Kaspersky Anti-Virus 7.0

(Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista)*

The name Kaspersky may not be widely recognized to most consumers when it comes to software, but they've certainly become champions in the antivirus arena. Founded in 1997, the company has mainly been involved in antivirus solutions for home and business users. Their antivirus scan engine can be found in over 50 software security products from different manufacturers, so they're no slouches when it comes to virus protection.

Despite its relatively high cost, overall this product is our top choice this year with plenty of great features.


$59.95



Editor's Overview

• The Best Anti-Virus Protection
• The industry's fastest response time to new Internet threats
• Automatic hourly antivirus updates
• The most monthly updates available
• Real-time e-mail, file and web scanning
• Prevents rootkits and keyloggers from stealing personal data
• Automatically removes hidden spyware
• The least processor, memory and bandwidth resources required
• Rapid iSwiftT and iCheckerT virus scanning for accelerated performance
• Automatic balancing of scan speeds with increased user activity
• Ideal for instant messaging and WiFi
• Easy-to-create rescue disk instantly restores your system if damaged
• Rapidly rollback any malicious changes including restoring encrypted data

Why is Kaspersky Our Top Choice for Anitvirus Software?

Kaspersky takes the cake (again) as CNET's Editor's Choice for the second year in a row. And we couldn't agree more. Despite Kaspersky's lack of reputation among the general public, they've managed to beat out the former top-dogs like Norton and McAfee when it comes to serious virus protection.

Kaspersky can be a few dollars more than some of the competition, but they make up for it by being a no-nonsense, striped-down, pure anti-virus software package. No frills. No firewall. Just rock solid anti-virus protection.

Why such praise? It runs much lighter than Norton (for example). Easy to set up. The interface is much cleaner and nicer than last year's version. Very simple and intuitive. Easy left-hand navigation like a normal website makes it easier to find what you're looking for.

Anti-virus Software Features

• Virus, trojan, worm, spyware protection
• New threat response time: 0-2 hours
• Automated hourly updates
• Proactive anti-virus protection
• Proactive behavior blocker
• Real-time mail traffic scanning
• Real-time internet traffic scanning
• Rootkit detection
• Monitors unusual system behavior
• Didinfects after known attack
• Disinfects after unkown attack
• Option to scan only new/modified files
• Varialbe scanning based on user activity
• System self-protection mode
• Users can change interface appearance
• Supports power saving for laptops

How Will Kaspersky Antivirus Protect my Computer?

A nice bonus is the included antispyware protection and antirootkit protection as well. There's also a built in System Restore in the event that your computer actually does become infected, Kaspersky will roll back your system to a clean starting point prior to the infection (but it's unlikely you'll need something like this).

But how well can Kaspersky protect your computer? In recent testing results from two leading independent antivirus testing organizations, Kaspersky earned the highest rating in the On-demand Scans catching 98% of all malware threats. In the second test, Kaspersky tied with Norton and also earned the second highest rating for the Retrospective/Proactive test. Not bad if you ask us.


Support

For support, they have an extensive library of FAQs and a live chat available on their website.


Conclusion

Overall, Kaspersky wins our Editor's Choice award this year for its ease of use, ability to effectively catch and prevent unwanted virus/malware/spyware, light running, and clean interface.


*System Requirements

• Supported OS:
  Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional (Service Pack 4 or higher), Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition (Service Pack 2 or Higher), Microsoft Windows XP Professional (Service Pack 2 or higher), Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista x64.
• Hardware and Software Requirements:
  50 MB free space on the hard disk, CD-ROM (for installation), Internet connection (for activation and updates), Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher (for updating signatures and the program), Microsoft Windows Installer 2.0.
• Optimized for mobile PCs with Intel Centrino Duo mobile technology.
• Software Package Includes:
  One year subscription to anti-virus updates and free upgrades to new software versions Free technical support

$59.95