14 DAY TRIAL // I will skip the introduction for this review because the software I am going to present is known worldwide. Its name is Kaspersky. I am sure that you are familiar with Kaspersky Lab products. The Anti-Virus has passed all Virus Bulletin comparative tests since 2003. And according to PC World the software provides the fastest updates for new virus and security threats.
But let's take a look inside their latest workstation protection software, Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Workstations v.6.0.1.377 Beta.
When you open the application, you get the feeling that something is changed, but you can't really put the finger on it. The developer kept that simple interface and has concentrated on the functionality and utility of the program. Behind the minimalist interface decorated with nothing else but the icons for the main menus, hides a forest of settings just waiting to be configured.
This edition comes with so many new features you'll think it's Christmas already. The most important of them is the Proactive Defense component. This little tool is designed to analyze the activity of your applications and monitor the changes that take place in your registry. It is designed to prevent the infection of your machine with new viruses before the malware is dissected in Kaspersky Lab.
The myriad of features incorporated in this version preserve the high standards Kasperky Lab has accustomed us with. But all I will say about them is that they noticeably improve the software and now you can relax and face any threats, phishing and malicious activity masks.
The three main menus are reduced to Protection, Scan and Service. And as you click them, a drop down menu will pop up displaying the options. In Protection the user will find File Anti-Virus, Mail Anti-Virus (new feature), Web Anti-Virus (protection against network worms), Proactive Defense, Anti-Spy (an anti-phishing, anti-spyware, popup blocker, anti-banner and anti-dialer tool), Anti-Hacker and Anti-Spam.
As you see, the developer strove to provide the customer with the most complete suite of protection tools. Each of these tools, when accessed, will display on the right side of the application window the Status and Statistics. Anti-Hacker tool will display an additional Network Monitor. No matter where you go, the software will provide a short description of the utility of the tool and the means to disable the features.
Scan's drop down menu shelters options like Critical Areas, My Computer and Startup Objects. The user can choose what should Kaspersky scan and, if necessary, clean. What the application displays in here can be enriched with other areas the user considers appropriate or necessary. Below the items to be scanned there are a Settings window that displays the security level and action and a Statistics window showing the number of scanned objects, detected infections and when the last scan was performed.
The Service menu, apart from the Update and Update Distribution options (which are deactivated in the trial version), contains two more options worthy of approbation: Data Files and Rescue Disk.
Data Files harbors the Reports, Quarantine and Backup utilities. Suffice to click on one of them and a new window will be displayed, presenting you the detected threats, the Events (a log with all the actions of the application), Reports (scans, status of the components), Quarantine and Backup.
Moreover, The Rescue Disk comes in handy when your computer system is infected with a "deadly" virus and your data is lost. This tool will recover your data. For this tool to work, you need PE Builder v.3.1.3 or higher, MS Windows XP Service Pack 2 installation and a blank CD-R or CD-RW.
If you do not have PE Builder installed on your computer, Kaspersky gives you a link to a website where you can download it for free. You will not be alone when creating the disk, as Kaspersky has carefully placed a Wizard that will guide you all the way.
The task of PE Builder is to build a bootable Windows CD-Rom or DVD from the original Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 installation/setup CD. The purpose is to replace any DOS bootdisk. The created disk will include MS Windows XP Service Pack 2 system files, a set of OS diagnostic utilities, Kaspersky Anti Virus program files and some files containing threat signatures.
That will be all about the main window of the program, but the less experienced users will find themselves into a little spinney at a first glance, when accessing the Settings menu (upper right side of the main application window). But everything will become much clearer once you actually look into the configuration. This menu is also structured preserving the hierarchy in the main window: Protection, Scan and Service.
And the same order and tidiness will be found in here, too. In Settings, the user has the chance to customize the anti-virus protection (high, medium and low) for each of the security components of the software and to configure the Proactive Defense, Anti-Spy, Anti-Hacker and Anti-Spam.
The Anti-Hacker component allows you to enable the firewall and set the defense level (high security, training mode, low and allow all). The Intrusion Detection System has a very interesting option, that of setting the time of blocking the attacking computer (the maximum value is 9999 minutes and the minimum is 1 minute).
For Scan the user can also set the security level for Critical Areas, My Computer and Startup objects. For all the components that support setting the anti-virus security level, you can choose the action to be taken by the software. Thus, you can select prompting for action, blocking the access (disinfect or delete) for File and Mail Anti-Virus block or allow for Web Anti-Virus, prompting for action after the scan is complete, during the scan or proceed directly to disinfecting or deleting all the components included in Scan menu.
The Network Settings allow the user to choose the ports to be monitored, add some more, delete and edit them.
The Good
The software includes all the necessary tools to protect your computer from the threats floating on the Internet looking for new victims.
The Anti-Spy tool includes all the components for detecting and rejecting the spyware, phishing, dialers etc. You will feel safer knowing your money is secure and thieves no longer have access to it.
The protection suite provided by the software preserves the Kaspersky Lab standards and offers the end-user an all-in-one powerful and easy to use protection tool. The star of the program is, of course, the Proactive Defense component which - if properly configured - leads to fantastic results.
The Bad
I really wished for this section of my review to remain blank, but I have to report to you that activating the software or trying to purchase it by accessing the links inside the program returned a "No Page to Display" notification in my browser (Maxthon). So I tried Slim Browser, and the same result boomeranged me.
It seems that the only link valid in the software is the one directing you to downloading PE Builder.
I put all these on the account of the beta state of the software and I am sure they will solve these problems.
The Truth
All in all, the software does a great job and preserves the reputation of Kaspersky Lab. The price may seem a little high ($109), but if you take a look at the options and tools inside you will realize it is reasonable.
Here are some snapshots of the application in action:
