How many devices do you use to shop online? Do your banking? Access sensitive work documents? Communicate with family and friends? You at least have a Windows PC or a Mac, plus a smartphone. And if you don’t already own a tablet, you’re probably considering buying one.

Each of these devices, with its invaluable memory of your contacts, credit card numbers and more, is vulnerable to cybercrime. When they accesses the web , the risk grows exponentially. An attack on your phone could uncover information that helps a criminal break into your bank account, or your contacts could be compromised on your tablet
Malware attacks take many forms, from viruses and worms, to phishing attacks that fool you into clicking a poisoned link and disguised apps that record every keystroke you make on your smartphone or tablet.

The best defense against these constantly evolving threats is universal security: protection from all types of malware across all your devices. Universal security assures you’ll never have to worry that any part of your digital ecosystem is exposed.

Kaspersky ONE Universal Security is a one-license solution that protects Windows PCs, Macs, Android tablets, and smartphones Working together, the fully optimized protection in Kaspersky ONE provides a united front that can protect you from all kinds of malware.

Windows PC protection

Windows PCs have been the primary target of malware authors for two decades. That’s not surprising given the average PC carries a sizeable footprint of personal information, including passwords, contacts, browsing history, emails, and even credit card and bank account numbers.

Kaspersky ONE contains the same malware-hunting technology that prompted AV Comparatives to name Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 their Product of the Year. It runs in the background, stopping malicious programs before they can infect your PC. And if you think that one sneaked through, Kaspersky ONE can scan the hard drive on demand or on schedule.

Malware often changes Windows’ settings in order to protect itself or do more damage. For instance, it can block access to programs like msconfig that allow you to correct problems. Kaspersky ONE monitors for these suspicious changes and corrects them. It can also remove information about your recent activity, such as your browsing history and what files you’ve opened.

Kaspersky ONE can even run programs in a protected sandbox — a method of keeping an application separate from everything else in the system — so even if it turns out to be malware, it can’t affect Windows or other applications. If you have children, you’ll want to use its extensive Parental Controls, which allow you to control their access to websites and social networks and even how much time they can spend on the computer.

Kaspersky ONE’s PC protection settings are customizable, but the default settings will do most of the time. Kaspersky ONE updates definitions daily, so your PCs defenses are always at full-strength.

Watch this video to see how simple it is to start protecting your PC with Kaspersky ONE:

Mac Protection

It’s commonly believed that Macs don’t need security software. That notion was dispelled in early April when a Russian cyber security firm reported that more than half a million Macs were infected with the Flashback Trojan.

Variants of Flashback get onto your computer disguised as Adobe Flash or Java updates. You trigger the infection by doing something as innocent as visiting the wrong website. Once infected, the virus takes over Safari and steals information from your browser, including your login names and passwords, and sends this information to the criminals controlling it.

The Flashback Trojan infection notwithstanding, most malware isn’t designed to infect Macs. But an innocent user can unwittingly spread that same nasty bit of code to a Windows machine. Here’s how: You receive an email containing a Trojan. The Trojan can’t infect your Mac, but the email looks interesting, so you forward it to some friends, infecting their Windows PCs.
Kaspersky ONE’s Mac protection works in the background, scanning files, downloads and mail attachments for malware in real time. It also warns you of suspicious websites (such as the type that spread the Flashback Trojan) and helps keep your Mac from infecting PCs on your network.

Watch this video to see how to start protecting your Mac with Kaspersky ONE:

Android Tablet Protection

Everyone wants a tablet. Cybercriminals included, however they prefer the information stored on it
Nearly one out of every three tablets sold today uses the Android operating system. Cybercriminals flock to popular platforms, so it’s no surprise that the amount of Android malware increased by more than 3,000 percent in 2011.

These illegitimate programs can get onto your tablet from websites; third-party app stores; and even Google Play, the official Android app market. Many of them grab sensitive data, such as passwords, off of your device and send it to a waiting party.

