Avast updates anti-virus product

Avast has launched the most recent version of its free anti-virus product.

With an emphasis on speed and value for multiple users, the corporate said the features in version seven haven't been made available in other, paid-for products.

Among the features are cloud capabilities to provide users streaming updates; users can more thoroughly distinguish between malicious and clean files and faster threat identification by sorting new, potentially dangerous files from known safe ones.

Avast has also enhanced its WebRep browser plug-in to detect counterfeit sites and pretend/planted SSL certificates.

Speaking to SC Magazine on the launch of the version, CEO Vince Steckler said the corporate has offerings for Macs and PCs, Apple and Android mobile devices, and in additional than 30 languages.

Ondrej Vicek, Avast Software's CTO, said: “We spend time improving our web-based functionality, adding layers on the net interface to differentiate bad things and block those.

"For the streaming updates, previously every four hours the pc would connect and update; now it's pushed from the cloud rather than looking forward to the user to return to us. This can be up-to-the-minute and an efficient way to keep users as much as date.

“The updates are very small, typically under one kilabyte, and we send them to the cloud every quarter-hour or at increased intervals. This will likely keep users protected from zero-day threats.”

The FileRep feature might be driven by a 150-million-strong user community who will flag files to the database, where the anti-virus engine will make an intelligent decision. Also among the many new features are a sandbox for the browser, phishing protection and remote the aid of an administrator.

Vicek said: “We had the phishing protection in version six however it was restricted to email, we have now moved it to the net system. We glance at what number of people visit a domain and make allowance access, but if typing in a bank card number or personal details a pop-up box will appear and warn the user to double-check because the site have been flagged as phishing.

“This is more proactive, we cannot stop you going to the location, it isn't our intention to dam access to a website with a low rank.”

He added that a business edition will be launched in the summertime and contain similar features to version seven but with a management console.