Special Spice for Mac Device: Kaspersky Lab Announces New Version of Security Product for OS X

Kaspersky Lab is pleased to present its latest security solution to protect OS X-based devices – Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac 15, which is integrated in Kaspersky Internet Security – Multi-Device and Kaspersky Total Security – Multi-Device. The new version of the product offers its users enhanced protection against financial online fraud and web threats as well as additional options to manage this protection.

Although cybercriminals usually prefer more popular operating systems such as Windows and Android, they still pay attention to OS X. Since the beginning of 2014, Kaspersky Lab has collection another 2,000 malicious files created specifically for this platform. These include Trojans that can spy on users, collect valuable information, steal money, and even encrypt personal files for ransom. Other currently popular cyber-threats, such as phishing or network attacks, are not restricted to any one platform and threaten all users equally.

"Kaspersky Lab’s experts investigate cyber-threats affecting popular operating systems, and develop technologies to defeat them. For example, Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac has been created to safeguard the digital life of its owner on all fronts: it protects personal data, files and finances without causing any noticeable slowdown in the operating system’s performance", commented Nikita Shvetsov, CTO at Kaspersky Lab.

New and Improved Features

Threat Protection

According to Kaspersky Security Network, an average KSN user encounters two network attacks per month. These attacks are designed to gain remote control over the user’s device and allow cybercriminals to, for example, run malicious code or receive unlimited access to personal data. The fraudsters often carry out these attacks via OS vulnerabilities such as the notorious ShellShock.

Network Attack Blocker, a new subsystem integrated into Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac, prevents attempts to access the user's computer. It launches simultaneously with the operating system, and analyzes all incoming traffic. If any suspicious activity is detected, the solution informs the user of the threat, and blocks the attacker's IP address. If users wants to allow access of a particular IP address to their machines (for example, for online games), they can manually include it on a list of allowed IP addresses.

Financial Security

Today’s cybercriminals have a large arsenal of weapons to obtain illegal profit. One of the most effective of them is to get access to other people’s online accounts using their usernames and passwords. According to the study “Financial cyber threats in 2013”, 39% of phishing attacks blocked by Kaspersky Lab products on Mac devices were designed to collect financial data.

To protect online transactions against cybercriminals the new Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac integrates the Safe Money component that is a proven success on Windows OS. Every time the user opens a website of a bank, payment service or online store, Safe Money checks the security of the connection and the legitimacy of the resource. This prevents users from inadvertently entering fake websites created to access other people's accounts. Safe Money also includes a virtual keyboard that protects entered data from being intercepted by malware.

Parental Control

According to a study* conducted in 2014, over the last 12 months the children of 22% of respondents have faced some kind of online threat, and another 21% of that surveyed have lost their money or valuable data as a result of their children’s activities. Therefore, children on the Internet are not only vulnerable to inappropriate content, they can also jeopardize their parents’ devices.

The Parental Control module in the new version of Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac offers parents even more convenient categories for filtering inappropriate or unwanted content. In addition to blocking unwanted sites, Parental Control also allows parents to monitor which applications are launched by their children, how much time they spends on the computer and what information they share online.

Performance and Usability

The interface of the new Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac has been modified to be clearer and more user-friendly as well as matching the interface of the company’s other security products. Interestingly, according to a survey¹, 20% of users regard a user-friendly interface as one of the three most important qualities of a security solution.

In addition, since the beginning of this year, Kaspersky Internet Security for Mac includes automatic updates to newer versions. This innovation means users will always work with the latest version of the security solution without any need to download and install it manually. This approach allows Kaspersky Lab to provide its users with the most reliable protection against current cyber threats.

The new product is also integrated with the My Kaspersky web portal. This enables remote scanning, license management, the installation of additional applications and easy access to technical support.

*Consumer Security Risks Survey 2014, B2B International in conjunction with Kaspersky Lab