Avira has been a world leader for antivirus software over many years and
nothing looks to change for 2012.
Combining excellent efficiency and advanced technology, Avira AntiVir Premium is one of the best antivirus software available. With over 20 years in business, Avira continues to gain new users worldwide. Their free antivirus software is very popular, and the extra protection from the paid solution is certainly worth it.
Scope of Protection:
Avira’s antivirus software has you covered, protecting from malware and its various forms (dialers, spyware, rootkits, worms, adware and malicious scripts). The paid version includes advanced protection from a number of online threats, including phishing scams and drive-by downloads. Avira AntiVir also has an integrated email scanner that checks for viruses and other malware in sent and received emails.
Effectiveness:
Avira has proven time and time again to be one of the leaders when it comes to thorough and effective antivirus scanning. Virus Bulletin not only approves Avira as completely capable of protecting your PC from 100 percent of in-the-wild viruses, but also found Avira AntiVir to be effective. AV Comparatives also found Avira AntiVir to be at the top of their class in recent tests, catching 99.3% of the malware they threw at the software (second only to the marginally higher 99.6% from G DATA). The software has also improved on their false positive score, and was only “tricked” with 11 false positives (files that Avira deemed malware that in reality were not).
Ease of Installation:
Setting up the software is simple, and will have you up to date and running your first scans in no time. Avira isn’t just one of the most effective antivirus software products, it is also one of the most efficient. AV Comparatives’ test of scanning speed clocked Avira AntiVir Premium at the high scanning rate of 17MB/second. Avira is a fairly resource-conscious antivirus product, and shouldn’t result in any noticeable slowdown for most users (especially if you schedule the deep scans to run when your computer is not in use).
Ease of Use:
Avira’s antivirus software features a decent interface with pretty simple, easy-to-use controls. Setting up scheduled scans or customized scanning parameters is no problem. Avira is a good antivirus program for beginners and experienced users alike. Previous users won’t find much of a difference in the new interface, but it has been slightly updated. The software does include a one-click fix button anytime there is an issue that needs to be addressed. Better than being easy to use, Avira basically runs itself, keeping your computer protected without you having to constantly update or monitor the software.
Features:
Avira AntiVir Premium is filled with great features that enhance security, performance, and convenience. One important feature is that the scanner works in real time. Avira scans all files as they are accessed, in the split second before they are opened and have the chance to infect your PC.
Another great feature is the ability to create a bootable rescue disk. This often overlooked feature gives you the ability to burn a disc that can be used in the event of an emergency. If your system crashes and won’t restart properly, simply run the bootable rescue disk and walk through the process of cleaning the deeply rooted malware.
The software also incorporates advanced technology that protects from the constantly changing virus landscape. With the proactive AHeAD (Advanced Heuristic Analysis and Detection) technology, Avira dynamically analyzes files for particular characteristics or behavior that give it away as malware, and then neutralizes the threat before it has the chance to infect your computer. This proactive approach effectively stops viruses that traditional signature-based detection often miss.
The major new feature is the ProActive scanning and community network. AntiVir ProActiv is a behavior-based scanning technology that monitors your system’s behavior (as opposed to file behavior). Certain events may signify that your system is under attack, in which case the software can remedy the situation. The new community (also called ProActiv) takes advantage of the software’s strong user base to provide strength in numbers. If you choose to participate, anonymous data from your computer is collected by the company so they can provide better awareness and quick protection from new attacks.
Updates:
Avira knows that timely updates aren’t just essential for security, but also efficient and less invasive. The updates are small (don’t require a lot of resources) and regular (the default is every two hours, but it can be set to as often as every 15 minutes). Proxy users will have no problem updating, and the updates can even be specifically scheduled (just like virus scans).
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