In response to developing challenges and needs, cybersecurity company Kaspersky has laid out a new approach “beyond antivirus”.
It has unveiled a simplified product line that is divided into three plans: Kaspersky Standard, Kaspersky Plus, and Kaspersky Premium. The updated range is now platform agnostic, and each plan provides protection for different types of devices, across Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. These are all designed to reflect the level of functionality available to users across the entire ecosystem of the company’s consumer services.
Kaspersky detection systems discovered an average of 380,000 new malicious files per day in 2021, reflecting a growth of 20,000 files per day compared to 2020. There are also new types of threats continuing to emerge: from those targeting the accounts of popular online gaming platforms or cryptowallets, to stalkerware that enables a perpetrator to secretly spy on another person’s private life via a mobile device.
Kaspersky Standard will provide general security functionality, including real-time protection against the latest digital threats from dangerous websites, downloads, and extensions. The Standard plan also offers users a “Pre-Kaspersky” virus removal tool that can find and remove viruses that may have found their way into users’ PCs before they installed Kaspersky. The plan includes a Firewall and Network Monitor which shows which apps are connected to the Internet.
A set of performance tools includes Quick Startup, PC Speed-up, and Disk Space Cleanup tools. Game and Do Not Disturb modes, which switch on automatically during gaming, working, or while streaming movies on a PC, ensure undisrupted experiences and minimise the usage of system resources, allowing reallocation to priority tasks. Stalkerware detection plus webcam and mic protection are some of the privacy features available to subscribers of this plan.
Privacy capabilities are more prominent in Kaspersky Plus. Users subscribed to this plan get access to everything available in Kaspersky Standard, plus unlimited VPN and Premium Password Manager. They also get Data Leak Checker, which monitors the Internet and dark web, warning users if their private data has been compromised and providing recommendations on what to do next. The plan includes Password Safety Status, which can enhance password protection by checking the safety status of passwords and their susceptibility to leaks. Under the Kaspersky Plus plan, users can also see which devices are connected to the home network, a particularly helpful feature for the owners of smart home tech.
The most feature-rich subscription plan, Kaspersky Premium, adds to all the previous capabilities by including digital identity protection and premium technical support – with priority access to phone calls or chat services, remote expert installation help, and personal PC health checks.
In order to provide a comprehensive identity defence, users have access to the Identity Protection Wallet, which stores copies of sensitive data (such as passport or driver’s licence) in an encrypted format to prevent identity theft and lets one securely access data across all r devices. All customers of Kaspersky Premium get a free one-year subscription of Kaspersky Safe Kids.
Kaspersky says a clearer, more user-friendly interface, enhances the new portfolio. The brand has completely redesigned its solutions with the aim of improving customer interaction within the app and making it simpler and easier across key areas.
“We want our customers to see our offering for what it really is,” says Mikhail Gerber, executive vice president for consumer business at Kaspersky. “It isn’t just a PC antivirus solution, it’s a comprehensive ecosystem of security services for any platform and device, serving any user need.
“We have revamped the entire structure of the product interface as well as the overall experience for our users to help them understand and appreciate the scope and level of protection we’re offering across security, performance, privacy and identity. And this is just the beginning: we plan to integrate more of our products and third-party products and services in order to expand the value we’re giving our clients.”
- For more information, visit the Kaspersky website