on at least two PCs before it can be used. It can then be used to connect to another PC running Remote PC Access over the Internet. Panda seems to have partnered up with Be Anywhere here. The remote access module can be used to access and manage the remote computer, to share and transfer files, and to create guest invites, which can be useful to allow tech support or friends to access your own computer temporarily.

Here is a short video demonstrating the Remote Access feature:

Download

You can download a 30-day trial of Panda Internet Security 2012 from the official Panda Security website.

Verdict

With Panda Internet Security 2012, users get all the features of Panda’s antivirus product plus the additional features listed above. Some of the modules are somewhat limited, which can be a issue for advanced users.

The program is ideal for users who want an all-in-one protection that includes disaster recovery options. Remote PC Access offers some interesting options, especially if you have friends or colleagues that have Panda installed as well. You could for instance ask your tech savvy friend to take a look at a particular problem on your PC using the technology.

Giveaway

We have ten Panda Internet Security 2012 licenses for this giveaway. Leave a comment below to take part in the drawing.

The Installation of Panda Internet Security 2010 is wizard based with options to install a minimal, standard or custom version of the product. Depending on the choice made by the user the program will scan the computer memory and hard drive during installation. The program requires one restart after installation and it is highly recommended to uninstall any security software that might interfere with Internet Security 2010 before starting the installation.

Panda Internet Security will display the following interface after the system restart. Green lights indicate working and functional modules while red lights would indicate that a module is either not working properly or disabled.

Internet Security 2010 will automatically display a warning on top notifying the user that the software needs to be updated over the Internet. This will update the software to the latest version and should be the first thing a user does after the first startup.

The PC security software itself is dominated by two main areas: The tab bar on top and the links in the center that point to the various modules like firewall or antivirus.

The five tabs Status, Scan, Report, Quarantine and Services on top switch to other parts of the user interface.

Status: Displays scan statistics as well as the status of all modules of the antivirus firewall software with options to change settings by clicking on one of the modules or the settings link.

Scan: The user can perform manual scans in the Scan section. This ranges from scanning the computer, to hard disks, email, other items and detecting vulnerabilities.

Report: Will display event reports and statistics

Quarantine: The list of files that have been added to the quarantine.

Services: Option to create rescue disks, contact technical support, send suggestions or suspicious files.

Settings and the individual modules on the status page link to the configuration settings of the program. Each links to a help file which can aid the user in understanding the individual settings that can be changed. There is also always one global checkbox that can enable or disable a module immediately.

The settings are extensive. If you open the firewall protection settings for instance you notice three setting buttons for rules and one for networks and wi-fi. The three rules button configure the programs that are allowed to access the Internet or network, enable or disable Windows services and to specify ports, addresses and protocols that are allowed or disallowed on the computer.

Speaking of firewall controls. Panda offers a smart configuration mode for the firewall which will then automatically control the network traffic. Some security programs use very strict firewall settings that leave the user with no choice but to manually add programs to the list of allowed programs. Panda makes this almost unnecessary as we did not experience issues with any of the programs that we used to connect to the Internet.

List of Panda Internet Security 2010 modules:

• Anti-Malware Protection
• Advanced Proactive Protection
• Personal Firewall
• Anti-Rootkit Technology
• Anti-Phishing Filter
• Anti-Banking Trojan Engine
• Web Filter
• Personal Information Filter
• Anti-Spam Filter
• Parental Control
• Backup & Restore

The main changes to last year’s version are a stronger focus on the Collective Intelligence technology. You might have read about it when we reviewed Panda Cloud Antivirus. Collective Intelligence “works as an online, real-time database that stores the majority of signature files, keeping them at a minimum on the endpoint”. This has a measurable effect on the program’s computer resource usage.

Collective Intelligence was integrated into the last version, but Panda has refined the technology considerably in the past year. Internet Security – and Panda’s other 2010 retail products, for that matter – boast an 80% improvement in performance against previous versions; because signature files are shared in the cloud, the products take up considerably less memory. Panda’s baking Collective Intelligence across all of its products (most visibly with its free Cloud Antivirus, which they launched a few months back) and the technology has really become the company’s core differentiator in the past year.

The second addition is a USB vaccine technology which can be used on individual USB drives to disable its AUTORUN.INF file in order to prevent malware infections from spreading automatically.

Interested users can take a look a the program’s page over at Panda Security to find additional information about improvements and technical requirements of the Internet Security suite.

Christmas Giveaway:

We have ten licenses for Panda Internet Security 2010. Just reply with a comment to this article and let us know what you are currently using to protect your PC for a chance to win a 1-year 3-user license of Panda Internet Security 2010.

Raju over at TechPP is giving away Cyberlink Power Director 8 today, make sure to check out his giveaway as well.

• Anti-malware Protection (including personal firewall, antivirus protection, wifi monitor, instant messaging protection and proactive protection)
• Identity Theft Protection (anti-phishing, anti-banking trojan engine and anti-rootkit technology)
• Safe Internet Browsing (anti-spam filter, parental control features, web filter and information filter)
• PC Backup including 2 Gigabytes of online backup storage

October 22, 2009 is the magical 24 hour period when ordinarily pricey things turn into free things. Well, Panda Security is now compatible with Windows 7, so why not pair the two? Register on this glorious day for ONE FREE YEAR of Panda Security’s anti-virus protection. Prevent viruses, malware, Trojans, worms, identity theft, online banking and other threats from infecting your PC. Internet Security is ultra light-weight because it’s using “cloud” technology so it won’t hinder your computer from operating as freely as it can. Because the only free thing we can think of that isn’t good is a computer virus.

Users who want the free license for Panda Internet Security 2010 need to visit the promotion website on October 22 (the countdown on the page is showing that the offer starts in 8 hours and 44 minutes from the time of posting this article).

Registration on the page is mandatory on October 22 to receive the activation code per email. A download link is already visible but not yet activated. The promotion website can be accessed by following this link. An overview of Panda Internet Security 2010 is available at the Panda Security website.