Which Kaspersky Internet Security Product is Best For Me?

Kaspersky Security Products

Since I mentioned the AV-TEST awards in the introduction, you might want to see my related article Which AntiVirus Software is Best? for details on the AV-TEST results, and how Kaspersky compares to other anti-virus products.

Kaspersky Antivirus 2012 is the basic product, which provides real-time protection, detection and removal of viruses, trojans, worms, spyware, adware, keyloggers, and auto-dialers, as well as detection and removal of rootkits. Kaspersky Antivirus includes patented anti-phishing technology that blocks attempts to redirect a browser from a legitimate Web site to a malicious one. The product also has what Kaspersky calls Hybrid Protection, which combines traditional desktop-based heuristics with real-time cloud-based protection.

Kaspersky Antivirus features a Virtual Keyboard that can be used to defeat keylogger malware; instead of typing on a keyboard that may be monitored by a keylogger, users click on an image of a keyboard displayed on-screen.

The Kaspersky system watcher provides a rollback (undo) feature that protects you in the event that any malware does manage to sneak into your computer. Kaspersky Antivirus 2012 costs $39.95 for a single PC, one-year subscription, or $89.95 for three PCs and a two-year subscription.

More Advanced Protection Options

All of Kaspersky Antivirus' features are included in the next step up, Kaspersky Internet Security. Additional features in this suite include a two-way firewall, anti-spam filters, parental controls, and the Safe Run sandbox that lets you open or execute any suspicious file in a virtual machine, isolating it from your normal operating environment.

Another useful upgrade from the basic protection level is Kaspersky's online banking mode, which automatically opens online banking and other financial websites in a "walled-off" environment to protect your privacy and sensitive financial information. (Only available on 32-bit operating systems) Kaspersky Internet Security costs $64.95 for a one-year subscription, or $119.95 for two years. Both options cover up to three PCs.

Kaspersky PURE Total Security has all of the above and more. Extra features include remote management of parental controls, and a Control Center that makes it easy to adjust security settings of all PCs on a home network. The password manager helps you safely store and remember all your online passwords; a data backup manager enables you to schedule automatic backups; the encrypted data vault lets you store sensitive materials, and the file shredder will irreversibly delete files. Kaspersky PURE Total Security costs $69.95 for a one-year subscription, or $139.95 for two years. Both options cover up to three PCs.

These three Kaspersky products - Antivirus, Internet Security, and PURE Total Security - are sold with licenses that support up to three PCs. But there are plenty of people who have more than three digital devices; for them, there is Kaspersky ONE Universal Security.

Kaspersky ONE Universal Security protects up to five devices, and they can be any combination of PCs, Macs, Android tablets, and certain smartphones. Sorry, iPhone users; only Android, Blackberry, Symbian, and Windows Mobile operating systems are supported. Here's the pricing for this option: One year - $79.95; Two years - $149.95; ThreeYears - $199.95.

For PCs, the ONE Universal package seems to provide the same protection as Kaspersky Internet Security. Macs get only basic Antivirus protection. The tablet and smartphone components include anti-malware, data encryption, parental controls, device-location and remote wiping in case you lose the device. A camera-equipped tablet can even snap a photo of a thief and send it to you; it's not clear whether the smartphone version does this trick.

All Kaspersky products include a free 14-day trial, free phone, chat, and email support, and a money-back guarantee. Check out the Help Me Choose page which gives advice about which product best suits your Internet usage. If you're not sufficiently confused by these four consumer oriented options, Kaspersky also offers nine security products for business users.

And of course there are plenty of free internet security tools as well. See my article Free Anti-Virus Programs for a list of some that I recommend.

Are you a Kaspersky user? Tell us about your experience with the product, or why you use a different anti-virus solution. Post your comment or question below...