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Trend Micro Full Review

Trend Micro’s real-time security and malware scan are both top-notch. Privacy features can also be added to enhance offline and online security.

Trend Micro’s extra features may not be as effective as other antiviruses, but they are still very user-friendly. The plans are flexible and will satisfy most users’ needs.

Trend Security Features

Virus scanner

Trend Micro’s antimalware scanner is highly effective in detecting malware. It can protect against known malware, zero day threats, and variants.

Trend Micro 3 scan options

• QuickScan:Scans for security threats in areas that are most likely to be found. These include system folders. Background processes. Registry.
• Full Scan: Scans entire disk (not encrypted or password protected files).
• Custom scan Scan files in the folders you select.

To test various scan options, I downloaded almost 1000 malware samples. The samples were placed in various locations to ensure that they could be found in my system folders and registry.

First, I ran Trend Micro’s quick scan. This scan took only 3 minutes on my computer, which is quite impressive considering that other antivirus products can take up to 30 minutes to perform a quick scan.

My scanner detected every malicious file in my critical folders and I was amazed.

I was able to complete the Trend Micro full scan in just 40 minutes. This is faster than McAfee’s 40-minute scan. McAfee took nearly an hour. Trend Micro was able to detect 97% of the malware on my computer, though not at Norton’s 100% detection rate.

During the scan, my computer speed did not suffer. I was still able to stream HD video.

There are many other options for the scanner. You can adjust the protection level and sensitivity. You can also modify the notification settings. Trend Micro can ask for the deletion of unneeded files, PUPs (potentially unwanted programs), and deactivation of machine-learning.

Trend Micro has so many scan options.

Trendmicro’s malware scanner does not drain your system resources. Although Trend Micro’s malware scanner isn’t perfect at detecting viruses, it’s very close.

Real-Time Protection

Trend Micro’s instant protection against malware is basic but effective. It monitors your internet activity and stops malicious attachments and files being downloaded.

Trend micro’s instant protection protects against the following:

• Malware.
• Possible unwanted programs (PUPS).
• Ransomware.
• Exploits.

To ensure that the protection was working, I removed all samples from my anti-virus scanner scan. To test the archive, I tried to redownload it (which contained nearly 1,000 samples). Trend Micro’s Real Time scanner identified every file of malware and stopped them from being downloaded.

Trend Micro’s online protection against WICAR’s Web-Based Exploits database was also tested. I was impressed by the fact that Trend Micro stopped all exploit attacks from reaching my browser or plugins.

Trend Micro’s real-time protection was very effective in stopping malicious software running on my computer.

Phishing/Web Protection

Trend Micro’s Web Protection blocks malicious and fraudulent sites by working in the background. Trend Micro’s web protection will compare all sites you visit to an online blacklist site. If your site is on this list, it will block access.

I tested the protection using Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. Trend Micro prevented me from accessing all phishing websites I visited.

It is so easy to whitelist secure websites. Trend Micro displays a small dialog box when it blocks a website. This dialog lets users choose to ignore the warnings and continue to visit the site or to whitelist it completely.

I was very impressed with Trend Micro’s antiphishing protection. It is very simple to use and blocked all phishing sites in my tests.

PC Health Check-Up

Trend Micro’s PC Health Check Up is a PC-only optimization feature that optimizes your PC in four different ways. In just one click, PC Tune Up can be activated.

• Repair Security Vulnerabilities.Checks that your OS is current and that the firewall settings are safe.
• Reduce startup time by changing which programs start when you log on to your computer.
• Restored disk space: Empty your recycle bin, delete duplicate files and clean temporary directories.
• Clear privacy data:Removes personal data from Windows and other messenger apps.

I was not impressed by this feature. It took only 5 minutes for the PC Health Checkup program to scan my hard drive. However, it didn’t save me any space.

To speed up startup speeds, the “Reduce Computer Startup Time” option shows which programs can be disabled manually. It’s available as a default feature in Windows and Mac. This doesn’t add much value to the tune-up feature.

Trend Micro’s PC Health checkup is not very satisfactory. Many of the features can be used on Windows and Mac by default. They perform generally better. PC Tune-Up offers only one benefit: you can access all your optimization functions from one place. You can also use the built-in cleaning tools of your system if you don’t have this option.

Privacy scanner

Trendmicro’s privacy scanner lets users adjust their social media privacy settings. Log in to the account to scan. Trend Micro will inspect the account and open a popup window to allow you to address privacy concerns.

• Who can access your personal information?
• If your social media account appears in search engines.
• Who can look up your email address?
• To get in touch with someone, dial your phone number.
• Advertisers may be able display targeted ads based on your activities.

After I installed Trend Micro Chrome, I ran a scan of all my Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts.

The scan took less than one minute, and it displayed all privacy concerns with an option to adjust. This scanner is extremely useful, especially since privacy settings can be difficult to change on many social media sites.

The browser scanner component of privacy scan was less than satisfactory. However, it did not work with Internet Explorer or Chrome.

These features can be useful on their own, but they are also available in the web browser’s individual settings. These features are not mandatory for Trend Micro to use. Trend Micro’s browser scanner might not be as helpful, especially because Internet Explorer is no longer supported. Microsoft has put all its energy into the new Edge browser, which is Chromium-based.

