ESET 9 ships with new banking and payment protection

ESET has released the latest editions of its consumer security tools, ESET NOD32 Antivirus 9 ($39.99) and ESET Smart Security 9 ($59.99).

Smart Security now includes Banking & Payment Protection, a secure and isolated browser which uses multiple techniques to protect online financial transactions from attackers.

A new reputation-based system should help block access to malicious URLs and cloud-based files.

Enhanced botnet protection now checks network communications for signatures which may indicate malware, and immediately alerts you to any suspect traffic.

Usability improvements include a redesigned interface, smarter installation, and "a completely new licensing framework that simplifies product purchases and activations".

This looks like a solid and worthwhile update to us, although generally average testing results -- ESET scored 11th/ 20 in AV-Comparatives’ August 2015 Real-World Protection Test -- suggest it might take more to win over the uncommitted.

30-day trials of ESET NOD32 Antivirus 9 and ESET Smart Security 9 are available for Windows XP -- 10.