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We’ve answered this one a bunch lately, so we decided to address it in a post. When a user tries to download Kaspersky Free antivirus, they find that they have downloaded Kaspersky Security Cloud — Free instead. Here’s why.
Back in 2017, we introduced Kaspersky Free antivirus globally, a solution that offered basic protection for PC users at absolutely no cost, so that no person would be left unprotected from cyberthreats. Under its hood thrummed the same engine as in our premium security products, which collect the majority of awards from independent test labs each year. And it really was free — no payment required, no third-party ads. And, no surprise, it became quite popular.
But every product must evolve to address users’ needs, which are constantly changing, and our free solution is no exception. With this evolution, it went way beyond being just an antivirus utility — so we stopped calling it an antivirus. We think its new name suits it much better; it’s functionally much closer to our full-fledged flagship Kaspersky Security Cloud than to a basic security solution. Now, let us take a quick look at how exactly Kaspersky Security Cloud Free has evolved far beyond Kaspersky Free antivirus.
What is the difference between Kaspersky Free antivirus and Kaspersky Security Cloud Free?
First of all, unlike Kaspersky Free antivirus, the free version of Kaspersky Security Cloud exists not only for Windows, but for other platforms as well. It helps protect both Android and iOS mobile devices.
Second, whereas our free antivirus solution was limited to an antiphishing engine and basic protection from malware, Kaspersky Security Cloud Free is a significantly more advanced multiplatform solution with a diverse spectrum of features, capable of adapting the protection it offers to your lifestyle. To learn about Kaspersky Security Cloud Free in detail, you can read this post, and here we’ll just quickly go through the most important features.
Just like the paid version, Kaspersky Security Cloud Free is different from other security solutions because of its adaptivity scenarios. For example, it helps you check if a service you use has leaked your account data, and it provides helpful advice that is relevant to you, specifically, because it relates to services that you actually use.
It also helps you keep your passwords strong and secure with Kaspersky Password Manager and protects your traffic with a VPN solution. On Android, it helps you manage app permissions and delete the apps you don’t use. The paid version has even more adaptivity scenarios, but the general idea is the same: Kaspersky Security Cloud helps you with the security you need when you need it.
But what if I am already a Kaspersky Free user?
No worries, your Kaspersky Free antivirus will work just fine. You won’t need to change your security solution and start using Kaspersky Security Cloud Free — although we’d strongly recommend it. The license will be renewed automatically. You can continue as if nothing has changed.
Our users are extremely important to us, and that’s why we won’t just shut down Kaspersky Free antivirus and force you to move to the newer solution. However, if you are already using Kaspersky Free, we suggest that you give Kaspersky Security Cloud — Free a try — it’s still just as free, but it provides more features and stronger security for different types of devices. And there’s no such thing as too much security in the modern world.
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