Kaspersky’s Anti-Virus for Windows 7 released as “prototype

So far, there are three “official” anti-virus partners for the Windows 7 beta – AVG, Symantec (with Norton 360 3.0 beta) and Kaspersky Lab, with the latter announcing the release of its Windows 7 solution as a “technical prototype”.
Announcing a “new antivirus engine” in “technical prototype” form, Kaspersky Lab has made its Windows 7 antivirus solution available for free download to Windows 7 beta users. Promising “complex antivirus protection from all types of Internet threats”, as antivirus and security companies are wont to do, the release underscores Kaspersky’s desire to be seen as a fast security mover in an ever changing threat landscape. Alexey Kalgin, Director Product Marketing, Corporate Business Division, Kaspersky Labs said: “We knew the release of the new version of Windows would be a huge event for the IT community, which is why we were prepared for it. “Our company has always made support for Microsoft’s new operating systems a top priority. For example Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Windows Vista was released simultaneously with the operating system’s official launch. When Windows Server 2008 was released, Kaspersky Anti-Virus was the only antivirus product on the market certified by Microsoft. Users can now see for themselves how our antivirus protection technologies perform on the new platform.”The prototype is provides “effective protection” from all types of Internet threats – viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, hacker attacks and spam, forming part of a “comprehensive solution, including not only an antivirus pattern-recognition component but also a heuristic analyzer which can detect and block as-yet-unknown malicious programs based on their suspicious characteristics, a firewall and an anti-spam filter.” Kaspersky is quick to promote its “new antivirus engine” which is “even more effective at detecting malicious programs than its predecessor”. Claimed benefits include dramatically increased “system scanning speed thanks to improved processing of objects and optimized use of system resources, particularly on dual- and quad-core processor platforms” and a “unique product architecture” to ensure “high productivity and one of the lowest uses of system resources in the industry.”Low use of system resources seems to be the new battle cry amongst security vendors, something Symantec has achieved with its Norton Internet Security 2009 software, has implemented into the Norton 360 version 3.0 beta, and is something that BitDefender has also recently promoted with its latest version. Fully compatible with Windows 7 beta in both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions, Kaspersky promises that “both inexperienced and advanced users will find the solution to be user-friendly and easy to install and configure.”