Kaspersky Anti-Virus 6.0 - TechRadar UK

The name may not be quite as popular as McAfee or Norton, but Kaspersky Lab has been in the AV business for some time. In that time, it appears to have learned a thing or two about what users are looking for in an anti-virus solution, and with its Anti-Virus 6.0 release it shows.

Want fast scans? You'll find it here. Solid real-time protection? Check. Fast and effective email scans? Ditto. Throw in a great interface and you have a product that would make a great addition to any user's desktop.

Kaspersky Anti-Virus 6.0 was among the fastest scanners in our recent tests, completing a scan of our C drive in just over 25 minutes. All of our viruses were dealt with, including those located on our infected DVD. The default settings are solid, and making changes is a simple affair. There's no room for confusion in the program's alerts or interface - everything here is geared towards helping the user.

One place where Kaspersky Anti-Virus 6.0 excels is with its online integration. 2006 marks the ten-year anniversary of www.viruslist.com , a great source of information about viruses and other security alerts as produced by the company. You'll also find Kaspersky's online virus encyclopedia on the site. It goes well beyond simple descriptions and acts as a great learning resource.

Beyond simple AV protection, the product also offers a rollback features that can return your PC to a pre-virus state, and the program's iSwift and iChecker features can speed up successive scans by limiting them to new or changed files.

Throw in virus scanning of all Web traffic in real-time, and this product keeps all bases covered. At £24 for a one-year subscription, you'll find good value for your money with Kaspersky Anti-Virus 6.0. Dan DiNicolo