Scope of Protection:  

Panda Antivirus Pro is equipped with the right protection to secure your computer from threats of all kinds, from viruses to spyware, to rootkits, exploits, and a variety of other threats. This wide-range of protection is made possible by incorporating traditional virus signatures and proactive heuristic detection with an integrated firewall.

Of course the upgraded suites (Panda Internet Security and all-in-one PC security suite, Panda Global Protection) offer more comprehensive protection and advanced features, but Panda Antivirus Pro is more than adequate for desktop antivirus.

Effectiveness:  

Panda is an effective antivirus software, and has earned checkmark certification from the West Coast Labs (for viruses, malware, spyware, and Trojans). Panda Antivirus Pro has also met the requirements to be ICSA certified.

One of the reasons that Panda is so effective is because they include up-to-date security technology, including advanced heuristic detection and a firewall. The software even has the ability to monitor your wireless network and prevent intrusions.

Ease of Installation:  

Panda Antivirus 2010 is straightforward and easy to install. The software only took 6 minutes to completely install, and didn’t require a system reboot.

While Panda isn’t running a scan, it’s very non-intrusive, and only takes about 5MB. And while the 58MB used while scanning doesn’t make Panda a system hog, it was noticeably larger than several of the competitions’ software.

Ease of Use:  

Panda’s interface hasn’t changed from last year, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The software is logically laid out and provides simple access to all the essential features. Running manual antivirus scans or scheduling them for later is pretty easy. But even better than easy to use software is a program that can basically run itself, and Panda is engineered to keep optimum protection without requiring you to constantly monitor or update.

Features:  

One new unique feature from Panda is the USB Vaccine. This simple utility allows you to “vaccinate” your PC from threats that take advantage of the “Autorun” technology and are able to infect your computer the instant an external USB drive is connected to a computer.

Another great feature is the TruPrevent Technology 2.0. This system uses behavioral analysis of files to detect malware-like activity and stop files before they have the chance to infect your computer.

Updates:  

Updates for Panda Antivirus Pro are setup to run automatically in the background, and occur daily to ensure that your system is always up-to-date with current virus signatures.

Help & Support:  

Panda’s antivirus software is pretty easy to use, but if you need additional assistance you can refer to the in-program user manual, or find some answers online. On Panda’s online support center they host a user forum, support blog, and a product-specific FAQs section.

Panda Antivirus Pro 2010 features some great features and is an overall effective solution. We liked the simple interface and simple controls. See how Panda stacked up with our antivirus comparison.