Even without malware, you’re vulnerable to people who want to steal your tablet for its resale value and the valuable information you’ve got stored on it.

Kaspersky ONE provides anti-virus and anti-theft protection for your Android tablet. It scans apps for malware as they download and blocks malicious websites. If your tablet is stolen, it can block or wipe your data and help you retrieve your device. It can even take a mug shot of the thief and email it back to you.

Watch this video to see how Kaspersky ONE secures your Android tablet:

Smartphone Protection

Security companies keep finding new Trojans and other malware programs designed specifically for smartphone platforms. According to Juniper Networks, mobile malware directed at all platforms and operating systems increased by 155 percent in 2011.
These programs can do a lot of damage. Android.Walkinwat can access your contacts. FakeToken targets banking information. Many Trojans, including BaseBridge, rack up phone charges by dialing premium numbers. (Remember that when you call a premium number, your phone company pays that number’s owner and then bills you.) The latest discovery, TigerBot, can even record your calls.

But malware isn’t the only threat facing your smartphone. Because of their size, handsets are easily lost or stolen, and Kaspersky ONE protects you from these misfortunes, as well. Kaspersky ONE’s smartphone protection, enables you to text commands to your phone that can lock away data, send you the phone’s GPS coordinates, display an onscreen message telling the finder how to return your phone, or even wipe files you don’t want revealed.

Watch this video to see how Kaspersky ONE protects your phone:

Your digital life is intricate, with many bits of personal information scattered across any number of gadgets and operating systems. But keeping that information secure doesn’t have to be complicated. Kaspersky One offers easy-to-install protection for PCs, Macs, smartphones and Android tablets. One program is all you need.

The Start screen is the most obvious change to Windows 8, but some of the biggest changes are less apparent. When Windows 8 comes out later this year, the new Start screen and Metro-style apps will likely be the first changes you’ll notice, but those aren’t the only things that are new. Microsoft is also making some serious security enhancements to help keep your system safer and to improve Windows’ ability to combat viruses and malware. It just may be the biggest improvement to Windows security yet.

Antivirus Comes Preinstalled

For the first time in the history of Windows, you’ll enjoy protection from viruses, spyware, Trojan horses, rootkits, and other malware from the very first day you turn on your Windows PC–without spending a cent. Windows 8 comes with an updated version of Windows Defender that includes traditional antivirus functions in addition to the spyware protection and other security features that it has offered since Windows Vista. Windows Defender now provides similar protection–and a similar look and feel–to that of the free Microsoft Security Essentials antivirus program, which Microsoft has offered to users as an optional download since 2009.

The updated Windows Defender resembles Microsoft Security Essentials.

Since Windows Defender will provide at least basic virus and malware protection, purchasing yearly antivirus subscriptions (such as from McAfee or Norton) or downloading a free antivirus package (like AVG or Avast) is optional, whereas before it was pretty much required if you wanted to stay virus-free. Of course, you may disable Windows Defender and use another antivirus utility that promises better protection and more features, but at least everyone will have basic protection by default.

Better Download Screening

When Microsoft released Internet Explorer 9, it updated the browser’s SmartScreen Filter to help detect and block unknown and potentially malicious programs that you download; the function complements IE’s website filtering, which works to block phishing and malicious sites. Starting with Windows 8, the program-monitoring portion of the SmartScreen Filter is built into Windows itself, and it will work whether you’re using IE, Firefox, Chrome, or any other browser.

In Windows 8, the first time you run a program that you downloaded from the Internet, the SmartScreen Filter checks it against a list of known safe applications, and alerts you if it’s unknown and therefore has the potential to be malware. If the alert does pop up, you could then further investigate the program (and the source where you downloaded it) before running it.

SmartScreen produces an alert if you run an unknown program.

Since Microsoft is adding the SmartScreen feature, the company is removing the previous Security Warning alerts that appeared when you first opened a downloaded program (the old alert would show the verification status of the program publisher and warn you about running programs downloaded from the Internet).

This is a welcome change, as it cuts down on the number of alerts you have to click through–with Windows 8, you’ll see an alert only when something’s amiss.

