Kaspersky Mobile Security 9: Full Review

From a interface to a granular customization options, Kaspersky Mobile Security 9 provides a kind of knowledge we’ve come to design from one of a company’s PC offerings. But like a desktop software, Mobile Security 9 also has a share of shortcomings. Still, during $9.95, Mobile Security 9 is simply a slightest costly reward confidence apartment we’ve seen. So how does this wallet-friendly mobile app transport opposite a competition?

Setup Interface

Mobile Security 9’s designation routine is a bit some-more concerned than many other apps in a class. After downloading a program to a Droid Bionic, Mobile Security asked us to emanate a tip formula when we launched a app for a initial time. This is used to forestall unapproved access, definition you’ll have to submit it any time we open a app. You’ll also have to yield a current email address, to that Kaspersky can send we your tip formula in a eventuality that we forget it.

Mobile Security 9’s interface clearly takes cues from Kaspersky’s desktop offerings, with a same hunter immature tone intrigue and tabbed menu view. The homescreen lists a app’s 6 features, including Anti-Virus, Privacy Protection, Anti-Theft, Call SMS Filter and Additional settings. Tap any of a tabs to exhibit a subset of additional options. For instance, Anti-Virus expands to give users entrance to a complement scanner and insurance settings.

Unlike many of a competitors, Mobile Security offers users a horde of options and customization settings that concede we to control probably any aspect of a app, trimming from how it reacts to receiving phone calls to what happens when a opposite SIM label is extrinsic in your device.

Detection Performance

Click to EnlargeLike a desktop cousin, Kaspersky Mobile Security 9 provides users with a brood of malware scanning options. While many other mobile antivirus solutions will usually let we select when your device is scanned, Mobile Security 9 lets we confirm how low a indicate goes, a forms of files that will be scanned and what a app does when it finds malware. A full complement indicate of a Bionic took 7 mins and 55 seconds to complete.

When Mobile Security 9 detects a square of antagonistic software, it launches a presentation window revelation we what form of hazard has been found and presents a choice to undo a threat, skip it or ask Mobile Security for help.

When we downloaded a EICAR confidence test, Mobile Security 9 picked it adult immediately, causing a warning to cocktail adult on screen. As with Lookout Mobile Security, Kaspersky provides a brief outline of any form of malware it detects, though they aren’t scarcely as extensive as a ones supposing by Lookout.

Mobile Security 9’s altogether impact on a Bionic’s complement opening was negligible. Without a app installed, a Bionic scored an normal 53.3 on a Linpack multi-core CPU benchmark test. With Mobile Security 9 installed, a Bionic averaged a measure of 53.2. When we ran a Linpack exam with Mobile Security 9’s complement indicate running, a Bionic’s measure indeed increasing to 55.1, usually next McAfee’s measure of 57.3.

Data Privacy Detection

Click to EnlargeKaspersky’s charity includes a horde of remoteness and temperament insurance features. From a Privacy Protection tab, users can select to totally censor their contacts’ numbers, incoming content messages and content summary logs, and incoming calls and call logs. Activate any of these options and a hit will radically disappear from your device until we invalidate a suitable setting.

You can also set an idle timer for when Mobile Security 9 should activate a censor setting. In other words, when your device is idle, a app will start a countdown that, once it hits zero, will censor all of your contacts’ information. Contact information can also be dark by promulgation your device a authority around a configurable content message.

Users can also set adult a white list of contacts that can call and content their devices, restraint all numbers not listed. Mobile Security 9 also lets we emanate a black list, that blocks calls and content messages sent from a customizable list of contacts.

Anti-Theft Features

Click to EnlargeKaspersky Mobile Security 9 includes a clever collection of anti-theft facilities that can be activated around content message. If a user’s device is stolen, he can close it remotely, that also displays a summary on a phone revelation a chairman who has your handset to lapse it to a owner.

The Data Wipe authority lets we remotely clean all of your personal information from your device, and a GPS Find underline allows we to remotely locate your device. After texting your mislaid phone, you’ll accept a content summary with a Google Maps couple giving we a device’s location. Unfortunately, when we attempted a feature, we usually perceived embodiment and longitude coordinates that we had to demeanour adult online.

Kaspersky Mobile Security 9 also includes SIM Watch, that automatically contacts we around email or content (sent to a opposite phone), in a eventuality that a SIM label in your phone is switched. SIM Watch can also be set to totally close your device if a SIM label is transposed or removed. Additionally, a app will arrangement an editable summary on your handset’s screen, revelation whomever private a SIM that a device is sealed and should be returned to a owner.

Weaknesses

Our biggest dispute with Mobile Security 9 is that it was distant too easy to uninstall. Even after environment adult a tip pin, we were means to totally mislay a app from a device but emanate from a Application menu. If a tech-savvy burglar manages to waylay your device, all a time we spent configuring a app will go out a window once they uninstall a app.

We also wish Kaspersky offering some kind of Web-based interface from that we could control a app’s GPS Find, SIM Watch and other anti-theft features. Also, it lacks a backup capabilities of Lookout Mobile Security and McAfee Mobile Security.

Premium vs. Trial Version

Kaspersky Mobile Security 9 is accessible in both giveaway and reward editions. The reward edition, that will cost we $9.95 for a one-year subscription, comes finish with all of a aforementioned features. If that’s too steep, we can always opt for a Mobile Security Lite, that doesn’t embody anti-virus, remoteness protection, or modernized anti-theft and modernized call and SMS filters. You’ll also skip out on a reward version’s SIM Watch, GPS Find and Wipe features.

Verdict

Kaspersky does an glorious pursuit of bringing a functionality of a full-blown confidence apartment to mobile devices, all for $10 per year. From a entirely customizable pathogen scanner to a information insurance features, Mobile Security 9 is some-more than able of gripping your information secure. We usually wish it could behind adult a files and had a Web interface. While it’s $20 some-more expensive, McAfee Mobile Security offers both of those features. Still, if you’re looking for clever antivirus and information protection, Mobile Security 9 might be right for you.