Kaspersky has released their updated Internet Security suite for 2013 with plenty of Windows PC protection including a Safe Money feature that opens select banking and shopping websites in a new safe browser window.
Ease of Use, Performance: 5/5
Look & Feel: 5/5
Features 4/5
How much I enjoy 5/5
Total: 5/5 Stars
Kaspersky Internet Security 2013 is the latest release of their popular security program suite that costs about $65 to protect three Windows computers against viruses, malware and attacks by hackers. The program features protection for not only your computer from infection but your money and private data using various features like a firewall and a new Safe Money feature for banking and credit card security.
Each year internet security companies come out with new software to provide protection against the latest threats but some companies have quit labeling software with years or editions other than which version you purchased. The latest software you have only needs a simple update to give you the best protection and as long as you are still using a current active product with Kaspersky simply adding their latest internet protections to the current Internet Security Suite.
Kaspersky has remained a top company for internet and computer security and I continue to get suites of their software to check out with little to add to this year’s offering beyond the Safe Money features. That is not to say the company has not been sitting on their hands nor that their software is lacking in features to protect your computer as well as your network using the latest features.
Kaspersky continues to work at not only keeping up to date with current attacks and threats to your computer and data as well as banking information but they devise new safety measures. They also get rid of features that no longer pose a threat or do not warrant the continued protection due to a lack of attacks using what was thought to be a vulnerability.
Kaspersky has been a top company for computer anti-virus and security that continues to rank high on independent testing of anti-virus and malware detection along with review testing by popular sites like PCMag and TopTenReviews. Kaspersky has a unique set of features and continues to up the ante on your personal protection and security as well as continuing to keep up with their current products and software.
Integration with other programs like Office is automatic and protection for spam and email security works very well especially for spam filtering which caught all the junk mail and very seldom caught any real mail. I do receive a lot of mail from other countries so I do get a lot of mail that is suspicious and the program did an excellent job of catching ones that were questionable while allowing real mail to go to my inbox.
Antivirus is probably the oldest security protection and one that has changed a lot including simplifying the term as malware but along with changes to the types of attacks and how viruses have evolved Kaspersky has at making things run faster for you. Malware detection used to be by signatures that required updating so the program always had the latest comparisons against what it finds on a daily basis with scans but Kaspersky has added a cloud database to use for comparison for faster comparison.
Secure Socket Layer or for those who are not internet security savvy is that green colored HTTP that shows for secure sites that transmits documents and data using encrypted and secure data like bank account numbers. One way hackers and thieves are trying to steal your private information is to use fake websites so Kaspersky has created a suite of security features that check sites and suggest opening the site in a new browser window.
This check for fake sites and comparing the sites certificates with a list that Kaspersky keeps allows you to know that behind the scenes things are not happening to the information you input on a web page. Opening a website page in a new browser window allows Kaspersky to ensure the site is valid and your data is safe from criminals using three different steps of security with site comparison, server check and opening the site in a trusted environment.
Kaspersky’s Safe Money checks the site you go to through a link in an email, a saved bookmarked site or one you type in or find through a search on the internet and compares the sites real internet address with those it has collected to ensure it is the real site. If Kaspersky does not have the site listed you can ask Kaspersky to check out the site but I have yet to find a shopping site or other site that requires secure connection that Kaspersky does not already have listed.
The main features of Safe Money is checking the sites and this works extremely well when you get those emails and are unsure if it is from your bank, shopping site or other important site and you want to make sure. The Internet Security 2013 program will also check sites for Trojans, Malware and other suspicious threats and block the sites that may harm your computer as well.
The Safe Money feature mainly allows you to ensure your private information like credit cards, bank accounts and social security numbers are safe when using on sites but one other function is handy for the best security. Some sites use keyboard loggers and see physically the letters and numbers you’re typing so Kaspersky uses two types of protection with a Virtual Keyboard and a Secure Keyboard.
The Secure Keyboard encrypts the keyboard key strokes while the Virtual Keyboard uses a mouse and onscreen keyboard to enter information so key loggers cannot see the keys because you are not even using any. Both these keyboard safeguards add to the security provided by Kaspersky Internet Security and continues to increase the protection for your computer online but the regular anti-virus, malware and other threats that are out there are also protected against.
Kaspersky is a great product with all its features and has been given plenty of accolades from independent testing organizations like AV-Test.org in Germany but other results like ones form PCMag and CNET also reflect the performance of the protection. Ease of use is also important and Kaspersky has simplified its user interface to make it easier for first time users as well as fans of the program and make setup of the program simple when you first install it.
In reviewing this software and the protection you get I can say that Kaspersky has you covered for a wide variety of security features including both attacks in malware and security from data theft. Kaspersky Internet Security 2013 has lots to offer and much of it is not going to be a bother for users to deal with even if you don’t know what is going on with the attacks or how they are occurring.
Most warnings and alerts are merely a notice that something is going on and the program is working correctly like blocking bad sites or attacks form Trojans that are trying to be loaded to your computer. When you scan and something requires a decision on your part the program opens a window and gives you simple choices which usually amount to deleting or putting the malicious malware in quarantine.
I found several times that I could not get infected and even when going to sites that I knew are going to have Trojans and malware the program did an excellent job of blocking the sites and malware. After checking a few sites to test firewall settings I found some open ports but Kaspersky has revised its stand on stealth and open ports, Kaspersky has found that just knowing ports are open does not make your system any more vulnerable or secure.
A port is a connection on your computer through your router that is used for a wide variety of reasons like home networking, media players and online gaming where information is allowed through. Some ports need to be open for various reasons and Kaspersky has decided to concentrate on stopping attacks instead of trying to hide your computer when they really can’t hide the fact that it is.
They are more concerned with blocking attacks and not hiding your open ports due to long held beliefs that a port that is hidden is actually more secure but in fact just knowing a port is there is enough to interest an attacker. As I found and it does make sense that unless the attackers sees a specific response when no connection is on the other side of a port he knows that there is a stealth port and there might be something worth hacking into.
I tried numerous tests and programs to check out virus, firewall and malware detection and removal and even had a few infections during the couple of months I have been reviewing the software. The program blocked all the malware and attacks with understandable warnings and messages as well as simple instructions about what I needed to do with specific problems.
I am happy with the level of Protection Kaspersky Internet Security 2013 offers and would highly recommend Kaspersky Internet Security 2013 as a great and easy to use security program for your computer.
Internet Security 2013 @ Kaspersky
