avast posts

Filed under: Security, Windows, Freeware

Six free antivirus programs made for your Windows 7 system

by Lee Mathews Oct 24th 2009

Yesterday, I showed you a pain-free way to get rid of excess software that comes bundled on new systems and replace it with high-quality free programs. Those of you who want a bit more choice than what Ninite offers will probably do your installs manually -- so let's take a look at some antivirus options for your Windows 7 system.

There are plenty of pay-for programs you probably already about, like Norton, McAfee, Kaspersky and Trend Micro. I'm going to focus on the free options -- of which there are many!

Hey, you just paid for an OS or a whole new computer -- why not save a few bucks if you can?

Tags: antivirus, avast, avg, avira, comodo, free, malware, MSE, security essentials, SecurityEssentials, trojan, virus

First beta download of Avast 5.0 free antivirus released [gallery]

by Lee Mathews Aug 19th 2009

It's a little bit behind schedule (it was slated for the end of July/early August), but the first Avast 5.0 beta has been released for testing.

The most noticeable change for most users will be the restyled interface - gone is the overstylized media player look. There are, of course, a number of other improvements and new features which I mentioned back in July.

Bear in mind that this is a full-on beta. The forum post lists numerous features that are not yet implemented including rootkit detection. Definitions are also not fully up to date and the behavior shield is not fully active either. On top of that, Windows 7's action center doesn't recognize Avast 5 as an antivirus program yet.

Casual users looking for protection should steer clear for now. Experienced users who understand the risks and want to see what Avast.next will look like? Go nuts. Download it from the post and try it out!

Otherwise, check the gallery after the break! The final product is due in October, and we'll keep you up to date on its progress.

Tags: antivirus, avast, malware, security, spyware

Filed under: Business, Security, Symantec, Freeware

Avast responds to Symantec's jaded criticisms of free antivirus

by Lee Mathews Aug 5th 2009

Last month, Symantec Product Manager David Hall ruffled some feathers when he blasted free antivirus software. Avast's Vincent Steckler has since had a look at the interview, and believes Hall "erroneously concludes that free products cannot be trusted, are not sufficient, etc."

He continues, "But then again why should a firm that makes a billion dollars a year off of paid anti-virus conclude that a free anti-virus product is good..." Many of you echoed that sentiment in the comments.

Steckler has plenty of good counterpoints, which you would expect from a guy that works for a free AV provider.

Hall slammed free programs for lacking targeted indentity theft protection. Not so fast, says Steckler. "Malware focused on stealing identity information is just malware." What about that "big gap" between the changing threat landscape and the defense provided by free apps? "[Hall] is wrongly assuming that antivirus products do the same as what they did 10 years ago," but they don't.

Yes, Mr. Symantec, Even free antivirus like Avast and AVG now use much more sophisticated methods to thwart potential threats.

Tags: avast, free-antivirus, malware, norton, propoganda, spyware

Filed under: Security, Windows, Commercial, Freeware, Beta, Windows x64

Avast 5 coming in October, beta testing in two weeks

by Lee Mathews Jul 21st 2009

It's been quite a while since the crew at Avast released a major version, so this news should be very welcome to its 80 million + users. Version 5 is slated for release this October, and beta testing will begin in just a couple weeks.

What's new? For starters, the interface has received some obvious TLC - gone is the option of switching between the simple and enhanced UIs. Under the hood, Avast 5 now supports heuristics and will feature an improved and optimized detection engine. From the official blog post, "It may sound like a cliché, but it's a fact: the new engine can detect more viruses, while actually consuming less resources."

Version 5 also boasts detection of PUPs (potentially unwanted programs) and a new code emulator that is better able to detect unknown malware packers. Avast has also tuned the program to minimize impact on startup and shutdown times.

Paid versions include a virtualization component as well, likely similar to the one used by Sunbelt in Vipre. As you can see in the screenshot, the new version of the Internet Security suite will also include a firewall and anti-spam module.

Here's some great news for current Avast users: the upgrade to version 5 will be free to anyone with a valid license. When was the last time you saw the big guys (Norton, McAfee) offering that?

Tags: antivirus, avast, free, malware, rootkit, security, spyware, trojan

Filed under: Security, Windows, Commercial

Download AVG Anti-Virus Pro for free

by Brad Linder Dec 26th 2007

We wouldn't be surprised if you only know AVG for its free anti-virus software. Along with Avast! Avira, and a few other companies that don't start with the letter A, AVG provides a full-fledged virus protection suite free of charge. But AVG also provides a "professional" version of its software that comes with some advanced features like extra scanning and scheduling options.

For example, the free version only lets you schedule a single virus database update per day, and one computer scan a day. You can schedule multiple events with the Pro version. You also get higher speed downloads with the Pro version.

AVG Pro usually goes for $29.95, but Computeract!ve is giving away free licensed copies through Jan 17, 2008. Good luck getting their download link to work, but fortunately CyberNet has pointed us to a couple of mirrors.

Tags: anti-virus, avast, avg, avg-professiona, avira

Filed under: Security, Windows, Commercial, Freeware

PCLive: free security suite for Windows

by Brad Linder Oct 15th 2007

PCLive Security is a full featured security suite for Windows. It helps protect you from viruses, spyware, rootkits, keyloggers, and adware. Oh yeah, and it happens to be free. While there are several other free security applications out there, none come with quite so many features in one package.

PCLive Security includes the ClamAV antivirus engine, a bi-directional firewall, and a pop-up and adware blocker.

There's also a paid version that includes technical support, hard drive maintenance, and file optimization features for $4.95 per month.

PCLive Security runs on Windows 2000/XP/Vista machines. On the downside, the installation process takes forever, and once PCLive Security is up and running it seems to be a bit of a resource hog. Oh yeah, and it will try to uninstall any other anti-virus software on your PC when you run the installer.

[via WebWare]

Tags: adware, anti-virus, antivirus, avast, avg-free, clamav, firewall, pclive, spyware

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