Free 1 year license of Panda Internet Security 2011!

Update2: This promotion is now over. Sorry to those that missed it! To avoid missing freebies in the future, consider subscribing to dotTech: RSS Feed | E-mail | Twitter | Facebook.

Update: Apparently a few hours after I posted this freebie, the CAPTCHA code required to fill out the first registration form has been changed from English to Chinese. (They may also have disabled the Chinese activation code from working with the English version of Panda Internet Security 2011 – I don’t know.) Users now have to enter the CAPTCHA in Chinese. For people that don’t have a Chinese keyboard, you can try a virtual keyboard (type in the letters in the virtual keyboard then copy + paste it into the CAPTCHA box). If you are unable to use the virtual keyboard – or don’t want to – this promotion is effectively dead for you. Sorry for those that missed it!

Software Description

The following is the description of Panda Internet Security 2011, as per the developer:

Panda Internet Security 2011 allows you to use the Internet for anything, like shopping and banking online, with total peace of mind and without any interruption. It protects you from viruses, hackers, online fraud, identity theft and all the other known and unknown threats.

In addition, it keeps your inbox spam-free, and allows you to browse the web privately and securely with the entirely new Panda Safe Browser. With the Parental Control, your children can browse the Internet safely.

Maximum protection against all kinds of Internet threats with Panda Internet Security 2011

Key features:

Antivirus

Firewall & Identity Protect

Anti-Spam & Parental Control

Multimedia/Gaming Mode

Home Network Manager

Remote PC Access

Safe Browser (Sandboxing)

dotTech Advice

I have never personally used Panda Security products nor have I reviewed their programs (aside from the Panda USB Vaccine); so I don’t know how good/bad they are. However, Panda AntiVirus Pro 2011 scores really well in AV-Comparatives’ August 2010 On-Demand Comparative and November 2010 Retroactive/Proactive tests with excellent 99.2% and 61% overall detection rates, respectively; although it must be noted it had “many” false-positives.

On the other hand, Panda Internet Security 2011’s firewall tests very poorly in Matousec’s firewall tests. It must be noted, though, Mautosec’s firewall tests treat the firewalls as standalone; and many firewalls in security suites are designed to work hand-in-hand with the security suite’s other components. So while many firewalls for security suites may fail Matousec’s firewall tests, that does not mean they are crap. That just means you should never run those firewalls alone without the other features of the security suites mentioned.

Taking into consideration how Panda Internet Security 2011 provides many protection features (not just anti-virus and anti-spyware protection) and how it has very good detection rates, if you are not happy with your current security programs – and you don’t like the free ones – grab this one year free of Panda Internet Security 2011. Who knows – maybe you will like the program enough that you become their paying customer after the one year is up.

Freebie details

Note that this one year freebie is through Panda Security’s Chinese operations. However, I will provide you with directions on how to get the English version. To get Panda Internet Security 2011 for free, follow these directions:

Version being given out for free: v16.0.0.0

Free updates: Yes, for one year

Supported OS: Windows XP/Vista (32/64 bit)/Win7 (32/64 bit)

Download size: 72.5 MB

Note: There is no information for how long this giveaway is active. However, you must activate your 1 year license within one month of receiving the activation code; otherwise it will go to waste.

Visit the promotion page and click on the link shown in the following screenshot:

Once you click on it, a box should appear. Enter your e-mail address and click on the blue button:

(After you click on the blue button be sure to keep this web page open because you will need to come back to it very soon.)

Check the inbox of the e-mail address you entered. Look for an e-mail from beijing@pandayun.com. The e-mail’s subject will be in Chinese. In the e-mail look for an exchange code in red:

Copy the exchange code.

Go back to the previously discussed promotion page. This time fill out the whole form:

The following is a rough translation of the form:

Make sure to enter the exchange code you received via e-mail in the “exchange code” box and the e-mail address you used in the “e-mail” box.

Hit the orange button when you have filled out the whole form.

Once you hit the orange button, you may get a couple of popups that say something in Chinese. Just click OK if you do. Eventually you should be redirected to your Panda Security account page. Look for an activation code:

Copy the activation code.

(If you are not redirected to your Panda Security account page, check your e-mail – you are also e-mailed this activation code.)

Visit Panda Security’s registration page and register (it is in English), making sure to use the activation code you just got in the “Activation Code” box in step 4:

Once you finish step 4 and submit the form, you should get a confirmation message that lists your client number:

Keep that client number safe because you will need it to activate Panda Internet Security 2011.

At this time, before you move on, I suggest you open Notepad and paste in your activation code (the one you used for the “Activation Code” box in step 4 of the previously mentioned registration), the client code you were given after finishing the previously mentioned registration, and e-mail address you used in step 4 of the previously mentioned registration:

You will need all three to register Panda Internet Security 2011, so putting them all in a Notepad file will help you better keep track of them. Take special care to use the e-mail address that you used on the English registration – not the Chinese registration.

Now check the e-mail you registered with in step 4 of the previously mentioned registration. Look for an e-mail from yourdetail?s@pandasecu?rity.com with subject of Welcome to Panda Security.? In the e-mail you will find login details for your Panda Security account: