Kaspersky Lab Internet Security 2012 - KIS1203121USZZ
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- Package Type: Retail
- Platform: PC
- Distribution Media: CD-ROM
- Software Category: Utilities
- Version: Full Version
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1182
Kaspersky is Still Holding its Own in the Malware War
Pros
Non intrusive, resource lean, excellent user interface, easy usage, reputation & success rate, useful features.
Cons
Installation issues, first update failed.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Kaspersky has a solid record in terms of detecting and removing malware. Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 has interesting improvements and useful features.
Viruses, Root-kits, Trojan Horses, Worms, Spy-ware, Phishing Scams, and Spam, unless your computer is electronically isolated you are at risk. No AV software offers complete protection but there are many free and pay-for AV software applications that can fight for you in the fierce Malware War. The question is; which one should you use?
There is free AV software; MalwareBytes, Microsoft Security Essentials, AVG have a free version, and SpywareBlaster. However, if you want customer support, and the extra features pay-for AV software comes with you may want to consider pay-for AV software. Personally I have good experience with the free version of MalwareBytes but I've had bad experience with AVG and based on what I've seen and heard it is safer to go with reputable and successful pay-for AV software.
I have a lot of different AV software on my ten computers including Trend Micro Titanium, Trend Micro Internet Security, Trend Micro Office Scan, BitDefender 2011, WebRoot Anti-Virus with Spysweeper, ESET NOD32 4.0, MalwareBytes, Kapsersky Anti-Virus 2011, and Kaspersky Internet Security 2012. I also uninstalled Norton 360 3.0 and McAfee (good riddance) not too long ago. I like that Trend Micro is non-intrusive and not demanding on resources, I think Malware is great for adware and spyware, BitDefender has good customer support, and ESET NOD32 is exceptional in detecting and removing malware. In general Kaspersky combines a little bit of all of these advantages without being as expensive as ESET.
I should mention that I received Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 (one user / three PC) for free via the Amazon Vine program a few weeks ago.
Overview of Kaspersky Internet Security 2012
The Kaspersky 2012 version (for PC's) comes in three editions; Kaspersky Pure Total Security 2012, Kaspersky Internet Security 2012, and Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2012. Well, there is also a Kaspersky Mobile Security, tablet security, anti-virus for Mac, and small office security.
Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 comes with more features than Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2012 and differ from Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2012 in that it includes the following advanced protection options; two-way firewall, anti-spam protection, safe run (safely open suspicious applications), and parental controls. Naturally Kaspersky Pure Total Security 2012 comes with even more features.
Both Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 and Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2012 include malware protection (viruses, spyware, etc), small frequent updates, scanning features, anti-phishing, a virtual keyboard, and a gamer mode. Both versions also include free technical support (phone, live chat, email, on-line information, forums, etc). I have not used technical support for this version but based on past experience Kaspersky customer support is OK but not great and except for on-line information, email and forums it is not 24/7.
New features in 2012 (compared to 2011) include improved root-kit detection, improved anti-phishing and anti-spam, smarter updates, better protection against unknown threats via the new System Watcher, it is less intrusive, touch screen support, the desktop security gadget has been made useful, and there are updates to the user interface and more.
Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 installs on Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP (32/64 bit) and requires an internet connection.
Kaspersky Internet Security 2012; Features and Innovation
Kaspersky has some interesting features that I would like to highlight.
- Hybrid protection using the cloud; Kaspersky anti-malware technologies, frequent small updates, and the current information from the "cloud", as well detection of suspicious activities on your PC is used to optimize malware detection.
- The included CD can also be used as a bootable CD (rescue CD) that can be used for system restore and for accessing Kaspersky features in the event malware already has rendered your computer useless.
- The Virtual Keyboard allows you to type in passwords, credit card numbers, etc, without using the keyboard. By using the mouse and clicking on the screen key-loggers cannot use your key-strokes to steal your information.
- There is a Network monitor that is more detailed than the very small overview given in the task manager (it is different from the performance monitor and focused on defense). I did not see this is 2011.
- The Gamer mode allows you to minimize performance effects and block popups so that gaming will not be affected. This is not a new feature.
The Installation of Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 is Self Replicating; Oh My Golly Stop Them!
The installation of Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 is theoretically very easy. It is just to click next on the setup wizard, and then enter the activation code, and then you can get started. There are no settings to configure during setup, and it also does not ask you to set up a password unless you are setting up parent controls. I think that is a positive.
However, Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 has an incompatibility problem with other AV software. This is a common issue but some AV software like malware bytes can run along side other AV software. What surprised my was that Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 not only had an incompatibility problem with Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2011 but I had to uninstall it from the control panel.
Worst of all, when I started the installation, it started more than ten simultaneous installations, first four, then five, then ten and more. I cancelled all but one to avoid problems and in the end it worked. However, this should not have happened and should not have been possible. I my opinion this is bad enough for me to yank one star.
Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 First Scan and First Update
The first update was a big one since the newly installed software was significantly out of date. It took a significant amount of time and it required a restart, and it still failed. This made me nervous but it worked on the second try.
The first full Kaspersky full scan took a couple of hours but it did not detect anything. However, the laptop is new and I had Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2011 installed on it so the fact that there was nothing to remove was not that surprising.
User Interface
After installation you will get a Kaspersky Desktop widget, which is a little bit more "intrusive" than a Taskbar icon, but in my opinion still better. AV status is continuously shown (without popup messages) and it is quick and easy to start the Kaspersky task manager, change settings, or launch the Kaspersky user interface.
The Kaspersky user interface has also been improved significantly since 2011 and is in my opinion the best AV software user interface I've seen. It is easy to use, intuitive, and still rich in features. At the top of the user interface you can access cloud information, reports, and access a menu for changing settings. Most of the interface window is taken up by status information and then at the bottom you have nine tools shown as large icons. Only four icons are shown at a time but scroll from left to right like you do with the thumbnails for a slide show. Overall this is a clever interface. The nine tools are; Scan, Update, Parental Control, Tools, Applications Activity, Network Monitor, Virtual Keyboard, Safe Run for Websites, and Quarantine. Each of these tools opens up in its own window, which in general is self explanatory.
How Intrusive is Kaspersky Internet Security 2012?
You want your AV software to protect you from malware without getting in your way. In the past I've had AV software that was driving me nuts with intrusive popups and that used a lot of system resources thus interfering with the performance of the computer. In general Kaspersky has been pretty good in this area and it appears to have improved.
This version seems to run in the background without much interference. A "critical areas scan" uses less than 1% of the CPU, less than 24MB of memory, and it still completes in a few minutes.
Kaspersky Success Rate
One of the most important aspects of AV software is it's effectiveness in finding and removing malware. Another very important aspect is how common false positives are. All AV software fails sometimes, the question is how often. This question cannot be answered based on the experience of a lone reviewer. You have to resort to reliable statistics and reputation, as well as the combined experience of hundreds of reviewers.
Kaspersky Anti Virus has a very good reputation in this regard. Only ESET NOD32 has been more successful. An excellent resource for finding out about the success and failures of AV software is the Virus Bulletin board tests.
http://www.virusbtn.com/vb100/archive/
As you can see Kaspersky failed (false positive) on Ubuntu Linux Server Edition not too long ago. However, if you look at the history it is pretty clean.
According to the web site below only ESET and Symantec (Norton) beat Kaspersky between 1998 and 2011 with respect to misses in the wild (ESET-0, Symantec-35, Kaspersky-52, BitDefender-117, McAfee-155, AVG-979).
http://www.eset.com/home/compare-eset-to-competition
Final Recommendation
I had some issues when installing Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 and using it for the first time. However, after overcoming that hurdle I have to say that Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 is less intrusive than ever, the user interface is great, and the product has many useful features. Sometimes AV software includes tools and that are not directly related to security and provided by the OS and/or other applications (for example backup functionality). Too much of that causes AV software to be bloated but that is not the case with Kaspersky. They stay true to their core intent. Kaspersky's reputation for detecting and removing malware is excellent and is supported by statistics and the Virus Bulletin board. If you are extremely nervous about malware I would get ESET NOD32, but other than that I think Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 is probably one of the best pay-for AV software. I recommend it and rate it four stars, one off for my installation problems.
I also recommend the following reviews for AV software and other software
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
******************* Anti Virus Software *******************
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** ESET NOD 32 4.0 (the best Anti-Virus Software)
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Trend Micro Internet Security 2010
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** BitDefender Internet Security 2011
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Malware Bytes
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security 2011
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Trend Micro Antivirus + Antispyware 2010
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Webroot Antivirus With Spy Sweeper 2011
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2011
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
********* Professional & Enginering Software **********
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** See5 Decision Tree Based Classifier
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Beyond Compare 3
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Visual Studio 2008 Standard
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Visual Studio 2008 Professional
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Visual Studio 2005 Professional
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Microsoft Team Foundation Server 2008
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Microsoft Visual Source Safe
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
************ General Consumer Software ************
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Roxio Creator 2011
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Microsoft Office 2010 Home & Student
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Corel WordPerfect Office X5 Standard
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Password Unlocker Studio
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Corel Home Suite
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Microsoft Streets and Tips 2010
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Poser 8.0
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Microsoft Works 9
********** ********** ********** **********
.