Faster, More Secure Startup

Starting with Windows 8, Microsoft will begin to promote a new type of boot method, UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface), which improves upon and replaces the archaic BIOS boot system that most PCs have been using for decades. I won’t get into the technical details here, but UEFI offers better security, faster startup times, and a number of other benefits.

Thanks to this new boot method (and other system enhancements), your PC will start up more quickly–in as little as 8 seconds, from the time you press the power button to when Windows fully loads to the desktop. But you’re sure to appreciate the less noticeable improvements too. The Secure Boot feature of UEFI will prevent advanced malware (such as bootkits and rootkits) from causing damage, and it will stop other boot loader attacks (such as malware that loads unauthorized operating systems) as well.

Though Windows 8 will work on PCs with the old BIOS boot system, Microsoft will require new PCs that carry the Windows 8 Certification to use the UEFI boot system with the Secure Boot feature enabled by default. This Secure Boot requirement is causing some concern within the PC industry and among power users, as it could complicate the process of using Linux distributions or dual-booting multiple operating systems. However, Microsoft has promised to keep boot control in users’ hands, and the company requires system makers participating in Windows 8 Certification to offer a way for users to disable the Secure Boot feature on PCs (but not on tablets).

Two New Password Types

Windows 8 introduces two new password types that you can use when logging in to your Windows account: a four-digit PIN and a “picture password.”

For the picture password, you choose a photo or image and draw three gestures (a combination of circles, straight lines, or taps/clicks) in different places to create your “password.”

Even if you decide to use these new password types, you still must set up a regular password. A PIN offers a faster way to log in, and a picture password gives you a more creative and fun way to do so. Sometimes you’ll have to enter the regular password, such as when you need administrative approval for changing system settings as a standard user, but you can log in to your account using the PIN, the picture, or your regular password.

Other Noteworthy Defense Measures

The enhanced Windows Defender, SmartScreen, boot system, and password protection are the most noticeable security improvements in Windows 8. But the new OS has even more system enhancements that you won’t see at all. A few core Windows components (such as the Windows kernel, ASLR, and heap) have been updated to help reduce common attacks and exploits even further.

Eric Geier is a freelance tech writer. He’s also the founder of NoWiresSecurity, which provides a cloud-based Wi-Fi security service for businesses, and On Spot Techs, which provides on-site computer services.

How many devices do you use to shop online? Do your banking? Access sensitive work documents? Communicate with family and friends? You at least have a Windows PC or a Mac, plus a smartphone. And if you don’t already own a tablet, you’re probably considering buying one.

Each of these devices, with its invaluable memory of your contacts, credit card numbers and more, is vulnerable to cybercrime. When they accesses the web , the risk grows exponentially. An attack on your phone could uncover information that helps a criminal break into your bank account, or your contacts could be compromised on your tablet
Malware attacks take many forms, from viruses and worms, to phishing attacks that fool you into clicking a poisoned link and disguised apps that record every keystroke you make on your smartphone or tablet.

The best defense against these constantly evolving threats is universal security: protection from all types of malware across all your devices. Universal security assures you’ll never have to worry that any part of your digital ecosystem is exposed.

Kaspersky ONE Universal Security is a one-license solution that protects Windows PCs, Macs, Android tablets, and smartphones Working together, the fully optimized protection in Kaspersky ONE provides a united front that can protect you from all kinds of malware.

Windows PC protection

Windows PCs have been the primary target of malware authors for two decades. That’s not surprising given the average PC carries a sizeable footprint of personal information, including passwords, contacts, browsing history, emails, and even credit card and bank account numbers.

Kaspersky ONE contains the same malware-hunting technology that prompted AV Comparatives to name Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 their Product of the Year. It runs in the background, stopping malicious programs before they can infect your PC. And if you think that one sneaked through, Kaspersky ONE can scan the hard drive on demand or on schedule.

