Kaspersky Pure

Security suites such as this are perfect for PC users looking for complete protection from online threats.

With a firewall and real-time scanning for viruses, Kaspersky Pure is an all-in-one package aimed at novice and advanced users alike.

In an attempt to stand out from the crowd, Pure includes a variety of features beyond simple online protection. Tools to safeguard your identity, tune up your PC and back up your important data are all here, as are a range of parental controls.

During the installation process it asks whether you want to take full control over the security suite or leave the software to make the majority of decisions. Those with little experience of security software will no doubt appreciate the latter.

The main interface is home to three sections providing shortcuts to Pure’s security, backup and parental control features. A coloured bar above each of these sections indicates their status (red means there is a severe issue that needs addressing). In general the application is easy to navigate, although as you dig further into the settings it does get a bit more complicated.

Scheduled backups can be created either by choosing specific files and folders, or by selecting which file types (music, videos, documents and so on) should be included. The only disappointment here is that it’s not possible to store backups online.

Those expecting a complete PC health check from the Tune Up feature will be disappointed since it concentrates on tweaking browser settings as opposed to speeding up Windows itself.

Should you come across a suspicious program, Pure helps out with its Safe Run feature. This allows you to check the program by installing it in a protected environment, meaning it cannot affect your computer or the files stored on it.

Kaspersky Pure is a comprehensive security suite that offers a good level of protection from online threats. Some of the features such as the parental control tools don’t offer a huge amount over what Windows 7 provides, but it’s useful to have everything in one place. It can only be installed on one computer, though, and at this price, we expected a three-computer licence.