Kaspersky Total Security — Best for Ease of Use

Kaspersky is a powerful antivirus scanner that provides real-time antimalware protection. It caught all the malware samples I tested.

Other great protections are included.

Kaspersky’s features are good, but not great. Dropbox offers 2GB storage to all users, which is not worth it.

Kaspersky Total Security remains a great internet security solution. After the Russian intelligence claimed that Kaspersky had been working with Russian intelligence to steal US information in 2017, Kaspersky moved its data processing centers to Switzerland and opened Transparency Centers around the globe. It passed an SOC 2 inspection and was recertified.

Kaspersky offers three pricing options, each covering 3-10 devices. You get a fantastic first year discount and a 30-day return policy for UK customers span>

Kaspersky Full Review

Kaspersky is a powerful antivirus scanner that also has tons of additional features that can increase your online security.

Kaspersky’s interface makes it a great choice for people who don’t know how to code.

Kaspersky antiviruses are more affordable. However, they offer attractive payment plans and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Kaspersky Security Features

Antivirus Engine

Kaspersky employs a cloud-based antivirus scanner and a virus library in order to detect malware. Once the scan is complete, the file can be uploaded to Kaspersky’s scanner cloud for further analysis.

Top antivirus brands such as McAfee, Bitdefender, and McAfee use a variety of signature databases with machine learning to detect malware. Kaspersky is another top competitor in malware detection. It detected 100% of the malware samples I tested.

Kaspersky offers five types of virus scans

• Quick Scan. A quick scan of the system startup and system memory files. Also check for boot sectors.
• Full Scanning. This scan will look at every file, folder, and partitioned area within your system.
• Selective Scanning. Lets you scan any file or drive.
• Scanning your removable drive. USB sticks, portable hard drives).
• Vulnerability scanning. This scans your system to find vulnerabilities. This scans your system for outdated software and software that is susceptible to malware.

Kaspersky offers several scan-scheduling options. You can choose to scan after an application startup or after each update.

To test Kaspersky, I installed nearly 1000 types of malware test on my computer. These included trojans rootkits and ransomware. It took 5 times longer than the time it took.

Kaspersky’s Quick Scan did not find any malicious code that I had hidden on my system. This was to be expected, as it scans only critical areas such the ones loaded at the start of your OS.

Kaspersky recommended that I do a “Full Scan” to check my entire system.

Bitdefender took only 45 minutes to run the “Full Scan” and completed in just 1 hour. Kaspersky was fast — it didn’t slow down my computer while scanning. I was able to use it as usual.

I was able to see all of the malware files found in “Quarantine” after the scan was completed.

Kaspersky allows you to retrieve files from infection even after they are deleted or quarantined. Kaspersky is a good choice.

If the scan is not cancelled by the deadline, Kaspersky will not be able to remove any malware. Kaspersky will warn you repeatedly if the scan is not cancelled by the deadline.

Next, Kaspersky’s instant protection was tested. It silently runs 24/7 and scans all apps on your device for viruses.

In my tests, real-time protection worked flawlessly. In my tests, it blocked all malware I attempted to download onto my computer.

I ran the ransomware simulator and it failed to lock any files. Kaspersky’s real time protection stopped the program.

I also used the “Vulnerability Check”, to determine if there was any unsecure software that could be exploited or hacked.

Even though the vulnerability scanning found two instances of outdated software on my computer, I was impressed with how detailed the report was. The report also included details about hackers who exploited the vulnerability.

Overall, Kaspersky’s anti-virus engine is excellent. It is 100% accurate with multiple scans and provides excellent security. The system doesn’t slow down when it does a full scan.

Protection for the Web

Kaspersky’s web security features work together with Kaspersky Protect to block fraudulent and malicious urls.

Web Anti-Virus compares the websites visited with a list of malicious web addresses. It also uses Heuristic Analysis in order to detect suspicious behavior.

Kaspersky Protection browser Extension, which comes with the software, also detects malware links. It blocks tracking, allows users to access a virtual keyboard, and marks websites as safe/unsafe.

I installed the anti-phishing extension on Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. The extension blocked many known dangerous websites.

Kaspersky’s results were excellent, but Bitdefender and Norton did better at detecting my test links.

Kaspersky Protection’s tracking blocking feature blocks web analytics and social network tracking. The anti-tracking feature can also track ad agencies. Users can decide to allow data collection on specific sites. Kaspersky should question users about the installation of the extension.

The browser extension can open a virtual keyboard. Panda Dome does not have one, but it works well. Kaspersky offers additional protection against keyloggers, which I find really cool.

