Why should anyone pay for internet security when it's possible to get it for free? There are so many freeware security programs that paid-for software needs to offer something more than its free competitors.

Allume's icSpyware is a powerful set of tools for combating spyware, but it also includes anti-phishing and anti-spam programs.

It's certainly handy to have everything under one roof, accessed from a simple control panel. On our test PC, the spyware-killer found a couple of hidden nasties that were not picked up by the free programs.

It also includes protection in the form of 'guard programs' that will attempt to stop any malicious programs before they can install themselves and protect against phishing attempts and spam email.

With a little work, it's not hard to get by without tools such as this, but if you're continually cleaning the PC to remove malicious programs, icSpyware can automate the process.