Kaspersky Security Cloud Free review
Our Verdict
Kaspersky Security Deject Free combines excellent malware protection, plenty of extra features and a very low-cal system-performance impact.
For
- Top-notch malware protection
- Tiny system-performance impact
- File shredder, on-screen keyboard, data cleaner, privacy cleaner
- Scan scheduler, email scanner
Against
- Password director, VPN service are just teases
- Lacks telephone back up
Tom's Guide Verdict
Kaspersky Security Cloud Complimentary combines excellent malware protection, plenty of extra features and a very calorie-free system-performance impact.
Pros
- +
Peak-notch malware protection
- +
Tiny system-performance impact
- +
File shredder, on-screen keyboard, data cleaner, privacy cleaner
- +
Scan scheduler, e-mail scanner
Cons
- -
Countersign managing director, VPN service are just teases
- -
Lacks phone back up
Kaspersky Security Deject Free replaces the old Kaspersky Free Antivirus and adds more tools also as Android and (limited) iOS protection.
The programme has such a light organisation impact that it sped up our machine a fleck after installation. In addition, it offers a pretty comprehensive array of extra features, fifty-fifty if other options are grayed out or simply teases for the paid plan.
When you consider Kaspersky'due south unbeatable malware-detection engine, opting for Kaspersky Security Deject Free over other free antivirus packages, even the born Windows Defender, is a no-brainer. It's our unqualified selection for the best free antivirus software.
Read on for the rest of our Kaspersky Security Cloud Free review.
Kaspersky Security Deject Free specs
Malware protection: First-class
System impact, groundwork: Nonexistent
Organisation impact, scans: Very light
Windows compatibility: 7 through 10
Email scans: Aye
File shredder: Aye
Game/silent mode: Yeah
Hardened/secure browser: No
Password director: Yep, but limited
Performance scanner: Yes
Ransomware file reversal: Yes
Rescue deejay: Free download
Scan scheduler: Yes
Back up options: FAQs, forums
URL screener: Yes
Upsell nag gene: Moderate
Kaspersky Security Cloud Free: What'due south covered and upgrade options
Kaspersky Security Cloud Free uses the same malware-scanning engine as the visitor'south paid products. The free programme not only blocks online attacks but includes limited admission to the company's Secure Connection VPN.
It works with Windows 7, 8.one and 10. You'll need to apply an older version for Windows XP or Vista. Kaspersky Security Cloud Free is non ever piece of cake to find on the Kaspersky website, but the download link is here.
Kaspersky'due south cheapest paid antivirus programme is Kaspersky Anti-Virus . It'southward for PCs only, only we recall information technology'due south the best Windows 10 antivirus plan available. It starts at $60 per yr for iii computers and adds a organization optimizer and specialized defenses against ransomware, phishing and spyware.
Kaspersky Cyberspace Security, which starts at $80 for three devices, includes software for Macs, iPhones, iPads and Android tablets and phones. Its Windows security repertoire includes keeping out unwanted apps, thwarting network threats and preventing webcam hijacking. There's as well a secure browser for banking and shopping online.
At the tiptop is Kaspersky Full Security, starting at $100 for five devices. It adds file encryption, Prophylactic Kids premium parental controls and an unlimited password manager. It's one of the best internet security suites you can buy.
Kaspersky Security Cloud Costless takes a different tack by protecting computers from above. Its free protection covers PCs, Androids and iOS devices by combining virus shields with a password manager and express VPN access. The free service includes up to 15 password entries and 300MB a solar day of VPN communications.
If you pay $90 for 3 systems for Deject Personal, or $150 for twenty devices for Cloud Family unit, Kaspersky opens the coverage to include Mac systems, provides 500MB a day of VPN security and lets you set up an unlimited number of countersign-manager log-in credentials. The family unit plan adds Kaspersky'southward Safe Kids parental controls.
Kaspersky software is banned for use by U.S. government agencies and defence force contractors, and there have been allegations that the Moscow-based company spies on behalf of the Russian government. Nosotros have non seen any convincing testify that Kaspersky does so, and nosotros think the software is fine for civilian use.
Kaspersky Security Cloud Gratuitous: Antivirus protection
Whether you lot get Kaspersky Security Cloud Free or pay for Kaspersky software, yous get the same excellent protection against malware.
