Based on the results of efficacy assessments conducted in Q3 2014, MRG Effitas has certified Kaspersky Internet Security as a solution that provides effective protection for online transactions.
As in the previous assessment, which was carried out in Q2, security solutions were tested in three phases. However, this time MRG Effitas used an improved methodology. In particular the test for protection against Man-in-the-Middle attacks (interfering with the data transmission protocol in order to distort data) was removed.
In its place the organisation assessed the quality of protection against API Hooking attacks, which involve injecting malicious code into the browser’s process and then redirecting API calls in order to intercept confidential information and redirect it to the attacker. Since the programmes used in the tests were not samples of widespread malware, they were unknown to security solutions.
The purpose of the test, therefore, was to measure the ability to protect against so-called 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 testing phases, as before, assessed how well the solutions could protect against widespread malware capable of stealing banking credentials or interfering with the process of exchanging information with online payment services, and a modern-botnet test. In the first phase, the solutions needed to detect 406 malicious programmes that were widely distributed by cybercriminals at the time of testing; Kaspersky Lab’s product successfully detected and blocked all of these malicious programmes.
The second phase was carried out on systems infected using files containing Trojan programmes (‘droppers’) for the most widespread botnets. The botnets’ C&C servers were configured within the test lab’s infrastructure, enabling researchers to determine immediately whether the malware was able to steal financial credentials or not. Kaspersky Internet Security effectively blocked this threat as well, preventing a data leak.
As a result, Kaspersky Internet Security once again demonstrated that it is a reliable security solution and was awarded a well-deserved certificate from MRG Effitas. Overall, out of the 17 solutions participating in the assessment, only four were able to protect the user against all banking cyberthreats. Of these, only two were full-scale Internet security solutions, while the others were highly specialised applications designed to protect online payments.
“Online payment services are of special interest to cybercriminals, since interfering with the exchange of information between a service and its customers could open up access to client accounts for the attackers. This is why Kaspersky Lab regards protecting users from financial cyberthreats as one of its most important goals. Testing results confirm that Kaspersky Lab technologies, primarily Safe Money, are able to provide effective protection against the latest threats while working with online banking systems,” comments Timur Biyachuev, director Anti-Malware Research at Kaspersky Lab.
The Safe Money technology used in Kaspersky Internet Security protects online transactions by matching a payment site’s address to a cloud database, confirming the authenticity of the security certificate, isolating the browser from any attempts to inject malicious code and preventing screenshots from being taken. More information about the principles upon which the technology is based can be found in this whitepaper.
