Kaspersky Anti-Virus
Encyclopedia
Kaspersky Anti-Virus is an antivirus
program developed by Kaspersky Lab
. It is designed to protect users from malware
and is primarily designed for computers running Microsoft Windows
and Mac OS X
, though a version for Linux
is available for business consumers.
, trojans
, worms
, spyware
, adware
, keyloggers malicious tools and auto-dialers, as well as detection and removal of rootkits. It also includes instantaneous automatic updates via the "Kaspersky Security Network" service.
According to Kaspersky, "Kaspersky Security Network service allows users of Kaspersky Lab security products from around the world to help facilitate malware
identification and reduce the time it takes to provide protection against new (“in the wild”) security risks targeting your computer." Kaspersky Lab
maintains a strict privacy policy for use of this service and asserts that volunteering to use this service by sending certain information "contains no personally identifiable information about the user and is utilized by Kaspersky Lab for no other purposes but to enhance its security products and to further advance solutions against malicious threats and viruses."
Microsoft Windows
users may download an Anti-Virus Rescue Disk that scans the host computer during booting
inside an isolated Linux
environment. In addition, Kaspersky Anti-Virus prevents itself from being disabled by malware without user permission via password access prompts upon disabling protection elements and changing internal settings. It also scans incoming instant messenger traffic, automatically disables links to known malware
hosting sites while using Internet Explorer
or Firefox and includes free Technical Support and free product upgrades within paid-subcription periods. Kaspersky Lab
currently offers 1 year, 2 year and 3 year subscriptions.
tests in 2007 and another two in 2008. In addition, PC World
awarded Kaspersky Anti-Virus 6 the Editor's Choice in its 2007 anti-virus comparative. The well-known and highly regarded Ars Technica
lists Kaspersky as one of the best choices for Anti-Virus on the Windows platform.
Kaspersky Anti-Virus was "A-listed" by the UK PC journal PC Pro
in late 2007, where it scored very highly for detection and removal of malware. PC Pro attributes this to “a combination of the software’s heuristic scanning and uncompromising approach to database updates. While many packages check for new virus signatures on a daily basis, Kaspersky runs to an hourly schedule, improving your chances of being immunized before an infection reaches it.”
Kaspersky Anti-Virus was tested by PassMark in June 2008 and was accoladed as having "the industry's fastest scan times" on Windows Vista
.
. These missing features include a personal firewall
, HIPS
, AntiSpam
, AntiBanner and parental control tools.
Also, Kaspersky, like the majority of its competitors, is incompatible with many other anti-virus and anti-spyware software.
capable edition of Kaspersky Anti-Virus is compatible on (Intel Processor Based) Mac OS X v.10.4 and higher to include the brand new version Mac OS X Snow Leopard, released in August 2009. Kaspersky Labs internal testing concludes consuming only 1% CPU impact on performance and is designed to maintain a user friendly Mac-like interface that Mac users are familiar with. Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Mac contains definitions to detect and block malware affecting Windows, Linux
and Mac OS X
alike. Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Mac also scans shared folders of users running Windows using Virtual PC on capable Apple Macintosh personal computers.
workstations is available to business consumers. It offers many of the features included in the mainstream version for Windows, including on-access and on-demand scanners.
Specialized editions of Kaspersky Anti-Virus are also available for a variety of Linux servers and offer protection from most forms of malware.
A DVD-ROM or CD-ROM
drive, Internet Explorer
5.5 or above and Windows Installer
2.0 or above are also required for the installation of Kaspersky Anti-Virus in Windows. The latest version can either be downloaded from their official website or purchased through retail.
The last version of Kaspersky Anti-Virus that still supported Windows Me
was 6.0.2.621 and the last version that still supported Windows 2000 was 7.0.0.125.
Antivirus software
Antivirus or anti-virus software is used to prevent, detect, and remove malware, including but not limited to computer viruses, computer worm, trojan horses, spyware and adware...
program developed by Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab is a Russian computer security company, co-founded by Natalia Kaspersky and Eugene Kaspersky in 1997, offering anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-spam, and anti-intrusion products...
