AVAST! ANTI-VIRUS 2014 REVIEW: BE MALWARE-FREE?
It’s not a surprise why Avast! is one of the world’s most popular and widely used anti-virus software. First off, its malware protection capabilities should be applauded, and as its name suggests, it is affordable if you’re downloading it for its anti-virus, firewall, anti-phishing, and malware-repelling capabilities.
That being said, this company has already been in the AV market for over 25 years, making it one of the oldest and one of the most successful. However, an AV company is only as good and as successful as its products, so how does Avast! fare in the anti-malware market? Here’s my review:
Contents
INSTALLATION AND REQUIREMENTS
Every review would not be complete without knowing a software’s system requirements. Avast! Anti-Virus 2014 is not supported by Windows operating systems earlier than Windows XP, which means you could forget about installing it if you have Windows 2000, 90 or 95. Who uses these OS’ nowadays anyway?
Installing the AV software requires a Pentium III processor or above, with 128 MB RAM, 400 MB free space in the hard disk. You can download it directly from the Avast! website, and the installation process is pretty much self-explanatory, earning it plus points for simplicity. If you’re having trouble during the process, you can simply call their 24/7 phone support hotline.
THE USER INTERFACE
The Avast! Anti-Virus 2014 employs a flat design, much like Apple and a number of websites online. It strives for minimalism and functionality, so even if you don’t know much about operating an AV software, Avast! is there to guide you all the way. Aside from its sleek and improved looks, the options and categories, which have been reduced to the following “shields”: File System Shield, Web Shield and Mail Shield.
THE FEATURES AND CAPABILITIES
As mentioned earlier, Avast! has three shields, and these are the focal point of its features. The File System Shield scans your programs and files, the Web Shield scans the URLs you visit and blocks what it considers dangerous while the Mail Shield takes care of your e-mails and scans it for unscrupulous attachments. It seems like it’s everything you could ask for from an antivirus software, right?
HOW STRONG ARE THE SHIELDS
Considering that it’s pretty cheap, Avast! did well in the testing done by various malware labs. It earned top marks from Virus bulletin, while ICSA and West Coast labs commend its ability to detect viruses. However AV-Comparatives rated its ability to clean up the malware it detected as “STANDARD”. That being said, it did well in detecting viruses, but in finding malware as a whole, it only did a decent job. It’s definitely not the best: other software like Kaspersky, Bitdefender and Bullguard did much better.
Overall, the shields can be penetrated (badly at that), but it still does offer some degree of protection to your computer. Although it fares well in detecting viruses, its malware-detection and removal is subpar.
- Good user interface.
- Easy to use and understand.
- Great virus detection and cleanup.
- Has a wide array of features.
- Subpar malware detection capabilities.
- Blocking performance is limited.
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