.
.
.
There is free AV software; MalwareBytes, Microsoft Security Essentials, AVG have a free version, and SpywareBlaster. However, if you want customer support, and the extra features pay-for AV software comes with you may want to consider pay-for AV software. Personally I have good experience with the free version of MalwareBytes but I've had bad experience with AVG and based on what I've seen and heard it is safer to go with reputable and successful pay-for AV software.
I have a lot of different AV software on my ten computers including Trend Micro Titanium, Trend Micro Internet Security, Trend Micro Office Scan, BitDefender 2011, WebRoot Anti-Virus with Spysweeper, ESET NOD32 4.0, MalwareBytes, Kapsersky Anti-Virus 2011, and Kaspersky Internet Security 2012. I also uninstalled Norton 360 3.0 and McAfee (good riddance) not too long ago. I like that Trend Micro is non-intrusive and not demanding on resources, I think Malware is great for adware and spyware, BitDefender has good customer support, and ESET NOD32 is exceptional in detecting and removing malware. In general Kaspersky combines a little bit of all of these advantages without being as expensive as ESET.
I should mention that I received Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 (one user / three PC) for free via the Amazon Vine program a few weeks ago.
Overview of Kaspersky Internet Security 2012
The Kaspersky 2012 version (for PC's) comes in three editions; Kaspersky Pure Total Security 2012, Kaspersky Internet Security 2012, and Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2012. Well, there is also a Kaspersky Mobile Security, tablet security, anti-virus for Mac, and small office security.
Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 comes with more features than Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2012 and differ from Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2012 in that it includes the following advanced protection options; two-way firewall, anti-spam protection, safe run (safely open suspicious applications), and parental controls. Naturally Kaspersky Pure Total Security 2012 comes with even more features.
Both Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 and Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2012 include malware protection (viruses, spyware, etc), small frequent updates, scanning features, anti-phishing, a virtual keyboard, and a gamer mode. Both versions also include free technical support (phone, live chat, email, on-line information, forums, etc). I have not used technical support for this version but based on past experience Kaspersky customer support is OK but not great and except for on-line information, email and forums it is not 24/7.
New features in 2012 (compared to 2011) include improved root-kit detection, improved anti-phishing and anti-spam, smarter updates, better protection against unknown threats via the new System Watcher, it is less intrusive, touch screen support, the desktop security gadget has been made useful, and there are updates to the user interface and more.
Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 installs on Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP (32/64 bit) and requires an internet connection.
Kaspersky Internet Security 2012; Features and Innovation
Kaspersky has some interesting features that I would like to highlight.
- Hybrid protection using the cloud; Kaspersky anti-malware technologies, frequent small updates, and the current information from the "cloud", as well detection of suspicious activities on your PC is used to optimize malware detection.
- The included CD can also be used as a bootable CD (rescue CD) that can be used for system restore and for accessing Kaspersky features in the event malware already has rendered your computer useless.
- The Virtual Keyboard allows you to type in passwords, credit card numbers, etc, without using the keyboard. By using the mouse and clicking on the screen key-loggers cannot use your key-strokes to steal your information.
- There is a Network monitor that is more detailed than the very small overview given in the task manager (it is different from the performance monitor and focused on defense). I did not see this is 2011.
- The Gamer mode allows you to minimize performance effects and block popups so that gaming will not be affected. This is not a new feature.
The Installation of Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 is Self Replicating; Oh My Golly Stop Them!
The installation of Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 is theoretically very easy. It is just to click next on the setup wizard, and then enter the activation code, and then you can get started. There are no settings to configure during setup, and it also does not ask you to set up a password unless you are setting up parent controls. I think that is a positive.
However, Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 has an incompatibility problem with other AV software. This is a common issue but some AV software like malware bytes can run along side other AV software. What surprised my was that Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 not only had an incompatibility problem with Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2011 but I had to uninstall it from the control panel.
Worst of all, when I started the installation, it started more than ten simultaneous installations, first four, then five, then ten and more. I cancelled all but one to avoid problems and in the end it worked. However, this should not have happened and should not have been possible. I my opinion this is bad enough for me to yank one star.
Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 First Scan and First Update
The first update was a big one since the newly installed software was significantly out of date. It took a significant amount of time and it required a restart, and it still failed. This made me nervous but it worked on the second try.
The first full Kaspersky full scan took a couple of hours but it did not detect anything. However, the laptop is new and I had Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2011 installed on it so the fact that there was nothing to remove was not that surprising.
User Interface
After installation you will get a Kaspersky Desktop widget, which is a little bit more "intrusive" than a Taskbar icon, but in my opinion still better. AV status is continuously shown (without popup messages) and it is quick and easy to start the Kaspersky task manager, change settings, or launch the Kaspersky user interface.
The Kaspersky user interface has also been improved significantly since 2011 and is in my opinion the best AV software user interface I've seen. It is easy to use, intuitive, and still rich in features. At the top of the user interface you can access cloud information, reports, and access a menu for changing settings. Most of the interface window is taken up by status information and then at the bottom you have nine tools shown as large icons. Only four icons are shown at a time but scroll from left to right like you do with the thumbnails for a slide show. Overall this is a clever interface. The nine tools are; Scan, Update, Parental Control, Tools, Applications Activity, Network Monitor, Virtual Keyboard, Safe Run for Websites, and Quarantine. Each of these tools opens up in its own window, which in general is self explanatory.
How Intrusive is Kaspersky Internet Security 2012?
You want your AV software to protect you from malware without getting in your way. In the past I've had AV software that was driving me nuts with intrusive popups and that used a lot of system resources thus interfering with the performance of the computer. In general Kaspersky has been pretty good in this area and it appears to have improved.
This version seems to run in the background without much interference. A "critical areas scan" uses less than 1% of the CPU, less than 24MB of memory, and it still completes in a few minutes.
Kaspersky Success Rate
One of the most important aspects of AV software is it's effectiveness in finding and removing malware. Another very important aspect is how common false positives are. All AV software fails sometimes, the question is how often. This question cannot be answered based on the experience of a lone reviewer. You have to resort to reliable statistics and reputation, as well as the combined experience of hundreds of reviewers.
Kaspersky Anti Virus has a very good reputation in this regard. Only ESET NOD32 has been more successful. An excellent resource for finding out about the success and failures of AV software is the Virus Bulletin board tests.
http://www.virusbtn.com/vb100/archive/
As you can see Kaspersky failed (false positive) on Ubuntu Linux Server Edition not too long ago. However, if you look at the history it is pretty clean.
According to the web site below only ESET and Symantec (Norton) beat Kaspersky between 1998 and 2011 with respect to misses in the wild (ESET-0, Symantec-35, Kaspersky-52, BitDefender-117, McAfee-155, AVG-979).
http://www.eset.com/home/compare-eset-to-competition
Final Recommendation
I had some issues when installing Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 and using it for the first time. However, after overcoming that hurdle I have to say that Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 is less intrusive than ever, the user interface is great, and the product has many useful features. Sometimes AV software includes tools and that are not directly related to security and provided by the OS and/or other applications (for example backup functionality). Too much of that causes AV software to be bloated but that is not the case with Kaspersky. They stay true to their core intent. Kaspersky's reputation for detecting and removing malware is excellent and is supported by statistics and the Virus Bulletin board. If you are extremely nervous about malware I would get ESET NOD32, but other than that I think Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 is probably one of the best pay-for AV software. I recommend it and rate it four stars, one off for my installation problems.
I also recommend the following reviews for AV software and other software
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
******************* Anti Virus Software *******************
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** ESET NOD 32 4.0 (the best Anti-Virus Software)
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Trend Micro Internet Security 2010
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** BitDefender Internet Security 2011
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Malware Bytes
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security 2011
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Trend Micro Antivirus + Antispyware 2010
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Webroot Antivirus With Spy Sweeper 2011
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2011
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
********* Professional & Enginering Software **********
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** See5 Decision Tree Based Classifier
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Beyond Compare 3
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Visual Studio 2008 Standard
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Visual Studio 2008 Professional
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Visual Studio 2005 Professional
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Microsoft Team Foundation Server 2008
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Microsoft Visual Source Safe
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
************ General Consumer Software ************
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Roxio Creator 2011
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Microsoft Office 2010 Home & Student
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Corel WordPerfect Office X5 Standard
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Password Unlocker Studio
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Corel Home Suite
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Microsoft Streets and Tips 2010
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Poser 8.0
********** ********** ********** ********** ********** **********
*** Microsoft Works 9
********** ********** ********** **********
.
.
.
.