. It is designed to protect users from malware
Malware
Malware, short for malicious software, consists of programming that is designed to disrupt or deny operation, gather information that leads to loss of privacy or exploitation, or gain unauthorized access to system resources, or that otherwise exhibits abusive behavior...
and is primarily designed for computers running Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
, though a version for Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
is available for business consumers.
Features
Kaspersky Anti-Virus features include real-time protection, detection and removal of virusesComputer virus
A computer virus is a computer program that can replicate itself and spread from one computer to another. The term "virus" is also commonly but erroneously used to refer to other types of malware, including but not limited to adware and spyware programs that do not have the reproductive ability...
, trojans
Trojan horse (computing)
A Trojan horse, or Trojan, is software that appears to perform a desirable function for the user prior to run or install, but steals information or harms the system. The term is derived from the Trojan Horse story in Greek mythology.-Malware:A destructive program that masquerades as a benign...
, worms
Computer worm
A computer worm is a self-replicating malware computer program, which uses a computer network to send copies of itself to other nodes and it may do so without any user intervention. This is due to security shortcomings on the target computer. Unlike a computer virus, it does not need to attach...
, spyware
Spyware
Spyware is a type of malware that can be installed on computers, and which collects small pieces of information about users without their knowledge. The presence of spyware is typically hidden from the user, and can be difficult to detect. Typically, spyware is secretly installed on the user's...
, adware
Adware
Adware, or advertising-supported software, is any software package which automatically plays, displays, or downloads advertisements to a computer. These advertisements can be in the form of a pop-up. They may also be in the user interface of the software or on a screen presented to the user during...
, keyloggers malicious tools and auto-dialers, as well as detection and removal of rootkits. It also includes instantaneous automatic updates via the "Kaspersky Security Network" service.
According to Kaspersky, "Kaspersky Security Network service allows users of Kaspersky Lab security products from around the world to help facilitate malware
Malware
Malware, short for malicious software, consists of programming that is designed to disrupt or deny operation, gather information that leads to loss of privacy or exploitation, or gain unauthorized access to system resources, or that otherwise exhibits abusive behavior...
identification and reduce the time it takes to provide protection against new (“in the wild”) security risks targeting your computer." Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab is a Russian computer security company, co-founded by Natalia Kaspersky and Eugene Kaspersky in 1997, offering anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-spam, and anti-intrusion products...
maintains a strict privacy policy for use of this service and asserts that volunteering to use this service by sending certain information "contains no personally identifiable information about the user and is utilized by Kaspersky Lab for no other purposes but to enhance its security products and to further advance solutions against malicious threats and viruses."
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
users may download an Anti-Virus Rescue Disk that scans the host computer during booting
Booting
In computing, booting is a process that begins when a user turns on a computer system and prepares the computer to perform its normal operations. On modern computers, this typically involves loading and starting an operating system. The boot sequence is the initial set of operations that the...
inside an isolated Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
environment. In addition, Kaspersky Anti-Virus prevents itself from being disabled by malware without user permission via password access prompts upon disabling protection elements and changing internal settings. It also scans incoming instant messenger traffic, automatically disables links to known malware
Malware
Malware, short for malicious software, consists of programming that is designed to disrupt or deny operation, gather information that leads to loss of privacy or exploitation, or gain unauthorized access to system resources, or that otherwise exhibits abusive behavior...
hosting sites while using Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer
Windows Internet Explorer is a series of graphical web browsers developed by Microsoft and included as part of the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems, starting in 1995. It was first released as part of the add-on package Plus! for Windows 95 that year...
or Firefox and includes free Technical Support and free product upgrades within paid-subcription periods. Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab is a Russian computer security company, co-founded by Natalia Kaspersky and Eugene Kaspersky in 1997, offering anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-spam, and anti-intrusion products...
currently offers 1 year, 2 year and 3 year subscriptions.
Awards
According to AV-Comparatives, Kaspersky Anti-Virus rates highly amongst virus scanners in terms of detection rates, even despite the fact that the program has failed two Virus BulletinVirus Bulletin
Virus Bulletin is a magazine about the prevention, detection and removal of malware and spam. It regularly features analyses of the latest virus threats, articles exploring new developments in the fight against viruses, interviews with anti-virus experts, and evaluations of current anti-malware...
tests in 2007 and another two in 2008. In addition, PC World
PC World (magazine)
PC World is a global computer magazine published monthly by IDG. It offers advice on various aspects of PCs and related items, the Internet, and other personal-technology products and services...
awarded Kaspersky Anti-Virus 6 the Editor's Choice in its 2007 anti-virus comparative. The well-known and highly regarded Ars Technica
Ars Technica
Ars Technica is a technology news and information website created by Ken Fisher and Jon Stokes in 1998. It publishes news, reviews and guides on issues such as computer hardware and software, science, technology policy, and video games. Ars Technica is known for its features, long articles that go...
lists Kaspersky as one of the best choices for Anti-Virus on the Windows platform.
Kaspersky Anti-Virus was "A-listed" by the UK PC journal PC Pro
PC Pro
PC Pro is one of several computer magazines published monthly in the United Kingdom by Dennis Publishing. PC Pro also licenses individual articles for republication in various countries around the world - and some articles are translated into local languages...
in late 2007, where it scored very highly for detection and removal of malware. PC Pro attributes this to “a combination of the software’s heuristic scanning and uncompromising approach to database updates. While many packages check for new virus signatures on a daily basis, Kaspersky runs to an hourly schedule, improving your chances of being immunized before an infection reaches it.”
Kaspersky Anti-Virus was tested by PassMark in June 2008 and was accoladed as having "the industry's fastest scan times" on Windows Vista
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
.
Limits
Kaspersky Anti-Virus lacks certain features found in Kaspersky Internet SecurityKaspersky Internet Security
Kaspersky Internet Security or KIS is an Internet security suite developed by Kaspersky Lab compatible with Microsoft Windows. KIS supports the detection and remidition of malware, as well as e-mail spam, phishing attempts, and data leaks....
. These missing features include a personal firewall
Personal firewall
A personal firewall is an application which controls network traffic to and from a computer, permitting or denying communications based on a security policy. Typically it works as an application layer firewall....
, HIPS
Intrusion-prevention system
Intrusion Prevention Systems , also known as Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems , are network security appliances that monitor network and/or system activities for malicious activity. The main functions of intrusion prevention systems are to identify malicious activity, log information...
, AntiSpam
Spam (electronic)
Spam is the use of electronic messaging systems to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately...
, AntiBanner and parental control tools.
Also, Kaspersky, like the majority of its competitors, is incompatible with many other anti-virus and anti-spyware software.
Macintosh
The newly released MacintoshMacintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
capable edition of Kaspersky Anti-Virus is compatible on (Intel Processor Based) Mac OS X v.10.4 and higher to include the brand new version Mac OS X Snow Leopard, released in August 2009. Kaspersky Labs internal testing concludes consuming only 1% CPU impact on performance and is designed to maintain a user friendly Mac-like interface that Mac users are familiar with. Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Mac contains definitions to detect and block malware affecting Windows, Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
and Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
alike. Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Mac also scans shared folders of users running Windows using Virtual PC on capable Apple Macintosh personal computers.
Linux editions
An edition of Kaspersky's anti-virus solution for LinuxLinux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
workstations is available to business consumers. It offers many of the features included in the mainstream version for Windows, including on-access and on-demand scanners.
Specialized editions of Kaspersky Anti-Virus are also available for a variety of Linux servers and offer protection from most forms of malware.
