Review: Trend Micro Maximum Security 2015

Nowadays playing it safe online needn't cost a bomb as its possible to protect PCs and Macs for free.

The rise and rise of zero cost security software has had a huge impact on the industry. Most noticeable is the fact that even entry-level antivirus offerings are quite sophisticated.

Trend Micro has taken this trend on board with their Maximum Security 2015 edition.  It mashes up an integrated suite of preventative tools to keep PCs, Macs, Android and even iOS devices safe.

The version I tested also had licenses for 6 devices, reflecting another growing trend. Many households have several devices, usually covering a multitude of operating systems.

Designed as a preventative measure against cyber nasties. Trend Micro Maximum Security will hunt down spyware, worms and trojans or viruses through to identity theft. It’ll also block dangerous websites and has privacy settings for social networks.

In Use

Installing onto my Macbook air proved to be a straightforward undertaking.

Perhaps one of the most noticeable things that emerged from my time spent with Trend Micro Maximum Security was its simplicity. Once installed, it sat in the background and did its thing without pestering me every 30 minutes. This is something a lot of other security software vendors could learn from.

The app itself is also an exercise in simplicity. It consists of 4 tabs: Overview, Web, Scans and Logs, each was intuitive to use.

Its small footprint also surprised me. In use it had a minimal impact on my systems performance.  Even when running a full scan no slowdowns were noticeable.

They say that an ounce of prevention is often better than the cure. I don't know what that’d be in metric, but real time detection of online threats should help to reduce chances of infection.

Verdict

Selling security software is a big ask. With large numbers of free anti-virus apps it must be tough work convincing users that an annual subscription of $129.95 (for 6 devices) is good value for money.

Where Trend Micro shines is by offering solid protection for up to 6 devices and operating systems right out of the box.

Getting set up was pretty straightforward and in use it was dead simple to drive. That it sits in the background and only alerts you if you’ve typed the URL for a dodgy site or clicked on something dangerous is a real bonus.

I like the fact that Trend Micro Maximum Security doesn't harangue users with bazillions of pop-up nags. Even better still, its system performance impact was imperceptible with typical usage.