The latest version of Kaspersky Security Cloud Gratis includes a tool chosen System Watcher that watches for ransomware attacks and can reverse changes to files. On the downside, Kaspersky Security Cloud Costless has no specific defense confronting UEFI penetration of the system's kickoff-up program.
If the scanning gets in the way of gaming or watching video, Kaspersky Security Cloud Gratuitous's gaming mode tin can reduce interruptions.
Scans are quick and easy to start. A Full Scan is two clicks from Kaspersky's master folio, and a Quick Scan is one more click. Correct-clicking a specific object in Windows Explorer lets you lot scan it, and when you lot plug in a USB wink drive, Kaspersky Security Cloud Free scans it backside the scenes.
Kaspersky Security Cloud Free: Antivirus performance
Kaspersky has i of the best malware-detection engines of whatsoever consumer antivirus maker, and the engine is shared by all Kaspersky Windows antivirus products.
The programme detected 100% of all malware in every monthly test run by German lab AV-Test in 2018 and 2019, a feat matched only by Norton, which doesn't offering free antivirus software. The same winning streak continued in AV-Exam's Jan-Feb 2020 round.
But Kaspersky had a better balance than Norton between efficiency and zealousness, racking up only three false positives over that two-year period, compared with Norton's 22 false positives.
Kaspersky's results with Austrian lab AV-Comparatives were not quite as perfect. While it stopped an average of 100% of malware in the lab'due south February-May 2019 and February-March 2020 tests, Kaspersky averaged only 99.one% in the July-October 2019 circular.
Overall, Norton did better, and Bitdefender and Microsoft Windows Defender were close behind Kaspersky, but Norton and Microsoft had many false positives while Kaspersky had nada.
Nevertheless, London-based SE Labs saw Kaspersky scoring 100% in both protection accurateness and total accurateness for its July-September 2019, October-Dec 2019 and Jan-March 2020 rounds. No other make did as well.
Free-antivirus stalwarts Avast and AVG each got merely 94% for protection in the outset circular and 95% in the 2d one, although Avast got 95% in the third round while AVG got 100%. Microsoft did better than either overall, while Bitdefender was not tested.
Kaspersky Security Cloud Costless: Security and privacy features
Kaspersky Security Cloud Gratuitous installs its own browser extensions for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Internet Explorer. The add-ons can keep you lot abroad from dangerous websites.
Kaspersky Security Deject Gratuitous comes with a Kaspersky Secure Connectedness client to tap into Hotspot Shield's VPN infrastructure. There are connection points in 18 countries, but it includes just 300MB per day of costless data. If you want more, the unlimited Premium subscription for five users costs $30 a year, making it the least expensive paid VPN service we've seen.
Kaspersky Security Cloud Gratis has ane large matter other free antivirus programs lack: an on-screen keyboard to foil keylogging malware. But to get Kaspersky's Safe Money secure browser, yous demand to upgrade to the paid version of Kaspersky Security Cloud.
Kaspersky Security Cloud Gratis: Functioning and organization touch
To gauge Kaspersky Security Cloud Free's impact on overall performance, we used our custom criterion test, which measures how long information technology takes to match 20,000 names with 20,000 addresses in an OpenOffice spreadsheet.
We used an Asus X555LA notebook with a 2GHz Core i3-5005U processor, 6GB of RAM, 34.1GB of files on a 500GB hard drive and the latest Windows ten updates.
Before installing Kaspersky Security Cloud Gratis, the arrangement completed the spreadsheet benchmark in an average of 7 minutes and 15 seconds, which nosotros used as the baseline.
Benchmark completion fourth dimension dropped to an average of vii minutes and 11 seconds after Kaspersky Security Cloud Free was installed, a groundwork system-performance improvement of 0.ix%.
That seems to point that Kaspersky Security Cloud Gratis runs a little more than smoothly than the built-in Windows Defender antivirus, which switches off when a third-party antivirus program is installed.
While performing a full browse, the test system took 7 minutes and twoscore seconds to complete the benchmark tasks, a slowdown of 5.7% from the baseline and 6.7% from the background. A Quick Browse led to a 1.1% performance drop from the baseline and a ii.1% drop from the groundwork.
That impact is much lighter than whatsoever other free software nosotros tested. Bitdefender Antivirus Complimentary Edition and Avast Free Antivirus each acquired 29% slowdowns from the pre-installation baseline during full scans, and even Windows Defender created a 20% slowdown from its own background load.
