Latest Product Reviews

Product reviews > Software > Anti-Virus

Kaspersky Anti-Virus 5.0
Price: £28 inc VAT

Features
Performance
Ease of use
Value for money
Overall

Reviewed By: Andy Shaw

This review updated: 27/05/2004
Featured in magazine:
Issue 84
Manufacturer Contacts:
Supplier: Kaspersky
Tel: 08700 113461
Web Address: www.kaspersky.co.uk


Kaspersky Anti-Virus has been a capable virus killer for a long time now, but has been more difficult to use than its major rivals – McAfee and Norton. This version includes a major overhaul of the look-and-feel, but is it enough to bring it in line with the big boys?

Features
There are two main elements we're looking for in anti-virus software – the ability to scan all areas of a computer to check no viruses are present, and a real-time protection facility to stop malicious software from installing in the first place. Kaspersky has both of these, with plenty of extra tools for configuring, scheduling and updating your software. It doesn't have some of the fluffy extras that anti-virus fanatics might relish, but its foundations are solid.

Performance
Kaspersky's record at stopping viruses has been spotless of late, with a 100 per cent protection rate since last June in the Virus Bulletin's tests (www.virusbtn.com), while being rated 'excellent' by the University of Hamburg's Virus Test Center (http://agn-www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/vtc). This doesn't guarantee protection in the future or with this particular version of the software – no virus manufacturer can guarantee this – but it is a fair indication that Kaspersky is doing the right things to stop viruses from getting through at the moment.

Ease of use
That interface overhaul has paid off and then some. The main functions are accessed through three tabs, depending on whether you want to look at your level of protection, tweak your settings or find some help. These are then subcategorised, but everything is clear and concise enough to make using the software a breeze. If you want to get deeper into more settings you can do, but even these are easy to use. And scanning anything, whether it's your entire hard disk, a single floppy, an individual file or your email Inbox, is all just a couple of mouse presses away.

Value for money
At £28 this software offers solid value for money. Symantec's Norton AntiVirus is significantly more expensive at £45, while McAfee VirusScan is only a few quid cheaper at £25. Perhaps the biggest problem is that both of these can be included in a great-value all-in-one bundle complete with a firewall and other handy security utilities. While Kaspersky also has a personal firewall, there isn't a great value suite to draw us into a full Kaspersky revolution.

More Anti-Virus reviews:

• Sunbelt Software Vipre Antivirus + Antispyware
• Trend Micro HouseCall
• F-Secure Online Virus Scanner
• PC Pitstop
• Symantec Security Check