Kaspersky Internet Security 2011

Internet Security 2011 might lack some of the features found in Kaspersky's top-end Pure edition, but it's still got plenty of tools in addition to the basic anti-virus and firewall protection.

Installation was smooth and the firewall did a good job of automatically deciding which applications should be allowed access to the internet. A small desktop widget is also installed which provides quick access to the main program along with two shortcut buttons that can be set to quickly access the parts you use most.

The main interface is well-designed, with an overview window detailing protection status – the ‘traffic light' colours change if there's something wrong.

As with most security programs, Kaspersky IS 2011 will scan for viruses using a list of known threats as well as monitoring for suspicious behaviour – the latter helps protect against new online threats that the program doesn't yet know about.

A useful feature from the 2010 version is the Safe Run mode which provides a secure area in which to run suspicious programs. The 2011 edition adds a new ‘Safe Run for Websites' mode that, when activated, opens a protected browser window. This is useful when visiting potentially dangerous sites as it prevents any dangerous downloads from accessing anything on the rest of the computer.

Parental controls are impressive: computer usage can be limited both by when programs can be run and when the internet can be accessed. For example, during homework hours children can be allowed access to the word processor but not the web. Instant messaging can also be scanned, with specific keywords monitored.

The Vulnerability Scan is another useful tool that inspects the computer for potential security risks and then offers to fix any problems. A ‘privacy cleaner' is also included to quickly erase internet history and temporary files.

Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 has a wide range of tools and does a good job of running in the background without throwing up unnecessary warnings. It's a little expensive, though, and at this price we would like to see it come with a licence for three computers as other programs do, not just one PC.