Software Update: Avira AntiVir 10.0.0.561

Viruses and malware are some of the downsides of surfing the web and working with computers in general. Fortunately, there are several paid and free solutions to this problem. Free variants are usually less extensive versions of paid solutions from the same manufacturer. This is also the case with Avira, which offers the free-to-use Antivir Personal. The program protects a Windows system against viruses, adware, spyware and phishing, and is also supposed to stop rootkits.

Version 10 of AntiVir became available earlier this week. Avira AntiVir is available in the performances Personal, Premium and Premium Security Suite. The latter two are sold for twenty and forty euros respectively. The main improvement in version 10, behavior recognition, is only available in the paid versions. Below is an excerpt from the announcement for version 10:

Maximized security: Avira AntiVir Version 10

Version 10 of Avira AntiVir adds behavior-based detection “ProActiv” to the proven IT security solution; introduces single click malware removal

IT security expert Avira is enabling its 100 million-plus users to become active virus fighters by introducing behaviour-based virus detection and prevention with the latest generation of its anti-virus software, Avira AntiVir Version 10.

Version 10 also introduces generic system repair for damage that may be caused by new variants of viruses and malware.

Key innovations in Avira AntiVir Version 10:

• Behavior-based protection with AntiVir ProActiv
• Enhanced security, thanks to shared intelligence on emerging viruses from the 100 million-plus strong Avira Community
• Generic repair of registry data and infected files
• Express installation, transparent user interface, slide-up virus information with one-click removal feature
• Parental Control feature in the Avira AntiVir Suite, including control over Internet surfing hours

New ProActiv technology is introduced in the Premium and Professional editions of Version 10 of Avira AntiVir. This adds an extra fourth layer of protection by introducing analysis of programs’ behavior patterns to help detect malware in addition to heuristic, generic and pattern-based scanning methods. Threats can be eliminated immediately by blocking suspicious programs.

Avira AntiVir Version 10 users who join the Avira AntiVir ProActiv Community (the in-the-cloud component of ProActiv) benefit from even more protection, as members can automatically run an advanced check on suspicious files: those will be sent to Avira’s security experts for analysis and the results are then used to further refine the behaviour-based detection.

The new version of Avira AntiVir also cleans up after as-yet-undetected viruses: its generic repair feature searches for any residual data and removes this from the hard disk and registry after an infection has been detected – helping to remove traces that may otherwise allow a PC to become compromised.

The following downloads are available:
Avira AntiVir Personal
Avira AntiVir Premium
Avira Premium Security Suite