Security software as it stands is generally focused on the device, but a new concept could shift the focus to where it belongs: you.
It can be hard out there in the real world trying to stay safe online. The net is filled with dangers, from scams, attacks, and all sorts of things attempting to break into an account you run, or even just your computer, locking down files and ransoming them back to you.
Internet security is one of the more frustrating necessities of being online, and in many ways, it’s like the toilet paper of the digital world: no one wants to admit to enjoying buying it, but we still need to use it (there are other metaphors we could use here, too).
For the most part, security has existed in one main way for decades: protection of the device, be that a computer or a phone. In recent years, that focus has shifted in variations on products, with networks the latest thing to see a security blanket applied to, arriving in routers and network appliances that have the ability to watch over the security and make sure bad things don’t happen.
But Kaspersky Lab is going to try something else, with the focus on its latest concept not on the device or the network the device connects to, but rather person behind the device and using the network: you.
That’s the intention in a concept the company is releasing this week called “Kaspersky Security Cloud”, a security solution that uses a form of adaptive technology to advise on security issues for the user across devices.
For instance, you may own an Android phone, a Windows tablet, and a Mac computer at home, and when you go out and about, the situations differ between the security issues that could occur.
Out in the real world, you might be at a coffee shop with unprotected WiFi, using it on your phone or tablet. In this situation, Kaspersky Security Cloud picks up on the activity and switches on access to a Virtual Private Network, securing your activity.
If settings on your system need more security or apps need updating, Security Cloud picks up on it and advises or fixes, depending on what it has access to. Likewise if there’s a new device that has suddenly popped up on your home network, should you secure it or kick it out?
The idea seems to hark back to an ease of use for security, and in a world growing more complex by the day and seemingly needing a manual just to understand the varying security needs we all have, it may be ideal for someone who just wants something to do everything for them.
“People’s digital lives of today are much more than just a device connected to the Internet, they are a whole world that is no less important than the physical one,” said Kaspersky Lab’s Dmitry Aleshin.
“We believe that the future lies with security solutions that will adapt to the individual, to each member of the family, to their environment and behaviour,” he said. “Kaspersky Security Cloud is our first step towards this future.”
While the idea has merit, Security Cloud and solutions like it aren’t likely to replace standalone solutions for some time to come, meaning that while this service may be intended to make it easy, picking the right security option for you may still be difficult.
However, Kaspersky is attempting to bring people over with a bit of a test, offering the Security Cloud in a free variety, working in a limited capacity for one account with up to three devices at a time, providing a similar sense of free security as the free antivirus and internet security option the company has provided for a while now.
A paid edition of Kaspersky Security Cloud will also be available, with a personal edition offering the full adaptive platform for one account and up to five devices, while the family edition expands that to up to 20 accounts and up to 20 devices.
Australian pricing hasn’t yet been announced, though based on what we’re seeing overseas, our guess is this will start at around $120 locally for a year of personal service with a title more getting the family access.
We suspect Kaspersky’s adaptive Security Cloud won’t be the only option to arrive like this as well, and as systems get better and machine learning allows platforms like this to adapt to your needs, suspect this idea will start to make its way into more security services. If it can help secure everyone without them needing to know the ins and outs of all security solutions, even better.
