Kaspersky adds privacy protection features to PC

Kaspersky has launched Account Check, which automatically checks if email addresses that customers use when logging into their online accounts have been compromised. Additionally, Kaspersky Anti-Virus, Kaspersky Internet Security, and Kaspersky Total Security are now equipped with the advanced ability to detect stalkerware – commercially available software used to spy remotely on a PC user.  

According to a recent Kaspersky report, Defending digital privacy: taking personal protection to the next level, a third (35%) of South African consumers have faced incidents where their private information was accessed by someone who did not have their consent. These stats highlight the need to keep and store personal information more securely and therefore having the right attitude towards how personal data is protected. 

The problem of protecting privacy is further aggravated by the existence of stalkerware, special software that uses hidden functions that are difficult to identify. One example of this type of software is designed to secretly run on a victim’s device. As stalkerware is designed to harvest all kinds of data, no matter what type of device a victim of stalker is using, it isn’t just a problem for mobile devices, but PC users as well. The number of users that encountered stalkerware on a PC grew by 35% to reach over 37,000 in 2019, while spyware tools accounted for 26,620 of those targeted. 

To strengthen privacy on personal computers, Kaspersky has introduced several new features for PC users in its consumer products. The feature now auto-checks email addresses entered when logging into online accounts. This means users can save time as they do not need to manually input the email addresses they want to be checked by the service. Plus, users now have the option to add individual email addresses to a list that is checked regularly by the feature. 

To ensure credentials kept on Windows remain safe, a free edition of Kaspersky Password Manager now comes with Kaspersky Anti-Virus and Kaspersky Internet Security products. Users who purchase Kaspersky Security Cloud and Kaspersky Total Security will be able to install the premium version of Kaspersky Password Manager.  

“Despite the popularity of mobile devices, we see a high demand among consumers to protect personal information they store on computers – so it is crucial to secure it properly,” says Marina Titova, head of consumer product marketing at Kaspersky. “For this reason and in response to numerous requests from our users, we have added advanced detection of commercially available spyware – known as stalkerware – to PCs. Furthermore, the Account Check feature within Kaspersky Security Cloud on mobile devices has recently found 85% of users’ emails were in the public domain.”

There are two editions of Kaspersky Security Cloud available for customers: Personal and Family. While the Personal edition provides protection modern users’ everyday needs, the Family edition adds a Parental Control feature and remote management tools to provide protection for the whole family.

More information about the updated version of Kaspersky Security Cloud can be found here.