OREANDA-NEWS. December 26, 2012. Kaspersky Internet Security 2013 has been awarded the highest Advanced+ rating by AV-Comparatives. This achievement follows several months of intensive testing by the independent laboratory that saw several popular home computer security solutions pitted against real-world threats.

Quick Facts

21 security solutions for home users participated in the Real-World Protection Test carried out by AV-Comparatives’ independent experts between August and November 2012

Testing involved the specialists clicking dangerous links and downloading and running malicious programs; a total of 2,006 tests were performed over four months

AV-Comparatives testing doesn’t just focus on individual components and technologies but simulates real-world scenarios for home computers and delivers a comprehensive assessment of an antivirus product’s overall performance

AV-Comparatives specialists evaluated both the number of successfully blocked threats and the number of false positives

Kaspersky Internet Security 2013 successfully passed the tests and once again earned Advanced+ status, AV-Comparatives’ highest rating.

How the tests were performed

While preparing the Real-World Protection Test procedure, AV-Comparatives experts paid special attention to imitating situations which the user and the security solution could face in real life. The experts clicked dangerous links, and downloaded and ran malicious programs, trying to simulate activities which could be dangerous for Internet users. All the installed protection solutions used their default settings because the majority of users do not interfere in the operation of an antivirus product. During the testing the products received all necessary software and antivirus database updates. Testing was conducted on a Windows XP Service Pack 3 platform with several older versions of popular applications. Few users promptly install a new OS version or update installed software, creating a further security risk as the older versions often contain errors that can be used to infect the system.

The antivirus products were able to use their entire protection arsenal to neutralize the threat at any stage of the attack: when a dangerous link was clicked, in the course of verifying downloaded malware, or at the time of its launch. A product failed the test if a malicious program penetrated the system unchecked and started its destructive activity. If the security solution prompted user intervention, the experts deliberately approved the dangerous actions and evaluated subsequent events. If a malicious program infected the system, the solution was penalized. In addition, the test evaluated the number of false positives. The experts visited known secure sites and downloaded legitimate applications. If the security solution blocked access to the site, did not allow an application to be downloaded or just warned the user of a false threat, it received penalty points. Products with lots of false positives received a lower score in the overall testing.

Over the four-month test period Kaspersky Internet Security 2013 consistently demonstrated high results in the Real-World Protection tests, and blocked practically no legitimate programs or secure websites. As a result, Kaspersky Lab’s solution once again received a well-deserved ADVANCED+ certificate from the experts at AV-Comparatives.

Quote

Oleg Ishanov, Director Anti-Malware Research

Kaspersky Lab

"Users are especially interested in the results of tests that simulate the sort of risky situations they could face in real life. We consider these sorts of tests to be very important because they allow us to get the most objective evaluation of the protection level provided by our products. We are glad Kaspersky Internet Security 2013 has earned the ADVANCED+ award, confirming the product’s high quality."