In the past, we’ve criticised Eset’s NOD32 antivirus product – partly for its clunky, confusing interface and partly for mediocre performance in our malware-detection tests. It was good to see the company’s new Smart Security suite put those criticisms to rest.

Naturally, it’s the new look we spotted first. It boasts a clean, clear interface that speaks plain English and keeps options simple, and there’s an equally clear advanced mode if you want it. It’s light, too, adding just one second to boot time and making modest demands on system memory.

Our tests also reveal that Smart Security’s attractions are more than skin deep. In our website-exploit test, it intercepted 100% of attempted downloads. In our firewall test, the scanner couldn’t even confirm the existence of our test machine, yet it retained full internet connectivity. This level of protection did, however, disable Windows file sharing: stepping the firewall down a notch to permit shares caused the test computer to become visible and susceptible to a few minor attacks.

It was a pity Smart Security didn’t do better in our malware scan: 94% isn’t a score to be ashamed of, but with five packages scoring more highly it took the sheen off an otherwise impressive performance. The package also lacks bells and whistles compared to its rivals (although that’s arguably a good thing), and its spam filter was one of the least effective in our tests. However, at $65 for a single PC, it’s one of the cheaper suites on offer.

As an unfussy, functional security suite that won’t bog you down, Smart Security demands serious consideration.