By Neil J. Rubenking

Windows PCs are a prime target for malware writers, simply because they're so numerous. However, Android devices are just as ubiquitous, and Mac OS devices aren't risk-free. A single cross-platform security suite to protect all three is a great idea for the modern multi-device household. Your subscription to AVG Protection PRO ($59.99 per year) lets you install AVG's security suite on all your PCs, and antivirus protection on all your Macs and Android devices.

To get started with AVG Protection, you create an online account. From the online dashboard, you download the security product appropriate to your OS. In addition to the security product itself, you get the AVG Zen management tool, at least on Windows and Android. There isn't a Mac version of AVG Zen at present.

All of the security tools, and AVG Zen itself, have a very similar interface. Each area of protection displays a large colored circle. A green circle means all is well; a complete circle means all available protection is installed. Simple!

The Zen of AVG I made my first AVG Protection installation on a PC. Initially, the Privacy & Identity panel displayed a half-circle, and the circle for Performance was entirely blank. Installing AVG PrivacyFix filled out the Privacy circle. PrivacyFix is a tool designed to help you tune your privacy settings in Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+. It's also available separately as a free download.

Clicking the Performance circle brought up an invitation to install AVG PC TuneUp 2015, which confused me just a bit. AVG actually offers three multi-device subscriptions. In addition to AVG Protection, there's AVG Performance ($39.99 per year), which includes AVG PC TuneUp, AVG Cleaner for Android, and AVG Cleaner for Mac. AVG Ultimate ($89.99 per year) gives you all the features of AVG Protection and AVG Performance. So why did I get the TuneUp tool?

It turns out that when you subscribe to AVG Protection, you get a free 30-day trial of AVG Performance. Once the trial expires, you can still run 1-Click Maintenance. This simple scan wipes useless data from the Registry, defragments the Registry, and eliminates broken program shortcuts. It also cleans up traces of your Internet and computer use, optimizes startup and shutdown, and, if necessary, defragments the hard drive.

AVG Zen offers an easy way to extend AVG protection to new devices. You simply click the plus icon, choose the platform, and generate an email invitation. But the power of Zen doesn't stop there.

From the console, you can view the status of all your devices. A circled number lets you know about any notifications pending for each device. If there's a problem, perhaps a security component turned off, you can fix it remotely. You can also launch an antivirus scan remotely. Having Zen installed on all of your Windows and Android devices gives you the ability to easily monitor your overall security.

PC Protection On my test PC, AVG Protection installed AVG Internet Security 2015. As with Symantec Norton Security and McAfee LiveSafe 2015, you don't have to enter the license key; it's baked into the download.

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