Paid Anti-virus Programs
Kaspersky Antivirus 2012
The Russian security firm Kaspersky Lab releases a thoroughly facelifted antivirus product for 2012. The Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2012 retailing at $39.99 single or $59.95 for three licenses looks radically different from its 2011 version. But the facelift has not altered its superb antivirus efficacy that has made the name one of the most popular and sought after antivirus solution in the market. If you are looking for a no-frills, no firewall, and an honest to goodness antivirus protection, the Kaspersky name does not disappoint as it has created its reputation as one of the best antivirus programs with the shortest response time in setting and removing offline and online threats. The latest Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2012 simply continues this tradition.
Features
New for the 2012 Kaspersky product is its cloud based protection service that leverages its own Kaspersky Security Network (KSN). You get to display the level of whitelisted, blacklisted, good files and those still under scanning process. It uses its new File Advisor feature to give direct view to how KSN rates a file and the number of Kaspersky-protected computers where this file is also used. In addition, the new URL Advisor browser plug-in can now be configured to flag not just URLs in search results but also links in visited Web pages
The new version retains many of the key features of past Kaspersky Antivirus solutions which include its threat protection against rootkits and spyware on top of viruses. In addition, thanks to its heuristics-based proactive scanning on PC files, it can effectively identify new malware that have yet to be identified with traditional virus signature profiling and updating. But to be sure, it still downloads hourly updates to its virus signature database and notifies users for any program patches or upgrades it can pull online.
Kaspersky continues with its small computer resource footprint its predecessors enjoy, typically taking only about 50 MB of HDD space and just 512 RAM when active. This already puts Kaspersky a notch above the competition when most antivirus programs eat up around 300 MB hard disk space. Moreover, unlike many similar anti-virus solutions, Kaspersky continues with its option to create a bootable rescue CD.
Should a threat escape Kaspersky’s formidable online detection, its built-in System Restore feature can be launched where Kaspersky will roll back the registry changed prior to being infected. This provides users with ample post-infection solution against spyware and rootkits, thereby proving users more protection against resident spyware and rootkits.
Installation and Setup
It’s often difficult to install antivirus software in your PC once infected. Many of the resident threats actively resist installation when they detect it’s an antivirus software, but lab tests have shown that the Kaspersky Antivirus 2012 is one tough protection tool that has not been bettered by these threats. It advertises that its installer protects the installation process. And it does so magnificently. Kaspersky Antivirus 2012 is a breeze to install from its installer download. After installing, you only need to reboot your PC to start enjoying Kaspersky’s full-featured antivirus protection.
User Interface
While sporting the same austere but user-friendly interface as last year’s, the Kaspersky Antivirus 2012 loses the now familiar left tabs in favor of huge buttons across the screen bottom. It also uses a smartphone-like miniature dot slider to show additional icons. And just like most other security programs that trumpet on doing their jobs unobtrusively in the background, Kaspersky does the same with its AutoPilot mode turned on. But while it can take care of just about everything without user involvement, it does occasional pop-up with a few distracting queries on how some detected threats are to be handled.
Kaspersky Anti-Virus 7.0
If you want no-frills, no gimmicks, no firewalls, and just straight-up anti-virus protection, you might want to give Kaspersky Anti-Virus 7.0 a spin on your laptop or computer. Kaspersky is known as one of the anti-virus programs that has the shortest response time when it comes to breaking malware threats - a consistent quality that you will likewise find in the 7.0 software kit. Depending on where you buy it, the Kapersky Anti-Virus 7.0 kit can cost anywhere from $31.49 to $59.99.
Features
Among the key features of the Kaspersky Anti-Virus 7.0 is the triple threat protection it provides: anti-rootkit, anti-spyware, and anti-virus. Many hail the Kaspersky Anti-Virus 7.0 because it provides a pro-active malware protection and has heuristic scanning, which effectively identifies all newly created malware. The Anti-Virus 7.0 is also equipped with Kasperky's signature-based hourly protection, which also notifies users if there are any available program updates.
While some people would see the lack of firewall protection in Kaspersky 7.0 as a downside, some users prefer this setup because it allows them to choose their own firewall protection. Kaspersky also takes up considerably less disk space compared with other anti-virus programs.
Kaspersky Anti-Virus 7 also delivers small file updates - something that not all anti-virus programs and software are able to provide. And unlike many anti-virus products, Kaspersky still continues to provide users with the option and process of creating a rescue disk.
Installation and Setup
Kaspersky Anti-Virus 7.0 caters to more users because it runs on Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Vista, whereas some anti-virus programs are limited only to Windows XP and Windows Vista. As mentioned earlier, Kaspersky Anti-Virus 7 also takes up less disk space and only requires 512 RAM and a minimum of 50 MB hard drive space.
This already gives Kaspersky a one up, considering that some anti-virus programs have hard drive space requirements of 300 MB. After you install Kaspersky, you'll have to reboot your system to get full protection.
For those who are still unsure whether they should go and buy the Kaspersky Anti-Virus 7.0, Kaspersky Labs offers a 30-day, full-function trial version. Now if you're not satisfied with the program and product, you can go to the All Programs menu where you'll find the uninstall option. And with Kaspersky Anti-Virus 7.0, you don't have to worry about having those annoying small files that are usually retained in the computer after uninstalling the program. After you've uninstalled Kaspersky and have rebooted, you'll find no evidence of the program in your machine.
User Interface
The 7.0 version sports a cleaner and more user-friendly interface compared with last year's Kaspersky Anti-Virus version. The red banner that indicates whether your signature files are out of date is not only useful, but is also efficient and informative compared to the usual "Fix It" button that you see on the side.
Kapersky Anti-Virus 7.0's user interface is also easy on the eyes because of the bright colors used. And the fact that you can also choose and change the interface skin also doesn't hurt.
Another important characteristic of the 7.0's user interface is its easy navigation system. The section that leads to the configuration settings is also easily accessible on the left side of the interface, making it easy for users to tweak and alter according to their preference. Another feature easily accessible from the left-hand navigation of the interface is the rootkit scan. So in addition to having anti-virus and anti-spyware protection, the Kaspersky 7.0 also provides you with anti-rootkit protection. The built-in System Restore feature is also handy should your computer become infected. The System Restore feature allows Kaspersky to roll back the registry changes made prior to the time when the infection was detected. This provides users even more protection against spyware and rootkits.