Kaspersky Internet Security 7

Author: Ian Cunningham
Published on: 02-05-2008
Views: 91958


Discuss this article [16 comments]

Proactive Defence

The proactive defence tool is an excellent addition to the security suite, as it constantly monitors how software runs and notifies you of any unusual behaviour. For example, if an application tries to add an object to the startup list you will be alerted and given the choice to block the action. Likewise, if an application filesize changes unexpectedly you will also be notified so you can investigate.

Anti-Spam Filter

The anti-spam filter is a much needed tool for many e-mail users, and is comparable in function to many competitors, allowing you to check mail before it is fully downloaded if you wish. All of the usual tools such as whitelisting, blacklisting, spam training are included. The performance of the spam filter does lack the accuracy of many other commercial tools, and of most concern was the number of valid e-mails that were marked as spam. Although most spam was blocked, the number of false positives means that the filters could do with some tweaking and would not be recommended for an important e-mail account.

Parental Control

The parental control is basic, but it does a reasonable job of protecting  some users (i.e. children) of visiting inappropriate sites. You can choose from several pre-set levels and optionally block sites such as web-based e-mail and chat. These actions are all logged, and can be viewed by the master user. Although basic, it will still be of use – however I expect Kaspersky to improve this feature in future versions.

Performance and Conclusion

How Kaspersky Internet Security 7 Performs

One of the biggest concerns when installing a security suite is that your PC will be slowed down to a crawl with the real-time scanning. Fortunately, KIS7 uses fewer resources than some competitors and does not hugely affect the system performance. Undoubtedly, enabling the maximum level of protection in all features will slow the system somewhat, but a sensible level of protection provides very good performance. Any modern system should be able to run KIS without a hitch.

When “maximum compatibility” mode was selected for the Firewall, some network slowness was noticed – to such an extent that it was easily noticeable when transferring large files. Adjusting the filtration level to “high speed” resulted in transfer rates at greatly improved speeds.
The interface is easy to use and a beginner wouldn’t find it difficult to adjust settings to his or her tastes. Power users will also be pleased that the level of customisation allows anything from a hands-off approach to a high level of information presented.

Overall, Kaspersky Internet Security 7 is a very capable security suite which would be recommended for a wide range of users. The firewall and anti-virus are excellent, however if you strongly rely on a need for parental controls or anti-spam filter then you may somewhat disappointed. Considering the low price and performance of the main components, KIS7 is a great value package that provides high-end threat detection.