Based on the results of effectiveness assessments conducted in the third quarter of 2014, the independent organization MRG Effitas identified Kaspersky Internet Security as the solution that provides the most effective protection for online transactions.
As in the previous assessment, which was carried out in the second quarter, the security solutions were tested in three phases. However, this time the MRG Effitas laboratory used an improved methodology. In particular, the test for protection against Man-in-the-Middle attacks (i.e., attacks that interfere with the data transmission protocol with the aim of data tampering) was eliminated.
Instead, the organization evaluated the quality of protection against API Hooking attacks, which are implemented by injecting malicious code into browser processes and then redirecting key API functions, with the aim of intercepting confidential information and redirecting it to the attacker. Since the programs used in the tests were not samples of widespread malware, they were unknown to security solutions. The purpose of the test, therefore, was to evaluate the ability to protect against zero-day threats. Kaspersky Internet Security successfully blocked all four attempts to inject malicious code into the browser protected by the solution.
The remaining two stages of testing, as in previous tests, assessed the level of protection that the solutions could provide against widespread malware capable of stealing login details to bank accounts or interfering with the process of exchanging information with online payment services, as well as a test involving modern botnets. In the first stage, the solutions were required to detect 406 malicious programs that had been widely spread by cybercriminals during the testing period. Kaspersky Internet Security successfully detected and blocked all of these malicious programs.
The second phase was carried out on systems that had been “infected” using files containing Trojan programs for the most widespread botnets. The botnets’ Command & Control servers were configured within the testing lab’s infrastructure, allowing researchers to immediately determine whether the malware was able to steal access credentials or not. Kaspersky Internet Security effectively blocked this threat as well, preventing data leakage.
Based on the test results, Kaspersky Internet Security once again proved to be a reliable security solution and received the MRG Effitas certification. In total, out of 17 solutions that participated in the evaluation, only four were able to protect the user from all banking digital threats. Of these, only two were comprehensive Internet security solutions, while the rest were highly specialized applications, designed specifically for the protection of online payments.
“ Online payment services are of particular interest to cybercriminals, as by interfering in the process of information exchange between services and their customers, they can gain access to accounts. That is why Kaspersky Lab considers protecting users from financial cyber threats to be one of its most important goals. The test results confirm that Kaspersky Lab technologies – and especially Safe Money – are able to provide effective protection against the most modern threats to online banking systems,” commented Timur Biyachuev, Director of Anti-Malware Research at Kaspersky Lab.
Kaspersky Internet Security 's Safe Money technology protects online transactions by matching the address of a payment site to a cloud database, verifying the authenticity of the security certificate, isolating browsers from malicious code infiltration attempts, and preventing screenshots. More information about this technology can be found in Kaspersky Lab's whitepaper
