Norton Internet Security Suite 2009, the top-rated security suite this year — as it was last year — now uses fewer system resources than before without skimping on protection.

If you're not a fan of Norton products, there are plenty of other contenders worthy of consideration that can challenge the long-time security-software leader.

Windows Secrets writers periodically analyze the ratings of trusted reviewers and summarize for you in the WS Security Baseline which personal-protection products are currently getting the best marks. Based on reviews from PC World, PCMag, Maximum PC, and others, today's security-suite winner is Symantec's Norton Internet Security 2009 (photo at right).

This product may seem like a repeat from last year's tally of ratings. Scott Dunn's Jan. 24, 2008, Top Story reported that Norton Internet Security 2008 had received the most Editors' Choice awards of any suite. However, the latest release of NIS is faster and less resource-hungry than previous versions, according to reviewers.

Symantec has not been deaf to the complaints of Norton Internet Security users about the program's spendthrift ways with your PC's memory and CPU cycles. In its review of the program, PCMag.com says, "this is definitely the slimmest, most unobtrusive Norton ever." (See below for links to this and other reviews of the product.)

As with most of the leading security-suite contenders, Norton Internet Security protects against infection by viruses, spyware, and rootkits. The program's components include a software firewall and a content-filtering utility for browsers and instant-messaging clients.

Runner-up suites challenge Norton products

If you're one of the many people who've sworn never to install a Norton or McAfee security product again, I understand your pain. More than once, I've had to venture into the Windows file system and Registry to manually uninstall security programs from the two biggest names in the field, ripping the pieces out one by one.

The good news is that there are a lot of other, strong contenders for security-suite top dog. Maximum PC lists ESET Smart Security as its second choice; the program matched Symantec's score of 9 out of 10. The magazine's reviewers gave a lot of weight to performance and the impact the program has on system resources.

PCMag.com gives Trend Micro Internet Security Pro 2009 and ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 2009 a tie for second place, trailing only Symantec's product. The site also weighted performance heavily, site cialis particularly the boot times of the programs it tested.

PC World rates BitDefender Internet Security 2009 as the second choice, yet again trailing the rating for Norton Internet Security. The review names the BitDefender suite a value and also singles out Avira Premium Security Suite 8.2 as the best malware detector.

For those who'd rather select their security program solely on the results of independent antivirus test labs, you'll find several testing organizations described and linked to in Scott Dunn's Feb. 14, 2008, Known Issues column: "Labs provide alternatives in evaluating suites."

(Disclosure: My employer, BigFix Inc., sells a couple of different brands of anti-malware software to enterprises. While the company competes with many of the firms that are mentioned in this review — and partners with at least one of them — BigFix doesn't sell products such as the ones mentioned above to consumers.)

Finding the sweet spot of security suites

From my point of view, the most important criterion for selecting a security suite is whether the program includes all the components you need.

Nearly all of the top-rated security suites provide a firewall and a range of anti-malware tools. The programs are differentiated by their auxiliary security components. For example, youngsters and inexperienced users may require first-rate Web-content filtering and antiphishing tools. More-experienced PC users may find such features less important.

In terms of which programs offer the best virus detection, I'm afraid the days of ranking an antivirus engine the best because of an advantage of a few percentage points in detection tests are over. It never was a really useful measurement. The myth that an antivirus app will protect you from the latest infections is even less credible now.