Kaspersky Internet Security

Quick Summary

Kaspersky Internet Security is a well-known security suite. It’s a paid-for service, meaning it will cost users an up-front payment, but includes a wide range of features that make browsing more secure, such as application control, parental control options, and a thorough cleaning tool that handles adware and potentially risky browser extensions. The program is organized into a clean, easy-to-navigate interface that promotes easy accessibility to the most commonly-used functions.

Setting it Up

The setup itself is very straightforward, with very few configuration options to handle. Accepting the recommended settings presented during setup is the best way to enjoy a comfortable, effective start with Kaspersky Internet Security. Selecting the “take a tour” checkbox during the setup process will give you the opportunity to enter a tutorial on navigating through the interface.

Security Alerts

Kaspersky Internet Protection has two main types of security alerts: the lack-of-protection warning and the malicious content warning. The first of these will pop up on your home screen if you happen to have the program’s real-time protection disabled. If this is the case, solving the problem is as easy as clicking “details” and then selecting “enable” in the suite’s interface.

The second type of alert is bright yellow and notifies you of malicious content. The pop-up alert states that the content has been blocked, and the suite quarantines the potentially harmful files. After clicking on the “details” button on the threat notification, users are offered a variety of different options:

• Delete: gets rid of the threat in a safe, secure manner
• Skip: allows you to keep the threat in quarantine for now while you decide on the appropriate action to take.
• Allow exclusions: lets you take files that you know you can trust out of quarantine and install the files despite the suite’s threat detection.

Usability

Installing Kaspersky Internet Security is easy and fairly straightforward, as is navigating the program’s homepage for the most important functions. The home page will both grant access to the most critical functions of the suite and offer recommendations for other software or add-ons that help make your browsing experience more secure.

The “Scan” button, the feature used most often in any security suite, offers a fairly standard assortment of scan options.

• Full Scan: provides a more in-depth search for malicious code in every file
• Quick Scan: looks for threats in only the most common installation locations
• Selective Scan: scan a specific item or selection of items
• External Device Scan: detects threats in USB devices or other outside sources

The “Update Database” button is another go-to resource for those concerned about security. Here, you can make sure the extensive Kaspersky database is up to date so you’ll have full protection from even the newest malware.

Most of the other icons on the home screen are self-explanatory. Some, such as the Safe Money section, may take a moment to set up initially, but requires minimal interaction afterwards in order to keep your information safe. The program itself is easy to navigate and provides a thorough safety net for the average internet user. It’s received top scores from antivirus testers and has a full range of features.