[Review] Kaspersky Internet Security Multi-Device 2015

My previous anti-virus Norton 360 Multi-Device expired so I decided to trial another anti-virus, this time being the Kaspersky Internet Security Multi-Device. The Kaspersky Internet Security Multi-Device lets you protect up to 3 devices (you can specify 5 or 10 devices as well) and you can choose from Android/iOS, Mac OS and/or Windows. The version mine came in is valid for 2 years, although you can specify 1 year when purchasing from Kaspersky.

Installation

PC

Installation and activation is pretty simple. I downloaded the necessary files of the Kaspersky website and simply followed the prompts. You can get an installation CD but that will cost you an extra $10. Besides, who uses compact discs anymore?!

Android

Installing the antivirus on my Nexus 5 is also pretty simple. Simply search it up on the Play Store and once downloaded, enter in your credentials and voila, you should be protected!

Windows Phone

Unfortunately, for Windows Phone users, there is no phone protection. Upon searching an app on the Windows Phone Store, there was only a Kaspersky Safe Browser that lets you “access the web safely from Windows Phone devices.”

Features

Kaspersky utilises the cloud by automatically sending suspicious or unverified data from participating users’ PC. This data is apparently automatically sent to Kaspersky’s Virus Lab where they will analyse it and see if it needs to be added to quarantine or not. This allows Kaspersky to issue real-time protection updates to all their users, including me!

Real-time protection scans all applications and files that you open, save or download from the web and notifies you if the app is safe or if it contains a virus. Every app I download (either from the Play Store on Android or from the web on PC) gets scanned by the anti-virus scanner.

Kaspersky’s anti-phishing technologies leverage real-time information from the cloud, as well as proactive detection of fraudulent URLs, to ensure you’re not tricked into providing your valuable data to phishing websites.

Safe Money protection is basically a browser protection from kaspersky. You have to install their extension or add-on in your favourite browser and every time you enter a website that processes financial transactions (or you can add your own site to the list of websites that use Safe Money protection browser). It is supposed to help keep data from leaking out into the open. I’m not entirely sure how this works, but hopefully it works out!

Kaspersky also offer a Virtual Keyboard for extra protection of keyloggers when typing on your real keyboard. It’s a bit slow to type with the on-screen keyboard, so I think I will stick to my real keyboard unless I have something VERY important to type!

Web protection for Android doesn’t work well for me. I’ve noticed when I enabled Web Protection, it adds a proxy onto my WiFi network settings, and most of the time I can’t access the internet anymore. When it is turned off, proxy server is off and internet works fine. So I will have it off until it is fixed!

Also, we can’t forget it also includes Parental Controls!

Just so you know what protections Kaspersky anti-virus is offering you, here is a full list:

File Anti-Virus – Scans all opened, saved, and active files
Application Control – Monitors the activity of all applications that are installed on the computer
Network Attack Blocker – Protects the computer against dangerous network activity and attacks
IM Anti-Virus – Scans incoming and outgoing IM messages for malicious and phishing links
Mail Anti-Virus – Scans incoming and outgoing messages for dangerous objects
Webcam Access – Limits access by applications to the webcam
Web Anti-Virus – Protects incoming web traffic and prevents dangerous scripts from running on your computer
Firewall – Filters all network activity to ensure security on local networks and the Internet
System Watcher – Rolls back malware actions
Anti-Spam – Filters unwanted email (spam).
Anti-Banner – Blocks banners in your web browser and in some applications
Safe Money – Protects user access to websites of banks and payment systems

Conclusion

Overall, Kaspersky Internet Security runs pretty well by itself on the PC. There have been no slow-downs when it is doing it’s thing i.e scanning files, doing updates.

Many anti-virus programs these days do pretty much the same thing so it is basically a fight towards who has more features. To be honest, most of the features, I won’t even get to know if it even works or not unless something does go wrong. For example, if I’m accessing my online banking in a Safe Money protection browser, I won’t know if it did its thing or not.

Currently, Kaspersky Internet Security Multi-Device 2015 can be bought online from $89.95 for protection against 3 devices for one year, with no installation CD (download the files online).

For more information please visit: https://www.buykaspersky.co.nz/products/kaspersky-internet-security-multi-device