Trend Micro Internet Security 2018 review: Likeable software, but the price is too high

Trend Micro Internet Security has a straightforward interface. It’s divided into four pages, dealing with protection for your device, privacy, data and family respectively – and there’s something useful on every one. Under Device, for example, you’ll find general antivirus settings, plus a toggle for “Mute Mode”, which suppresses all alerts and notifications. There’s also a PC Health Checkup tool, which automatically fixes security risks – such as unpatched applications – and disables unneeded startup items that could be bogging Windows down.

On the Privacy page you’ll find a web-based tool that reviews your privacy settings on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn, and alerts you to any potential for over-sharing. It’s powered by a browser extension for Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer that also adds trust ratings to search results from all major engines.

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Under Data you can configure the Folder Shield feature, which blocks all unauthorised access to nominated folders – so even if a ransomware attack somehow slips through the net, it won’t be able to encrypt your key files. There’s a file-shredder here too, but ignore the link to Trend Micro’s password manager; this is clearly marked as a free trial of a paid-for product, and we suggest you go with a genuinely free third-party alternative.

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Under Family, you can set up the parental controls, restricting access to certain categories of website and limiting internet usage and screen-time. You can also limit the use of specific programs to certain times of day, but there’s no native way to block games according to their age rating.

It’s a good practical feature set, and it’s underpinned by a strong antivirus engine. AV-Comparatives found that Trend Micro Internet Security blocked 99.7% of attacks – and only returned one false positive. That puts it a step behind Bitdefender and Kaspersky, but it’s still a creditable performance.

Trend Micro Internet Security review: Verdict

Sadly, while the engine might be effective, it has a larger than average impact on system performance. Trend Micro proved merely “fast” – rather than “very fast” – when it came to launching applications, even ones that had been opened and scanned before. And in the web-browsing test, Trend Micro’s performance was rated as mediocre – putting it behind every other paid-for security suite.

Then there’s the price. At £42 for three devices, Trend Micro is one of the most expensive packages here. It’s a shame as it’s a likeable piece of software, but unless you have money to burn, it’s best to look elsewhere.