Kaspersky’s keyboard is compatible with Safe Money. It loads faster than Kaspersky’s Safe Money.

Kaspersky’s Web Protection tools are excellent. I was able to detect most of the phishing sites on my tests. Kaspersky’s anti-tracking and ad blocking features are also very useful. However, I dislike that Kaspersky has anti-tracking turned off on its 80+ affiliate websites.

System Cleanup Tools

Kaspersky offers several tools for cleaning your PC, including Privacy Cleaner and Unused Data Cleaner.

Kaspersky’s computer cleaner searches through your system to identify browser extensions and programs you don’t use very often.

I used the PC Cleaner on my Windows 10 laptop. It took just 2 minutes to scan the entire system. The results were amazing.

The computer cleaner discovered all prepackaged bloatware. It gave me the option to remove, ignore, or do a Google search for each program to find out more.

Kaspersky’s PC cleaner lets you choose the apps it will clean. Apps that are not your consent will slow down your startup time and display banners.

Kaspersky’s Unused Data Cleaner scans files within the Recycle Bin, log files and files. There are many options for handling these files.

The Privacy cleaner cleans up your browser history, cookies and cache.

Kaspersky offers good system cleanup tools but I would love to see Kaspersky provide more system optimization tools. Sophos, for example, does not offer system cleanup tools.

Kaspersky’s system cleaning tools let you quickly and efficiently remove unwanted or unutilized files, as well as trace of your online activities.

Virtual Private Network (VPN).

All Kaspersky plans include a free VPN. There is a daily limit of 200MB. The VPN does not offer unlimited browsing data.

Kaspersky provides a premium VPN service.

• Unlimited browsing data. No data limits daily.
• Kill switch. Data transfer will be stopped if VPN is lost/damaged.
• Smart Security. The VPN automatically starts when you connect to a network.
• Servers can be found in 25+ locations. Customers have the ability to connect to any server, even the slowest.

I wanted a quick look at how each premium or free VPN performed during speed testing. The speed test was done with the VPN turned off, and then with it enabled.

These are the results

You can see that I was able download at normal speeds with the free VPN. It actually increased, but I noticed a decrease in download and upload speeds when I tried to upload files to P2P networks.

Next, the results for the premium VPN edition connected to Kaspersky’s fastest Server:

Premium VPN made my upload speed even slower. My ping was even slower with premium VPN. However, I was still able to browse the internet at normal speed despite having the VPN disabled. (My download speed was also affected by ISP throttle).

Kaspersky’s premiumVPN also works with streaming services such as Netflix.

While the free VPN is not very reliable, the premium VPN offers decent speeds and has a good number of servers around the world.

Password Manager

Kaspersky’s password management system secures all passwords and sensitive information, such as bank card numbers or addresses, using 256-bit AES encryption.

Kaspersky’s password manager for free lets you store up to 15 passwords. This is not enough for most users.

Kaspersky’s password management program must be downloaded separately from antivirus. Kaspersky’s password management software must be downloaded separately from antivirus. Kaspersky offers account recovery and emergency access options. These features are also available in LastPass.

After you have successfully imported your passwords, you will need to download a browser extension (available for Chrome Firefox Yandex Edge Safari or Safari). Kaspersky’s autosave/autofill functionality works flawlessly to auto-save passwords, and then autofill them. It only supports bank cards and addresses on computers or Macs. Mobile support is not possible.

Kaspersky’s password vault makes it simple to navigate. You can add passwords to websites as well as documents, addresses, and notes to Kaspersky lets you organize your passwords in as many folders as you want.

Kaspersky offers a password generator. You can access it via the browser extension and the app. Password managers like LastPass can make passwords that are ‘easy enough for you to remember’ or readable.

Kaspersky lacks many of the features found in standalone password managers like two-factor authorization (2FA) and an auto password changer.

Kaspersky password management software has a very simple interface. If you want a secure and easy-to-use way to protect your passwords and other sensitive information then Kaspersky password management software is the right choice.

Parental Controls

Kaspersky’s parental control (Safe Kids) is a great way for your child to be safe online.

You can download parental controls as an additional application, just like the password manager. A tutorial is available on how to discuss internet safety with children.

What comes with Kaspersky’s Safe Kids?

• Limitations for
• Content filtering for sites and applications.
• Social networking monitoring (Facebook & VK).
• GPS location tracker (Android and iOS only)

I was able to set up weekly computer scheduling during my testing and could also choose to block the machine after the time limit expired.

Kaspersky’s content filters worked well too. Safe Search was also very useful. I could restrict sites based on categories. I could also set up exclusions. Safe Search is available in all major browsers, including Google, Yahoo! and Bing.

Apps can be blocked by categories (not available for iOS) or entertainment apps, like games.

I tried the place tracking and geofencing features of my Android phone. They were able track my exact location and send me alerts when my phone leaves designated safe areas.

Kaspersky Safe Kids provides social network monitoring, which I find refreshing. While many antiviruses provide parental controls, Kaspersky Safe Kids does not.

Kaspersky parental control are the most complete available. Kaspersky provides guidance on how to talk with a child about parental restrictions.

Additional Features

Kaspersky also offers several other tools, such as

• Webcam protection.
• Backup, Restore.
• Rescue Disc.
• Data encryption & shredder.
• Gaming mode.

The webcam protection alerted me whenever I accessed an App that used the webcam of my laptop, such as Zoom or Skype. However, I would love to see a microphone protector. Bitdefender provides both microphone and webcam protection.

Backup and Restore gives users the option to back up files to a removable drive or to an online cloud storage site. There are two options. You can either use Dropbox (default), or connect Kaspersky with another service. But, this feature is not very useful. All Dropbox users get 2GB of storage free. To get more storage, you will need to upgrade. Kaspersky offers a backup option. Norton, however, is superior and provides more storage space without having to pay an extra service.

The Kaspersky Rescue Disc feature is very useful. This feature allows you to wipe your computer clean immediately after the infection has started. This feature is also available for Panda, ESET and Panda.

Data encryption allows you to ensure sensitive files are protected. Data shredder allows for permanent deletion.

Gaming mode allows you to pause notifications and scans when you’re playing or when the app is in full screen mode. This game booster actually increases gameplay performance.

Kaspersky has a number of excellent additional tools. Kaspersky offers a range of additional tools that are very good.

The extras offered by Kaspersky are a nice touch, considering that most antiviruses provide only basic protection against viruses. However, I do like the Rescue Disc function to save infected computers.

Pricing and Kaspersky Plans

Kaspersky offers three packages. These packages are quite affordable considering the number of features included in each.

Kaspersky Antivirus gives you the choice to protect 3, 5, and 10 Windows computers.

Kaspersky is easy to use and set up

Kaspersky’s configuration and installation are very simple.

Kaspersky’s interface looks professional. Kaspersky can be used for basic antivirus needs.

Kaspersky displays only the features you have access too. Kaspersky only displays the features you have access to.

Kaspersky’s tools can be difficult to find. Click on “More Tools”, Clean, Optimize and then click on “PC Cleaner”. I’d love to see a sidebar similar to that used by TotalAV.

I love the Notification Center. This area gives you important information that allows you to make informed decisions.

It’s easy to turn the functions you need on and off using the Notification Center. Kaspersky lets you quickly fix security problems by staying in the Notification Center.

Kaspersky’s layout is not easy to master. It is easy to use once you are familiar with it.

Kaspersky Mobile App

Kaspersky offers a complete Android internet safety app. iPhone users have access to only the most basic security features, such as parental controls, password manager and VPN.

Security Cloud iOS

• Adaptive security Modifies settings according to user behavior. Public network connections will activate the VPN automatically.
• Security Live. iOS security updates. Jailbreaking is an example of this vulnerability.
• Account check. Checks your email for data breaches.

The device also includes a QR reader.

Android has many more features. The Android application worked well on my Huawei Mate 30 Lite.

Kaspersky’s Android mobile app has:

• Antivirus scanner.
• Call blocking.
• Anti-theft.
• Real-time protection.
• App lock.
• Anti-smishing (SMS phishing).
• Protection through browsing.

The antivirus scanner can be started from within the program. These are the scans that you can perform:

• Quick scan. Scan downloaded apps for malware.
• Perform a complete scan. Check for malware on the whole device.
• Folder scan. Scanning a specific folder.

I discovered 80 malware on my smartphone and ran an extensive scan.

Kaspersky detected every malware file within 5 minutes. They are automatically quarantined by Kaspersky.

The app’s instant protection was excellent. But, Norton Mobile Security App Advisor is my favorite. You can be warned about possible threats before you download the app.

Kaspersky identified the dangers in app downloads and quarantined them immediately, keeping my device protected.

Kaspersky provides anti-theft protection via its mobile app. You will need to create an Kaspersky profile.

Logging into My Kaspersky Online Hub gives you four anti-theft tools, including the ability lock/wipe the device, sound an alarm and take a photograph of the person who used it.