Privacy scanner can help you to find and change privacy settings on your social media accounts.

Trend Micro ID Security (Mobile Only).

Trend micro ID Security scans every inch on the dark web, and alerts you immediately if it discovers any personally identifiable information (PII).

• Email addresses.
• Passwords.
• Numbers for credit cards.
• Bank account numbers.
• Passport information.

Although it isn’t quite as comprehensive and impressive as Norton, it does use AI technology and provides additional information such as insurance numbers. Trend Micro is better than TotalAV which uses Have I Bened Pwned’s database to scan emails looking for breaches.

Trend Micro’s data monitor sends alerts to you when there is a breach of your mobile or email.

I used an older email address to test the email security scanner. This email address was one I had intentionally entered on many questionable websites. The email scanner worked well and found 20 additional sites that had stolen the email address.

Trend Micro ID Safety is available only for iOS and Android. This seemed a little strange to me. Trend Micro’s website only provides access to basic email scanners on Mac and PC.

Trend Micro’s ID Security has more coverage than its competitors’, but it is still not as comprehensive as Norton’s. It’s worth looking for a service that offers live support to protect additional information if you are serious about protecting your identity.

Password Manager

Trend Micro’s password managers provide 256-bit AES encryption to protect passwords and sensitive information. Trend Micro’s password management software can only store 5 passwords. However, Trend Micro’s Premium Package allows unlimited password storage.

Trend Micro’s password administrator includes:

• Unlimited password storage (premium version).
• Password generator.
• Automatic form filler.
• Secure note.

As a desktop application, the password manager is not possible. There are browser extensions available for desktop users and mobile apps for both iOS and Android. After you have downloaded the appropriate browser extension or app, the password manager will ask you to create your master passcode.

Trend Micro’s password manager works on a zero-knowledge protocol. You won’t be able to reset your master password if you forget it. This is a great security feature. It can cause problems if your password gets lost or forgotten. I find this a problem. LastPass and Dashlane offer many account recovery options for anyone who has lost access to their accounts.

Trend Micro’s password storage/autofill feature is very basic but it works well. After you return to a saved website, Trend Micro will ask you if it’s okay to log in again.

Trend Micro also offers a password generator. You can create passwords with between 8-20 characters. It can be used with symbols as well as numbers or letters in both upper and lowercase. This is an extremely useful feature. However, Bitwarden doesn’t offer a passphrase generator.

Trendmicro’s password manager is a competent tool, but it lacks some features. It has autofill and password-saving options. The password manager does not have the standard features of top password managers, such as 2FA (two-factor authentication), password vault inspection or password sharing.

Parental Controls

Trendmicro can help you with your parental controls:

• Block Websites.
• You can limit the amount of internet access you have. You can limit certain apps or your entire computer.
• Block Applications.

Once you have successfully run parental controls, a wizard will walk you through the process and allow you to select which sites or apps you wish to block. If you don’t want Trend Micro to set up everything, you can choose from several age presets.

I created an imaginary profile to represent a preteen child aged 8-12 years. It could only access the computer during weekends for four hours. I also blocked access to certain applications from the test profile denial.

Website filtering worked well. It blocks 31 categories of websites, including:

• Adult websites.
• Communication media sites.
• Websites that were criticized.
• Shopping sites.
• Entertainment websites.

Trend micro displayed a popup message in the lower corner telling me that the site was blocked after I attempted to access a prohibited website.

Before you can access the blocked site, you will need to click on the “Temporarily permitted” or “Permanently authorized” links in the message. This is a very useful feature. This feature allows you to temporarily whitelist websites, which I think will be appreciated by many parents.

Trend Micro’s content filtering was inconsistent. Some categories, such as adult websites, worked better than others. I was still able access other websites and videos on weapons, even though I tried to filter them out. It can be difficult to filter YouTube videos that are considered dangerous using parental control software. Our blog post on YouTube safety for children is highly recommended.

Trend Micro’s Image Search Filter didn’t work. It was still possible to view adult images via Google Images even though it was turned on.

These time limits worked well. I was able to limit how long my children could spend on computers and schedule internet access. You can extend the amount of time your child spends online by entering their password.

Similar to the previous, if they aren’t using their computer/devices for a while, a timer will alert them that there is only five minutes before they log off. For an extra hour, you can enter your password to regain control.

Trend Micro also has Program Access controls that are very effective. I tried many tricks to get the app blocking software to stop me, including moving, deleting and reinstalling blocks applications.

However, Trend Micro’s parental controls screening screen disappointed me. Trend Micro’s parental controls screening screen does not report any attempts to access blocked websites. This means that if your children are accessing inappropriate sites that haven’t been filtered, it is impossible to tell. It doesn’t monitor app use, so it is not possible to track your child’s activities (e.g. If they’re playing educational apps or video games, it will not monitor their activity.

Top parental control software will show you every website your child has visited, every app they have used, and how much time each app took. These are very useful features parents will love, and Trend Micro’s product doesn’t have them.

