Symantec’s Norton Internet Security 2008 remains at the head of the pack. Not only does it offer robust antivirus and spyware protection, a firewall, parental controls (with an optional free download), and more, but its superior quick scans and intuitive interface make it stand out.

The installation of Norton Internet Security 2008 went very smoothly on our test PC. However, options to update or add parts of the software during installation—such as parental controls—bumped the total time to around 10 minutes. We appreciated not having to restart.

Norton’s interface is colorful and well laid out, which makes finding a given operation much smoother. A primary window displays the Norton Protection Center, which provides security status information at a glance, and Norton Internet Security, which provides quick access to major features such as running scans and altering important settings.

Norton Internet Security Suite 2008 was light on system resources, adding only a few seconds to our PC’s bootup time. The basic scan, which took less than a minute, was quick and effective, and you can easily set the program to do recommended actions, such as removing unwanted cookies. There’s also a good amount of customization available for options such as manual scanning and setting limits to what is scanned.

There’s only one feature we could do without. During the installation process, we were asked if we would like to join Norton Community Watch, which allows Symantec to see what sites you’re browsing and what kind of personal information phishing sites are trying to take from your computer. This could be uncomfortable for some, even though Symantec states that this data “will not be correlated with any personally identifiable information.”

Symantec’s Norton Internet Security Suite 2008 offers a great user interface, doesn’t tax system resources while multitasking, and offers customization options that make it a solid fit for beginners and advanced users alike. All of that, combined with parental controls and a quick virus scan option, make this suite a very compelling option.