G Data Internet Security review

G Data Internet Security is a traditional suite in the best sense. G Data says its firewall monitors all incoming and outgoing connections, either fully automatically or by rules you write, and its BankGuard technology protects the browser against manipulation by data thieves during banking and shopping. Anti-Spam filters advertising and phishing emails, parental controls set time limits and approved sites, and you can store encrypted backups in Dropbox or Google Drive. The Mac and Android apps add virus scanning, phishing protection and device tracking, but the firewall and most extras are Windows features. G Data's product page shows several prices in one row without clearly naming the plan for each, so we marked the price as pending rather than guess. The interface exposes more choices than the top picks, which suits people who want to set firewall rules by hand. For a hands-off setup, Bitdefender or Norton will be easier.

Who it is for

Windows users who want a classic suite with a two-way firewall and encrypted cloud backups.

Price

See vendor pricing (USD check pending).

US price check pending. See the vendor pricing page.

Key features

• Firewall that monitors incoming and outgoing connections, automatically or by your own rules
• BankGuard, a patented browser protection for online banking and shopping
• Anti-Spam that stops spam and phishing emails
• Parental controls with time limits and approved sites
• Encrypted cloud backups to Dropbox or Google Drive

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Firewall covers both incoming and outgoing traffic with custom rules
• Strength: BankGuard targets browser manipulation by banking trojans
• Strength: Includes email spam and phishing filtering
• Weakness: The page lists several products from one price row, so we could not tie a USD price to this plan
• Weakness: Firewall and most extras are Windows only
• Weakness: More settings to learn than in Norton or Bitdefender

Key facts

• Platforms: Windows, macOS, Android
• Firewall: Inbound and outbound, rule-based
• Banking protection: BankGuard
• Backups: Encrypted, to Dropbox or Google Drive

Where it ranks

G Data Internet Security is No. 6 in our Best Internet Security Suites verdict.