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Kaspersky Internet Security awarded top Advanced+ ranking in independent malware removal testing

Kaspersky Internet Security 2014, the latest security product for home users, was the top performer in the Malware Removal Test conducted by the independent AV-Comparatives lab in October and November. The test assessed how well security products could help a computer recover from a malicious infection which occurred before protection was installed.

The experts at AV-Comparatives chose 11 malware samples for the test. The sample collection was deliberately small so that a different disinfection process was required for each malicious program. In the course of the test, a computer was infected with each sample, one at a time, and then a security solution was installed. The lab’s experts assessed 16 home security products from different vendors.

After each stage of testing, the analysts rated each product according to two criteria: whether it was capable of neutralising the malicious program, and whether any user intervention was required. To earn full marks, the security solutions had to successfully remove the malicious program and reverse any changes it had introduced into the system (creation of files, entries in the system registry, etc.). Products which failed to remove the malware were awarded the lowest mark. In terms of user involvement, automatic treatment with no intervention from the user earned top marks, while requests to contact the manufacturer’s support services scored badly.

Kaspersky Internet Security achieved the top Advanced+ ranking from AV-Comparatives after achieving a perfect score in the test. The product successfully deactivated and removed every malicious program that was installed and running on the computer. User intervention was required just once to treat a ‘blocker’ Trojan. This malicious program prevented access to the Windows desktop – contrary to the conditions set out in the test methodology – so Kaspersky Rescue Disk was used to treat the infection. Kaspersky Rescue Disk is a dedicated tool for regaining access to a system infected by a ‘blocker’.

“Users often fail to think about securing themselves against cyber threats until they encounter one,” said Nikita Shvetsov, Director of Anti-Malware Research, Kaspersky Lab. “The AV-Comparatives’ test reproduces a real-life situation. The computer has already been infected and a security solution is presented with the task of bypassing any self-defense mechanisms in the malware, removing the malware completely and, just as importantly, reversing any tampering with the OS configuration. The test results prove that Kaspersky Internet Security can effectively cleanse an operating system, even if it is installed after an infection takes place.”

Shortly before its Malware Removal Test triumph, Kaspersky Internet Security 2014 also received the Advanced+ ranking from AV-Comparatives in a test that assessed security product impact on computer performance. Both results confirm Kaspersky Internet Security’s ability to maintain high protection levels without any harmful impact on system resources.

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 16-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.co.uk

* The company was rated fourth in the IDC rating Worldwide Endpoint Security Revenue by Vendor, 2012. The rating was published in the IDC report “Worldwide Endpoint Security 2013–2017 Forecast and 2012 Vendor Shares (IDC #242618, August 2013). The report ranked software vendors according to earnings from sales of endpoint security solutions in 2012.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Alice Collins .