I find Trend Micro’s parental monitoring to be poor. I found the content filtering inconsistent. The report screen could be more detailed. It’s easy to use, customizable, and comes with pre-set web filtering. There are also automatic age-based defenses.

Trend Micro VPN

Trend micro’s VPN is only available with the premium plan.

It transmits your data via secure cloud servers that use 256-bit AES encryption. This standard is used by many banks and governments. The VPN does not offer any protection beyond the standard HTTPS page.

Trend Micro’s VPN does not allow you to connect to other regions or give you a virtual IP address. It instead runs your connection through one the four VPN servers listed in your computer’s network settings.

It is impossible to select the server to which you wish to connect. Trend Micro will ask for your username, digital certificate, and password if you try to change the server manually. My connection was always dropping, which was extremely frustrating. It was impossible to fix by switching servers.

Trend Micro’s VPN does not offer many customization options. These options are offered:

• Manual VPN Turn on/off the VPN manually.
• Auto VPN: Connects to unsecured networks automatically.
• Always on: Connects every time you turn on your device.
• Always On:VPN will not turn on unless activated manually.

DNS leak protection and kill switch are not available. Your activity might not be hidden if your VPN connection is lost. Hackers may be able to intercept your data. ExpressVPN is one example of a VPN with DNS leak protection and kill switch. This ensures that your data is protected even if the VPN connection goes down.

The short version is that Trend Micro’s VPN is not as effective as the best VPNs. It’s not as effective as other antivirus-bundled VPNs like McAfee or Norton.

Additional Features

Trend micro also offers some additional features.

• Payment Guard:Opens a browser window in a secure way for shopping online (Chrome Firefox Edge Internet Explorer).
• Data protection: Prevents the theft of sensitive data such as credit card numbers.
• Folder Shield: Ensures that ransomware cannot decrypt selected folders.
• Trend Vaault:Stores sensitive information in a password-secured folder
• Safe Erase: Permanently erases files so they cannot be recovered. Customers who have the Premium Security, Maximum Security, or Internet Security plans can only use this feature.
• Firewall Booster:Enhances Windows’ built-in firewall and stops botnets from stealing your computer.

These features are many and varied. Pay Guard is activated whenever you visit a bank website or finance site. This window provides protection against exploit attacks and pop-ups. All browsers are secure and can be used by TotalAV, Avira or Bullguard. None of them provide the same functionality as Pay Guard.

Trend Micro’s erase and secure file vault are excellent. The firewall booster, folder protection and data theft prevention aren’t as effective as I thought. Trend Micro offers many other security features that I find very useful.

Trend Micro Plans and Pricing

Trendmicro offers four plans. Internet Security is a slightly more expensive plan, but it only works on Windows. Premium security plans Maximum security and Premium Security Suite are premium plans that can be used on both Macs and PCs. They work with Androids and iOS as well as Chromebooks, Chromebooks Chromebooks, Chromebooks Chromebooks, Chromebooks and Chromebooks.

Trendmicro does not offer a free plan. However, it offers some features for free, such as House Call, which is an online security scan, and Safety Filter For Kids browser extensions. All packages require a subscription of at least one year. Trend Micro offers a 30-day free trial for all plans. All purchases are covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee

Trend Micro is easy to use and set up

Trend Micro is very easy to set up and use. It was easy to set up and took only 5 minutes. Once it was up and running, I was directed towards a user interface (UI) that was simple to use. It showed me the main features in four easy-to-read icons.

You can access each feature in just a few clicks. Clicking the “Device” button will open security settings, including the real-time scanning options, computer optimizer and the mute option, which temporarily disables Trend Micro notifications.

You can access the Privacy Scanner and Social Media Protection by clicking the “Privacy” button at the top right of the main UI. Here you can set up your Payguard settings. Trend Micro’s secure browser allows you to choose which websites you want to open.

The Privacy tab also contains options for Data Theft Prevention. Trend Micro will protect your data, just like Pay Guard.

From the main interface, you will find Folder Shield or Secure Erase. Click the “Data” button.

Click on “Family” to access the Parental controls. It took me just a few seconds for this to be set up.

Trend Micro’s interface is intuitive and easy to use. It is easy to find and adjust all features with just a few clicks.

Trend Micro Mobile App

Trend Micro’s mobile security for iOS and Android is available as part of the Max Security or Premium Safety Suitepackages. You can also purchase it separately. These features are available to you:

• Malware scanner. Only for Android
• Website protections.
• VPN.
• Blocker to SMS Phishing.
• App manager.
• Anti-theft protection.
• Parental control.

The malware scanner I used to test it worked flawlessly. Trend micro was able detect nearly all of the viruses in my archives.

Trend Micro’s mobile security products are very good. I especially like the smishing-based anti-phishing blocker. Trend Micro’s mobile VPN can be as dangerous for desktop users as for mobile users.

My favorite Trend Micro theft protections are the ones that I use. Remotely lock, wipe, locate, turn off, or even lock your alarm. Log in to Trendmicro’s Lost Device Portal from your web browser. With a simple interface, all anti-theft options can be accessed easily. You can locate your device within 50-100 meters using the “locate device” function.