Kaspersky Lab Launches Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2014 & Kaspersky Internet Security 2014 – the Latest Versions of Proven Security Solutions for Home Users

Successors to Kaspersky Lab’s award-winning security products hit the market with several new advanced protection technologies

Woburn, MA –August 13, 2013 - Kaspersky Lab announces the release of the latest versions of its award-winning security solutions for home computer users. Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2014 and Kaspersky Internet Security 2014 boast enhancements to existing protection technologies, like Safe Money technology, and a host of brand new features, like Trusted Applications mode, to ensure the highest levels of security for users’ PCs and their digital valuables.

According to the cloud-based Kaspersky Security Network, about 200,000 new malware samples emerge every day, compared to 125,000 just a year ago. The price of poor-quality protection against cyber threats is not merely a daily bombardment of spam emails, or sluggish performance from a virus-ridden PC – the costs hit regular users squarely in their wallets. Scams like phishing attacks, commonly sent through carefully crafted email designed to appear legitimate, attempted to steal online banking credentials and other critical financial details.

In fact, according to a consumer survey conducted by B2B International, a leading market research company, in June 2013, 62 percent of Internet users experienced at least one attack related to online banking, shopping, or payment services during the last 12 months. In the fight against modern cybercrime, security solutions face a clearly-defined challenge: prevent these financial losses. The new versions of Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2014 and Kaspersky Internet Security 2014, like their highly reviewed predecessors, were specially developed with that requirement in mind.

High-quality protection technologies
Several innovative antivirus technologies have been added to Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2014 and Kaspersky Internet Security 2014, which significantly improve user protection. Both products now include Kaspersky Lab’s proprietary ZETA Shield antivirus technology, which performs an in-depth scan of files and applications running on the computer to identify malware that may hide deep within individual components of each program.

Kaspersky Lab offers further protection from emerging threats through its improved Automatic Exploit Prevention technology, which scans programs for behavior typically found in exploits – a type of malware that infects the PC through vulnerabilities in legitimate software. Automatic Exploit Prevention closely monitors programs that are most frequently targeted by cybercriminals – such as Java and Adobe Reader – to block cybercriminals from using unknown gaps in legitimate software to penetrate a computer’s defenses. By looking for suspicious behavior, Automatic Exploit Prevention technology can detect the most recent and dangerous threats, including threats so new that they haven’t yet been identified by antivirus vendors.

But threats don’t have to be new or sophisticated to pose a risk. Familiar threats like Trojan ransomware can block access to computers and demand payments to “unblock” victims’ machines, sometimes even when an antivirus solution is installed on the system. In many cases, users ignore the security warnings of their security programs and willfully install a program that imitates a legitimate music file, document, or other legitimate program, only to realize too late that the program was in fact malicious.

Now, thanks to the new protection against screen lockers technology implemented in Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2014 and Kaspersky Internet Security 2014, ransomware is no longer a threat. If users of the new Kaspersky Lab solutions face a demand for payment to unblock their computer, they only have to press one simple key combination and the technology will find and remove the malware completely.

Extended protection with Kaspersky Internet Security 2014
Phishing attacks and Trojan programs designed to steal credentials for online banking systems are also among the most popular malicious tools. Kaspersky Lab’s Safe Money technology - first introduced in the previous version of Kaspersky Internet Security - has already proved to be an extremely reliable additional layer of protection for online financial operations. The technology has been improved in Kaspersky Internet Security 2014, including support for more Web browsers, and a significantly expanded list of trusted online banking sites, payment services, and online stores.

Another major innovation in Kaspersky Internet Security 2014 is the unique Trusted Applications mode. This protects the computer by only allowing the launch of applications that are identified as safe to use. Thanks to the multi-level system which checks the legitimacy of programs and an intelligent system that can adapt to a particular user, this mode is capable of providing a very high level of security. The Trusted Applications feature is based on the extensive and constantly updated Kaspersky Lab Whitelisting database of legitimate applications.The database contains over 700 million unique entries with thorough descriptions of all popular applications including operating systems, browsers, image viewers, video players, games, and more.

For users with children, Kaspersky Internet Security 2014 offers improved Parental Control capabilities, which provide flexible controls over all possible scenarios in which a child might use the computer. This mode includes a set of default profiles that contain computer-use scenarios appropriate for different age groups, while still giving parents the freedom to modify these settings at their discretion. Parental Control allows parents to determine when and how long children can use the computer, which applications can or cannot be launched, and what information – such as credit card numbers and home addresses – should be blocked from being shared on social networks.

In addition to their numerous technological improvements, Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2014 and Kaspersky Internet Security 2014 have been optimized to ensure minimal consumption of PC resources. At the same time, thanks to improvements to the user interface, Kaspersky Lab protection solutions have become even easier to use. For the first time, Kaspersky Lab products have integrated socialization functions, allowing users to help their friends on social networking sites to make their computers more secure.

Quote:
Justin Priestley, senior vice president, consumer sales
Kaspersky Lab, North America
“Maintaining the online security of our customers is a mission that is always changing, so it’s essential that our customers are armed with the most advanced protection tools available to keep them ahead of evolving threats to their financial data and personal information. Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2014 and Kaspersky Internet Security 2014 show our continued focus on this goal by delivering innovative new technologies like Trusted Applications Mode and reliable technologies like Safe Money, keeping Kaspersky Lab users ahead of tomorrow’s cyber-threats.”

Kaspersky Internet Security 2014 is available both as a standalone product and as part of Kaspersky Internet Security – Multi-Device, a security solution that will soon be launched to provide premium protection for the world’s most commonly-used devices. Kaspersky Internet Security – Multi-Device, an enhancement of Kaspersky ONE, will give users an easy way to secure their Internet activity on multiple computers and mobile devices, with just a single purchase of a single license.

Pricing and Availability
Kaspersky Internet Security and Kaspersky Anti-Virus are available for purchase now on Kaspersky Lab's online store, and wherever quality software is sold in the U.S. and Canada.Current customers may upgrade free of charge from Kaspersky Internet Security 2013 and Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2013 to the new products for the remainder of their existing license period. A standard subscription – 3-user licenses for a 1-year period – is $79.95 for Kaspersky Internet Security and $59.95 for Kaspersky Anti-Virus.

About Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab is the world’s largest privately held vendor of endpoint protection solutions. The company is ranked among the world’s top four vendors of security solutions for endpoint users*. Throughout its more than 15-year history Kaspersky Lab has remained an innovator in IT security and provides effective digital security solutions for large enterprises, SMBs and consumers. Kaspersky Lab, with its holding company registered in the United Kingdom, currently operates in almost 200 countries and territories across the globe, providing protection for over 300 million users worldwide. Learn more at www.kaspersky.com.

* The company was rated fourth in the IDC rating Worldwide Endpoint Security Revenue by Vendor, 2011. The rating was published in the IDC report "Worldwide Endpoint Security 2012–2016 Forecast and 2011 Vendor Shares (IDC #235930, July 2012). The report ranked software vendors according to earnings from sales of endpoint security solutions in 2011.

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Media Contact
Sarah Bergeron
781.503.2615
sarah.bergeron@kaspersky.com