Kaspersky said the new security management interface provides “wizard-like” deployment and dashboards that are updated in real time. There are over 40 enhancements to the Kaspersky Open Space Security product in what Kaspersky calls Release 2.

The new functionalities include support for SNMP, integration with Microsoft NAP, the switching of clients between mobile and normal security policies together with automated installation packages and group policies, as well as improved tools for secure backup copying and distribution of security updates.

Release 2 also includes an updated security scan engine and heuristic analyser, providing a “substantially higher malware detection level and performance”. It also reduces the solution’s use of system resources, Kaspersky said. The heuristic analyser simulates the running of unknown riskware, analyses its behaviour, and blocks malicious activities before the programme is run in a normal environment.

Jason Ward, corporate sales manager UK at Kaspersky, told Infosecurity that the privately-owned IT security company is taking two approaches to the market with Release 2.

The SMB approach is according to Ward, “all about ease of change, ease of migration and ease of protection”. He said 50-60% of small businesses are reluctant to change their malware protection because of the perceived complexity of doing so, based on previous experience with other security products. Ward said this would probably leave many businesses with less security and protection than they require.

Release 2 will make the change of security product easier, Ward said, as it could be made in three easy steps where users install the central consol, competitor security products are removed, and then the Kaspersky Open Space Security console is deployed – “and off you go, that’s it!”

The enterprise approach has come about through talking to larger clients and analysts. What Kaspersky found, is that to scale malware, anti-virus and spam protection across large corporate network, “you need to have extremely fast scanning and extremely low endpoint resource requirements”, Ward told Infosecurity.

Release 2 has about 75% enhanced scanning and malware analysis technologies, and is very fast and light, according to Ward. This means the security product can be scaled across large, corporate networks without degrading other business services that are running on those networks.

Ward said people have complained about slow performance with other security products, something Kaspersky hopes to avoid with Release 2.

“Our enterprise push is very much about enhanced projection: so the latest security analyser for malware, phishing toolkits, etc, but at the same time having extremely low footprint, being highly scalable, and the central management console is SNMP enabled”, Ward explained.

It also enables the sandboxing of items until they have been found to comply, or not comply, with an organisation’s security parameters.

A first step

Ward told Infosecurity that Kaspersky views Release 2 as a first step. “Next year we will have some extremely significant announcements to be making in the corporate space.”

Release 2 was prompted partially by customer demand for enhancements, but also by the growth of Kaspersky as an organisation, both in the corporate and consumer markets. “Kaspersky is going to maintain the security focus and drive its technical capabilities into the corporate market place.”

Ward said analysts have found that there is now space for another security focussed client alongside some of Kaspersky’s traditional security competitors that “may not be focussing as much on security as they once were, and the market place is demanding fit for purpose performance security solutions”.

“The next 12 months are going to be very, very interesting”, Ward promised.