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Kaspersky Antivirus: How It Boosts Your Online Safety and Performance



Kaspersky has an excellent antivirus scanner and some pretty good web protections. It caught all of the malware samples I downloaded in my tests, and its anti-phishing protection detected most of the risky sites I tried visiting.




Kaspersky Antivirus - Why Is It So Good




That said, I still think Plus and Premium are good internet security suites overall. They have a high-quality antivirus scanner, some really useful features, and affordable pricing. Kaspersky is also one of the more transparent antivirus companies. Since the 2017 allegations that it was working with the Russian government to steal US intelligence data, Kaspersky has moved its data processing centers to Switzerland, opened Transparency Centers around the world, and passed a SOC 2 audit.


Kaspersky comes with a good antivirus scanner and a ton of additional features that can significantly boost your online safety. For example, it offers really good phishing protection to prevent you from visiting dangerous websites, parental controls to keep your kids safe online, and a pretty decent VPN to keep your browsing data private.


Kaspersky caught 100% of the malware samples I downloaded during my tests, which puts it among the best antiviruses on the market like Norton, Bitdefender, and McAfee (like Kaspersky, these brands also use a combination of signature databases and machine learning).


The mobile VPN provides good speeds overall. With the free version, there was a bit of slowdown in download speeds and ping, but with the premium version, both download and upload speeds stayed about the same.


Interestingly, the interface for Kaspersky's free antivirus is not based on that of the premium edition, reviewed here. Rather, the free product is a stripped-down version of Kaspersky Security Cloud, with a shield icon marking premium features as requiring upgrade. I ran my hands-on tests simultaneously with this product and the free edition and got the same results.


Kaspersky Security Cloud Free includes all the antivirus protection you get in the premium antivirus. Even the behavior-based System Watcher, which was once reserved for paid products, is included. I'll summarize those shared features here, and you can get more information by reading my review of the free product.


Recognizing and defending against malware attacks is good, but ensuring that the malicious software never even reaches your computer is better. To check that capability I use a collection of malware-hosting URLs recently discovered by the testing lab MRG-Effitas(Opens in a new window). Products get equal credit for blocking all access to a dangerous URL and for eliminating the malware download.


Kaspersky Anti-Virus gets excellent scores in all the tests from all the labs that we follow, and it comes with feature-limited version of Kaspersky's VPN and password manager products. The core antivirus technology is the same as what's in Kaspersky Security Cloud Free, without the distraction of all those premium-only features. And the availability of direct tech support by phone or live chat in the paid edition can be a lifesaver.


Bitdefender Antivirus Plus routinely scores as high as Kaspersky with the labs, and it packs enough useful bonus security features to almost qualify as a suite. Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus uses behavioral detection along with a journal-and-rollback system that can reverse damage by malware, including ransomware. And while McAfee AntiVirus Plus doesn't score quite as high, it lets you protect every device in your household. From the dozens of available antivirus products, we've picked these three, along with Kaspersky Anti-Virus, as Editors' Choice antivirus tools.


From the entry-level Kaspersky Anti-Virus to the top shelf Kaspersky Total Security, Kaspersky's Windows antivirus programs protect you from online dangers with local scanning and cloud-based machine-learning.


Kaspersky Anti-Virus is for Windows only, and its password manager is limited to 15 sets of credentials. It also protects against stalkerware, quasi-legal spyware that business partners or jealous lovers can use to monitor you. It costs $60 per year for three PCs or $80 for five, a bit more than Bitdefender's comparable Antivirus Plus. Nonetheless, we reckon it's the best Windows 10 antivirus software out there.


Most of Kaspersky's antivirus products limit use of the company's Secure Connection VPN service to 300MB a day. For unlimited VPN data, you'll have to pay an extra $30 per year (inexpensive compared to stand-alone VPN services).


Kaspersky Security Cloud is a server-based option that mates regular antivirus protection with online privacy protections. Overall, its features are not too different from those of Kaspersky Total Security, but Security Cloud may appeal to individuals or families with multiple devices.


In the November-December 2020 round of testing by Germany's AV-Test lab (opens in new tab), Kaspersky detected 100 percent of both new "zero-day" and well-known "widespread" malware and had just one "false positive" detection of benign software. Most of the other antivirus brands we review, including Bitdefender, Norton and Microsoft, also had clean sweeps.


London-based SE Labs (opens in new tab) digs a bit deeper, checking whether antivirus software blocks malware from being installed or merely neutralizes it after installation, and scoring accordingly.


Each Kaspersky Windows antivirus product has browser extensions for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge and Microsoft Internet Explorer to safeguard data typed into websites, warn of phishing attempts and block pop-up ads. Mac users get an extension for Safari as well.


The program's File Shredder can eradicate sensitive or embarrassing material forever. You have the choice of seven erasing techniques, including several used by the U.S. military. Most other antivirus brands that include file shredders don't give you so many options.


Kaspersky's paid antivirus software includes 24/7 technical support via telephone, email or online chat. Online self-help materials include articles and decryption tools for several ransomware strains.


While Kaspersky Total Security remains our top choice for the best antivirus program, Norton and Bitdefender's premium programs have caught up in terms of protection and features. All three bring together fast local scans with online malware analysis while not consuming too many system resources.


Those on a budget or who don't have kids may prefer the value-packed Bitdefender Antivirus Plus. If money is no objection, and you need identity-theft protection and unlimited VPN service as well as antivirus software, consider Norton 360 with LifeLock.


We performed the same test on several other antivirus software, and out of all of them, only one other software earned a 100% detection score. This proves that Kaspersky really is one of the best software for detecting viruses.And by the way, the other antivirus software that detected all five viruses was Bitdefender. You can read about our virus detection test in our in-depth review of Bitdefender.


A stray piece of malware could place your private data into the wrong hands in a matter of minutes. It could also lock you out of your computer until you pay a steep ransom. Using solid antivirus software will detect those attacks and block them before they reach your system.


Kaspersky Lab is a global cybersecurity giant primarily known for its antivirus software. It is one of the larger cybersecurity providers, with arguably the most popular and controversial antivirus program available today.


Based on our tests, Kaspersky receives an overall score of 7.7. Do you want to get a subscription to one of the Kaspersky packages straight away? Click on the button below to get your premium antivirus subscription today.


Kaspersky offers extremely high functionality and excellent real-time protection. Even so, most antivirus software in the same price range is comparable in this department, so while Kaspersky does a good job, the competition is tough.


In practice, this looks as follows. Kaspersky is governed by the laws of the country where the original purchase was completed. This means that if you live in a country with more government control, your private information could be shared with local government authorities without your permission. This is a cause for concern, but there is good news.


In addition to checking facts and figures, we have extensively tested whether other programs stay stable in combination with Kaspersky. We can conclude that, in that regard, little or nothing gives away that an antivirus program is running.


However, during scans, CPU usage and working memory usage go up quickly. Although this is to be expected with good virus protection, it is worth noting, as this might affect your system. For us, these increases did not affect the performance of other software.


Kaspersky is a high-level antivirus provider that is struggling to get rid of its negative reputation. It provides excellent security and stops nearly all malware that might try to attack you. On top of that, Kaspersky offers various extra features that help you improve your safety and anonymity. The software is easy to work with and functions well in the background. 2ff7e9595c


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