System requirements
| XP Windows XP Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base... (32/64-bit) |
Windows Vista Windows Vista Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs... (32/64-bit) |
Windows 7 (32/64-bit) | Mac OS X Mac OS X Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems... (v.10.4.11 "Tiger Tiger The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts... " or higher) |
Linux Linux Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds... (Red Hat Red Hat Linux Red Hat Linux, assembled by the company Red Hat, was a popular Linux based operating system until its discontinuation in 2004.Red Hat Linux 1.0 was released on November 3, 1994... , Mandriva Mandriva Linux Mandriva Linux is a Linux distribution distributed by Mandriva. It uses the RPM Package Manager... , Fedora Fedora (operating system) Fedora is a RPM-based, general purpose collection of software, including an operating system based on the Linux kernel, developed by the community-supported Fedora Project and sponsored by Red Hat... , Debian Debian Debian is a computer operating system composed of software packages released as free and open source software primarily under the GNU General Public License along with other free software licenses. Debian GNU/Linux, which includes the GNU OS tools and Linux kernel, is a popular and influential... , SUSE) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processor Central processing unit The central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in... |
Intel Pentium Pentium The original Pentium microprocessor was introduced on March 22, 1993. Its microarchitecture, deemed P5, was Intel's fifth-generation and first superscalar x86 microarchitecture. As a direct extension of the 80486 architecture, it included dual integer pipelines, a faster FPU, wider data bus,... 300 MHz or higher (or equivalent) |
Intel Pentium 800 MHz or higher (or equivalent) | Intel Pentium 1 GHz or higher (or equivalent) | Intel Pentium 1 GHz or higher (or equivalent) | Intel Pentium 133 MHz or higher (or equivalent) |
| RAM Ram -Animals:*Ram, an uncastrated male sheep*Ram cichlid, a species of freshwater fish endemic to Colombia and Venezuela-Military:*Battering ram*Ramming, a military tactic in which one vehicle runs into another... |
256 MB Megabyte The megabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage or transmission with two different values depending on context: bytes generally for computer memory; and one million bytes generally for computer storage. The IEEE Standards Board has decided that "Mega will mean 1 000... |
512 MB | 1 GB | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Free hard drive space | 50 MB | 50 MB | 50 MB | 80 MB | 100 MB |
A DVD-ROM or CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
drive, Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer
Windows Internet Explorer is a series of graphical web browsers developed by Microsoft and included as part of the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems, starting in 1995. It was first released as part of the add-on package Plus! for Windows 95 that year...
5.5 or above and Windows Installer
Windows Installer
The Windows Installer is a software component used for the installation, maintenance, and removal of software on modern Microsoft Windows systems...
2.0 or above are also required for the installation of Kaspersky Anti-Virus in Windows. The latest version can either be downloaded from their official website or purchased through retail.
The last version of Kaspersky Anti-Virus that still supported Windows Me
Windows Me
Windows Millennium Edition, or Windows Me , is a graphical operating system released on September 14, 2000 by Microsoft, and was the last operating system released in the Windows 9x series. Support for Windows Me ended on July 11, 2006....
was 6.0.2.621 and the last version that still supported Windows 2000 was 7.0.0.125.
Security flaws
- In 2005, two critical flaws were discovered in Kaspersky Anti-Virus. One could let attackers commandeer systems that use it. One allowed CHM files to insert malicious code.
See also
- Kaspersky LabKaspersky LabKaspersky Lab is a Russian computer security company, co-founded by Natalia Kaspersky and Eugene Kaspersky in 1997, offering anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-spam, and anti-intrusion products...
- Kaspersky Internet SecurityKaspersky Internet SecurityKaspersky Internet Security or KIS is an Internet security suite developed by Kaspersky Lab compatible with Microsoft Windows. KIS supports the detection and remidition of malware, as well as e-mail spam, phishing attempts, and data leaks....
- Kaspersky Mobile SecurityKaspersky Mobile SecurityKaspersky Mobile Security is an Internet security suite developed by Kaspersky Lab, for smartphones using Android, BlackBerry OS, Symbian, and Windows Mobile operating systems...
- Eugene KasperskyEugene KasperskyEugene Kaspersky is a specialist in the information security field. He has written articles on computer virology and speaks regularly at security seminars and conferences...
- List of antivirus software