Avast'south quick scan slowed the system by a whopping 53% from the baseline, AVG AntiVirus Free'southward slowed information technology by 26%, while Windows Defender slowed the organisation by xiii% from the groundwork. (Bitdefender's free edition has no quick scan.)
Kaspersky Security Cloud Free: Interface
The interface for Kaspersky Security Cloud Free has a bright and open main screen. When everything is protected, there'due south a check marking in front end of a deject that turns to a yellow exclamation mark or a cherry "X" when information technology requires attention.
The chief page has eight rectangles for its tasks, but the costless version allows the use merely of Scan, Database Update and Password Director, which is a separate download and limits y'all to xv items unless you upgrade to the paid Kaspersky Security Deject.
The Mobile Protection category simply links to the mobile-app downloads, and Secure Connection opens the split VPN client. The Safe Coin, Privacy Protection and PC Cleaner are grayed out unless you pay to upgrade.
In the lower left, clicking an icon of a support-technician wearing a headset logo is a tease because the complimentary version doesn't include human tech support. Instead, you get links to online FAQs, community forums and configuration tips.
The gear-shaped Settings link has a skillful assortment of customization options that put to shame programs like Bitdefender Antivirus Gratis Edition. There are sections for Full general (turn automated protection on and off) and Operation (gaming manner, run scans when idle and keeping an centre out for rootkits).
The Scan category'southward Low, Recommended and High security levels are skilful, only we preferred the more granular browse-sensitivity slider on Avast and AVG free products. On the upside, Kaspersky has activated the customization elements of the Protection section for free users, so you lot can plow off web, file or email scanning should you want to.
The Additional group is deceptively powerful with control of Kaspersky's Advanced Disinfection engineering (within the Threats and Exclusions section). Yous tin can whitelist apps, monitor LAN ports for odd action, cake retentivity-based attacks with Kaspersky Self-Defense and control the virus quarantine.
Kaspersky Security Deject Free lets yous schedule scans, unlike some other free antivirus programs, and scheduling a scan takes just a minute. The frequency can be every night, calendar week or calendar month. It's flexible enough to permit full, quick or focused scans of retentiveness, kicking sector or external drives.
Kaspersky Security Deject Gratis's System Tray icon lets you lot run an update or open the on-screen keyboard if you right-click on information technology. You can likewise suspension Kaspersky'due south protection, open up the settings and meet what version of the program you have.
Kaspersky Security Deject Complimentary: Installation and support
Using Kaspersky Security Cloud Complimentary starts with the ii.5MB installer program (yous can find information technology here) that then proceeds to download and install the main 180MB program. Yous can read the license and cull to opt out of sharing suspect code with Kaspersky.
Most the end, the software lets yous have the programme eliminate adware and suspicious programs from your machine — an particularly useful way to get rid of the remnants of an quondam malware program.
Finally, yous need to prepare up a MyKaspersky online business relationship that allows you to manage the security of systems and become access to online back up. All told, it took united states of america less than 7 minutes to protect a fresh PC.
Should your system become bogged down with malware, Kaspersky's Rescue Deejay can help. It's not integrated into the program, but you can download the software from the Kaspersky website, burn down or install it on an optical disk or a USB drive, and boot the car in a clean Linux environs for scanning and cleaning.
Caveat: The Kaspersky rescue disk dates from 2018 and may not have the most up-to-date tools. Y'all tin endeavour the newer Norton Bootable Recovery Tool instead.
As is the case with nearly costless-AV software packages, you go but the most basic back up with Kaspersky Security Cloud Free. Forget about emailing or calling back up technicians; yous're limited to online resources and the visitor'due south forums to effigy out how to fix things or use the program.
Kaspersky Security Cloud Free review: Bottom line
Kaspersky Security Cloud Free is well worth the download. It combines superior malware protection with a fast scanner that barely slows down the system and allows enough of customization. Information technology's well stocked with options, although several items are reserved for paying customers.
You'll get a few more actress features with Avast Free Antivirus, but in our stance, they're not worth the drop-off in protection. The blank-basic Bitdefender Antivirus Complimentary Edition is a skilful option for people who don't want to bother with antivirus software, but for everyone else, Kaspersky Security Cloud Free is the free antivirus plan to get.
Updated with latest lab-exam results. This review was originally published in May 2020.
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/kaspersky-security-cloud-free
Posted by: mossdrempan.blogspot.com
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