Kaspersky Internet Security (KIS) is one of the most effective and up-to-date security tools on the market. It was developed by Kaspersky Labs, a Russian computer security company which was founded by Natalia Kaspersky and Eugene Kaspersky in 1997. Kaspersky Lab offers a wide array of computer security products like antivirus, anti spyware, anti malware and anti intrusion programs, and was ranked as fourth largest global vendor in antivirus products by IDC in 2008. In 2009, it became the first Russian company to be included in software top 100 of the world's software company rankings.

KIS is compatible with Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 / 8. It can detect and remove malware and email scam and is also loaded with a phishing filter.

The first version, KIS Version 6.0, was released in 2007. Upon its launch it received a very positive response both from its users and critics. It performed efficiently and soon became one of the top internet security suites available on the market. It successfully detected 97.5% of adware samples. Thanks to its advanced scanning feature, it could scan compressed and hidden files detecting 83.3% of hidden malware.

The interface of Version 6.0 was a bit awkward and difficult to navigate. KIS was believed to produce a high rate of false positives, which means it often labeled safe or secure programs as a potential threat. However, this problem can be countered by downloading the latest definition files and constantly updating the security suite. Still the reporting of false positives was considered to be a major drawback of KIS. Kaspersky also didn't include the parental control and instant messaging protection features in KIS, something that its competitors Symantec and McAfee were offering.

In 2008 KIS Version 7.0 was released. This version was found to be much better, faster and far more efficient as well as user-friendly as compared to the previous version which lacked some important GUI-based features. Some of the components were renamed: for example, the Anti-Hacker Module became the Firewall, and the Anti-spy module was incorporated inside the security module. The new features included parental controls with different settings for each age group. Inside age categories there are other content categories like drugs and violence. This advance feature gives user the ability to manually configure profiles.

KIS filters content at the network layer, making it effective on each and every browser. You can also block entire sites, and can monitor the activity of users on the internet. Internet access can be limited according to a pre-defined schedule. It also gives you the ability to block chat rooms. Spam filtering and prevention is also highly efficient.

Protection against malware was further improved in version 7: KIS 7 effectively blocked 100% of threats and successfully detected the rootkits. Firewall performance (Learn about firewall performance) was also impressive and blocked all of the incoming connections. However the issue of false positives still remained unresolved.

In 2009 KIS Version 8.0 was released. It consisted of an even more improved and less complex user interface. The antivirus engine was updated and a vulnerability scanner and application filtering modules were added to further improve efficiency. The scanning speed was also improved by the use of a new antivirus engine without compromising on performance and security. KIS Version 9.0 was released in 2010. It did not include any modifications or upgrades except that it now supported Windows 7.

The notable features of Kaspersky Internet Security are:

• Real-time proactive protection against all internet threats including all kinds of malware and infections
• A Safe Surf feature for online security
• Protection of digital identity by using advance virtual keyboard and an anti-phishing feature
• Feature rich and improved parental control
• Improved application control feature protects your computer from malicious software
• System Watcher technology that continuously monitors your system for suspicious behavior
• A unique safe run mode to let you run suspicious applications
• Easy Access Desktop gadget
• The installation CD can also be used as a bootable rescue disk for your system

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