Each autumn, new security products are launched, that bring new or improved security features to their users. This month, Kaspersky has launched their 2017 generation of security products which stand out from the rest of the market due to being the first of their kind to offer secure VPN connections when connecting to public unsecured WiFi. We believe that this feature should have been included in security products for a long time now and we're glad to see a big name like Kaspersky making the first step in this direction. If you want to learn what's new in the 2017 version of their security products and why it matters, read this news article:

VPN is embedded for the first time into Kaspersky security products

We believe that security products should have offered by now the possibility to connect via VPN to a secure server, when connecting to public wireless networks of all kinds, to keep their users safe from hackers and other prying eyes. Laptop users and especially smartphone users, connect to public WiFi on a regular basis and this represents a risk for their security. Creating a secure VPN tunnel to a server that is owned by a security company like Kaspersky, means a lot in protecting the data that is transferred to and from the device being used. This feature is especially important when you perform financial transactions, when providing authorisations on certain websites and when transferring confidential data. In such cases, if your network traffic is intercepted by a third party, it can cause a great deal of harm to you.

A VPN connection is useful also when travelling, because many people connect to untrusted public WiFi, so that they keep in touch with their friends and family. According to a study made by Kaspersky Lab , each fifth user was a victim of cyber criminals when traveling. This is not surprising, considering that one in five tourists don't take any security precautions when connecting to the internet while traveling. The Secure Connection module that offers the VPN connection service inside Kaspersky Internet Security for Windows, becomes a welcome security tool when connecting to public wireless networks. Unfortunately, this module is available only in Kaspersky's security products for Windows and not for Android. Since VPN integration is only beginning, we expect other security vendors to follow Kaspersky's example and integrate this feature into their security products for all platforms. It remains to be seen if this feature will be popular with Kaspersky users and whether other security vendors will rush to adopt it into their products.

Features for managing the software that is installed on your PC

This trend is not new and Kaspersky chose to follow it later than other security vendors. We're talking about adding tools and features that allow users to monitor and manage the apps that are installed on their Windows computers and devices. Many popular apps like Adobe Reader or Flash Player represent a security nightmare if they are not updated on a regular basis. That's why Kaspersky has introduced a module named Software Updater which automatically identifies the apps that need updates and, if the user agrees, installs their latest versions. Also, the user can request manually the updating of an app. You can also create a list of apps that should never get updated, in case it is mandatory that you use a specific version of an app.

According to a study made by Kaspersky Lab , 37% of users keep on their computers and devices apps that they don't use. Not only do they waste storage space but they also offer additional ways for cybercriminals to gain access to their systems. The new Software Cleaner tool that was created by Kaspersky scans all installed apps and highlights those that are a potential security risk. Sometimes, users don't even know that they have those apps installed or they do not know the risk they pose and keep them installed, even though they don't use those apps.

Other improvements included in Kaspersky's 2017 security line-up

The 2017 version of Kaspersky security products for Windows also include many improvements to existing protection modules that were found in previous versions:

• A better management of the WiFi networks that you are connecting to and improved notifications about WiFi networks
• The Anti-Banner module does a better job in blocking ads on the Web
• The Private Browsing module offers improved privacy protection over preceding versions
• The Safe Money feature that allows users to perform financial transactions in a secure manner, now offers users the chance to provide feedback about the way it works

• Mail-Antivirus now uses more advanced heuristics to detect the security threats that you receive through e-mail.

The Digital Citizen team will resume the series of security reviews in the coming weeks and Kaspersky will be one of the first products that we evaluate. We are looking forward to testing this new generation of products. Until then, you can test it yourself, using the free trial version that you can download from the Kaspersky website.