Malware often changes Windows’ settings in order to protect itself or do more damage. For instance, it can block access to programs like msconfig that allow you to correct problems. Kaspersky ONE monitors for these suspicious changes and corrects them. It can also remove information about your recent activity, such as your browsing history and what files you’ve opened.

Kaspersky ONE can even run programs in a protected sandbox — a method of keeping an application separate from everything else in the system — so even if it turns out to be malware, it can’t affect Windows or other applications. If you have children, you’ll want to use its extensive Parental Controls, which allow you to control their access to websites and social networks and even how much time they can spend on the computer.

Kaspersky ONE’s PC protection settings are customizable, but the default settings will do most of the time. Kaspersky ONE updates definitions daily, so your PCs defenses are always at full-strength.

Watch this video to see how simple it is to start protecting your PC with Kaspersky ONE:

Mac Protection

It’s commonly believed that Macs don’t need security software. That notion was dispelled in early April when a Russian cyber security firm reported that more than half a million Macs were infected with the Flashback Trojan.

Variants of Flashback get onto your computer disguised as Adobe Flash or Java updates. You trigger the infection by doing something as innocent as visiting the wrong website. Once infected, the virus takes over Safari and steals information from your browser, including your login names and passwords, and sends this information to the criminals controlling it.

The Flashback Trojan infection notwithstanding, most malware isn’t designed to infect Macs. But an innocent user can unwittingly spread that same nasty bit of code to a Windows machine. Here’s how: You receive an email containing a Trojan. The Trojan can’t infect your Mac, but the email looks interesting, so you forward it to some friends, infecting their Windows PCs.
Kaspersky ONE’s Mac protection works in the background, scanning files, downloads and mail attachments for malware in real time. It also warns you of suspicious websites (such as the type that spread the Flashback Trojan) and helps keep your Mac from infecting PCs on your network.

Watch this video to see how to start protecting your Mac with Kaspersky ONE:

Android Tablet Protection

Everyone wants a tablet. Cybercriminals included, however they prefer the information stored on it
Nearly one out of every three tablets sold today uses the Android operating system. Cybercriminals flock to popular platforms, so it’s no surprise that the amount of Android malware increased by more than 3,000 percent in 2011.

These illegitimate programs can get onto your tablet from websites; third-party app stores; and even Google Play, the official Android app market. Many of them grab sensitive data, such as passwords, off of your device and send it to a waiting party.

Even without malware, you’re vulnerable to people who want to steal your tablet for its resale value and the valuable information you’ve got stored on it.

Kaspersky ONE provides anti-virus and anti-theft protection for your Android tablet. It scans apps for malware as they download and blocks malicious websites. If your tablet is stolen, it can block or wipe your data and help you retrieve your device. It can even take a mug shot of the thief and email it back to you.

Watch this video to see how Kaspersky ONE secures your Android tablet:

Smartphone Protection

Security companies keep finding new Trojans and other malware programs designed specifically for smartphone platforms. According to Juniper Networks, mobile malware directed at all platforms and operating systems increased by 155 percent in 2011.
These programs can do a lot of damage. Android.Walkinwat can access your contacts. FakeToken targets banking information. Many Trojans, including BaseBridge, rack up phone charges by dialing premium numbers. (Remember that when you call a premium number, your phone company pays that number’s owner and then bills you.) The latest discovery, TigerBot, can even record your calls.

But malware isn’t the only threat facing your smartphone. Because of their size, handsets are easily lost or stolen, and Kaspersky ONE protects you from these misfortunes, as well. Kaspersky ONE’s smartphone protection, enables you to text commands to your phone that can lock away data, send you the phone’s GPS coordinates, display an onscreen message telling the finder how to return your phone, or even wipe files you don’t want revealed.

Watch this video to see how Kaspersky ONE protects your phone:

Your digital life is intricate, with many bits of personal information scattered across any number of gadgets and operating systems. But keeping that information secure doesn’t have to be complicated. Kaspersky One offers easy-to-install protection for PCs, Macs, smartphones and Android tablets. One program is all you need.