Kuala Lumpur, May 19, 2010 – Kaspersky Lab, a leading manufacturer of secure management solutions, introduced Kaspersky PURE, an integrated solution to protect home networks at an exclusive white-themed event here, today.

Kaspersky Lab also introduced Kaspersky PURE Privilege Card, believed to be the first of its kind premium service to be offered by secure management solution provider to home users.  The cardholder would enjoy the privileges such as express support services through a dedicated number, rebates on purchases and invitations to exclusive events, among other benefits.

Kaspersky Lab has applied an inspirational new approach to the product’s development and marketing strategy. The name, Kaspersky PURE, was chosen to convey the concept of a solution that is genuine, clean and total.

According to Mr. Harry Cheung, Managing Director of APAC, Kaspersky Lab, Kaspersky Lab developed PURE with the belief that every user should have the right to enjoy the myriad opportunities that modern-day computing and the Internet offer, secure in the knowledge that they are properly protected.

“Security solutions have always developed in line with the evolution of digital threats. The emergence of the first computer viruses prompted the development of the early antivirus products. The arrival of the first web-borne threats gave impetus to the development of Internet Security-class solutions. Now that it has become common for many users to store their digital assets in electronic format, a need has arisen for new types of comprehensive solutions that offer protection against all types of digital threats and mitigate the risks to our digital assets,” said Mr. Cheung.

“We are pleased to offer Kaspersky PURE, our new solution, to the entire user community. This product incorporates a unique package of state-of-the-art technologies, offering reliable protection from digital pollution of all types. With Kaspersky PURE you no longer have to be an expert in order to keep your digital life neat and tidy – our new solution will do the job for you.” Mr. Cheung said.

“With the launch of Kaspersky PURE, Kaspersky Lab has introduced a new class of products that provide a secure and productive digital environment, whatever you use your computer for. Kaspersky PURE combines complete protection against all types of web-borne threats with new, advanced features including extended parental control features, data backup and encryption tools, a password management program and the ability to manage your entire home network or fine tune the security settings of your web browser and operating system from any computer on the network,” Mr. Cheung explained.

To introduce the product, the brand hosted a talk show on home users security concerns that featured the Cyber Security Malaysia, Head of Security Quality and Management Services Division, Dr. Solahuddin Shamsuddin. Mr. Harry Cheung, Low Yat Plaza and Low Yat City Area General Manager Patrick Honan and entrepreneur and blogger, Samuel Tan.

The panel discussed cyber security issues including cyber-bullying, internet addiction, identity theft, porn, cyber-muling, internet service provider controlled usage and much more with input from government bodies, the private sector, retail, solution providers and end-users.

Kaspersky PURE retains all the features that users of Kaspersky Anti-Virus and Kaspersky Internet Security have come to appreciate, including state-of-the-art ‘sandbox’ technologies that allow suspect applications to be run in a secure virtual environment, proactive detection of unknown threats, application control and restrictions on the level of access that suspicious programs have to passwords, logins, personal information and operating system settings.

“For those with children, Kaspersky PURE’s Extended Parental Control helps to limit the time that minors spend on the computer, regulates access to specific programs and the Internet and blocks users attempting to access websites displaying adult content, whilst notifying you. The Instant Messenger (IM) control feature can be set to block messages containing obscene language or predefined words such as your home address or telephone number,” explained Mr. Cheung, noting that parents of net-using children and teens have been among PURE’s most enthusiastic and vocal supporters in other countries where it has been launched earlier.

According to Area General Manager of Plaza Low Yat and Low Yat City, Mr. Patrick Honan the Malaysian market is ready for a premium home user security solution especially if it offers premium services such as express support.

“The Malaysian home user market has matured with many middle class and above homes in the Klang Valley running home networks.  Internet security is a major concern for them based on buying trends at Malaysia’s premier IT Lifestyle Mall – Plaza Low Yat.  For peace of mind in keeping data and identity secure, and receiving express solutions to their IT security concerns, yes users will be willing to pay a premium,” Mr. Honan said.

Mr. Cheung explained that with Kaspersky PURE, data protection goes beyond guarding against malicious programs and cybercriminals; in the event of disruption to electricity supply that may irretrievably destroy hard disks, documents, photos and video clips stored on it, the product includes a dedicated module to create backup copies of data and restore it as needed.

“This module can be fine-tuned to suit your needs. You can configure it to perform scheduled backups of all of your data, or choose only certain files or folders that are of particular importance. Selective backups allow only those files that were modified since they were last saved to be backed up, preserving backup disk storage space. Previous versions of your files can be saved at specific restore points, thus allowing them to be recovered in the event of accidental data deletion,” Mr. Cheung said.

Installing and configuring a complete home network security system, scanning for malware and managing backup and parental control routines can be time-consuming, but with Kaspersky PURE one person with administrator rights and can do it easily from anywhere on the network said entrepreneur, blogger and father of two internet using boys, Mr. Samuel Tan.

“With just a few clicks of the mouse the entire network’s security status can be viewed, while system-generated logs and reports update on any network events making it easier and more time-efficient for me to monitor my family’s computing and internet activities, especially the usage of my twin sons who are big fans of online games and social networking sites.  With the Parental Controls I can preset the number of hours a day that they can be online, the sites that they can visit, the people they can chat with and even the type of information that they can share,” Mr. Tan said.

Kaspersky PURE licenses are available for one, three or five computers.

Kaspersky PURE includes a password manager program that can save the much time. This feature helps to select unique, strong passwords for email, forum, blog and online bank accounts, and most importantly, it automatically inserts them during the login process. It’s even possible to configure the program to launch automatically or manually.

“For example, you can use your mobile phone as your key to the online world; you don’t even have to take it out of your pocket. Once within range of your computer, Kaspersky PURE will detect your phone via Bluetooth and unlock the password database automatically,” Mr. Cheung said.

Being confident that data is secure takes more than just blocking the threats that come up during an online session. Even when computers are switched off and regular protection is subsequently disabled, cybercriminals can still physically access the data stored on hard disks or USB devices. With Kaspersky PURE’s encrypted container feature, valuable data will not fall into the hands of cybercriminals, even if hard disks are stolen or lost. All it takes is to regularly backup the data stored in the containers.  Deleting unwanted files and folders with Kaspersky PURE means that they cannot be restored at a later date, even by using advanced data recovery techniques.

Kaspersky PURE’s Security+ toolkit helps to fine-tune the security of operating systems and browsers. The product analyzes those settings that are either hidden or generally overlooked and prompts you to take action if any of them pose a threat to your digital well-being.

Kaspersky PURE is available nationwide at all IT leading outlets and retails at RM260 for single user, and RM330 for three users.  For more information visit www.kaspersky.com.my or contact 03.7802.2222 for details.