BitDefender's 2010 offering achieved a 97% score in this month's malware detection test - just short of first-place performance. It even offered to restore clean copies of infected files from a backup automatically. It didn't block access to suspicious websites, but it did intercept all the confirmed malware downloads.
The built-in firewall did a decent job, too. Although our attacking PC was able to see the protected host, it couldn't find any open ports to connect to. When we opened Windows Mail, we found a comprehensive antispam module, with a new spam-management toolbar plumbed into the interface. Malware was efficiently stripped from incoming messages, with a pop-up alert to keep us informed.
If that isn't enough for you, the Total Security suite also features a local and online backup client (with 2GB of online storage so long as your licence is paid up, expandable to 10GB), plus a home network monitor and a PC Tune-Up module - although you can live without these last two. If you don't need these features, you can opt for the cheaper Internet Security package.
Considering its ample feature set, BitDefender Total Security 2010 has a simple interface. It looks almost childish, but it's easy to find what you're looking for. It also took a surprisingly minimal toll on system resources, with an initialisation time of 12 seconds and a memory footprint of a mere 46MB.
It all adds up to a package with plenty to recommend it, and although it didn't manage to nudge out in front of the pack this month, BitDefender is still a credible contender.