VIPRE Internet Security 2015

Shopping Experience:

In an online world where consumers are often overwhelmed with endless options and millions of search results, it's kind of a relief to shop on a website that only focuses on the essentials. Visiting the VIPRE website was a pleasant experience that gave me all of the information I was looking for, without appearing cluttered or making me click through a maze of links to get where I was trying to go. VIPRE clearly lists out their five security products in an easy-to-find menu on their homepage.

VIPRE Internet Security 2015 combines comprehensive antivirus protection with some serious privacy and data security software. Their website does a nice job of listing out all of the features you will get with this software, which includes antivirus and anti-spyware protection, a two-way firewall, email filtering, secure file erasing, software that scans USB and other removable drives, and a few more handy features. VIPRE lays out their website in a helpful manner so users can easily find more information about their products and individual features of each product without getting lost.

The Purchase:

Currently just $49.99 for a one year/one PC subscription, VIPRE Internet Security is only $10 more than their standard antivirus software, and in this case, shelling out a little bit of extra cash gets you some nice enhanced protection that definitely makes it worth the cost. Plus, if you're going to be protecting more than one PC, or if you're willing to subscribe for more than one year, you will get major discounts on the additional computers and years of protection. For the Internet Security suite, covering five PCs for three years works out to just $9.33 a year for each computer, and that's about as good of a deal as you'll find for this level of protection. Once I selected the VIPRE Internet Security software, I was taken to the shopping cart below. It had taken the liberty of opting me in to a $9.95 backup CD, which may be a nice-to-have, but I didn't think sounded necessary, so I un-checked that option.

Also, if you hate the idea of having to continue to renew your antivirus software, VIPRE is one of the few companies that allows you to purchase lifetime coverage. It definitely seems worth it if you plan on keeping your PC for several years, as the cost is not much different from the three year coverage (currently $79.99 after a $20 online discount). VIPRE even offers coupons right on the checkout page, but also be sure to check TheCoupon.co before you buy for coupons and discounts codes that often save you even more.

Download & Installation:

As soon as I made my purchase with a credit card (they also accept PayPal), I was presented with a confirmation page and walked through the steps to begin using my software. They also immediately sent a confirmation email with the same info in case I closed my browser or wasn't ready to install right then and there. VIPRE makes it pretty straightforward (and includes pictures!) so anyone can follow the steps regardless of your level of experience with installing software.

Using the software:

VIPRE Internet Security comes with all of the standard antivirus scanning tools that you would expect. They start you off with a default "quick scan" every 24 hours and a deeper "full scan" once a week. You can quickly and easily edit the frequency or type of scans as soon as you open up the program. I have been able to continue to use my computer as usual while scans are running without any noticeable hiccups or slowdowns.

The "Manage" tab lets you customize how VIPRE Antivirus handles viruses and malware that are quarantined, and gives you the option to choose the types of files to lookout for. You can also access privacy features to help protect you against bogus links sent over social networks, delete your internet browsing history, and securely erase any type of file on your computer.

Internet Security 2015 also comes with "Auto Patch," which is designed to defend against the most common cause of infections – vulnerable software – by automatically updating programs on your PC. This is handy if, like me, you tend to ignore those little reminders that constantly pop up in the corner of your computer telling you that it's time to update Adobe or Java for the millionth time.

Finally, it also includes "Firewall Protection," a feature that protects against incoming and outgoing internet traffic and includes customizable settings for advanced users, and web filtering features to manage and block selected websites that may be harmful to your computer. You can also use the Internet Security's anti-spam protection that filters unwanted emails from your inbox and safeguards your computer from spam, phishing scams, and other unwanted emails. Nowadays most email programs have fairly sophisticated spam-blockers, but it's always nice to know you have VIPRE Internet Security is there just in case anything slips through.

Final Score:

Overall, we give VIPRE 4.5 out of 5 stars for their suite of internet security software. They also feature mobile security for your smartphones, password vault to help you securely store your ever-growing list of passwords for different website you log in to, and enterprise antivirus software for businesses. We've found that VIPRE does an excellent job of delivering effective security products that do what they say they're going to do without slowing down your system or getting in the way of other programs.