Security software firm AVG has made a name for itself by offering one of the best free antivirus suites on the planet and, with the revamped arrival of its Anti-Virus program, now updated for 2011, it has managed to take protection to the next level.
AVG has clearly been on a quest to speed up the scanning process, while preserving the performance of the user's PC, so that staying safe is as unobtrusive as possible. Users who have previously harnessed AVG's free software will note that while it could hardly be called sluggish in the past, there are some definite speed improvements and overall tweaks that add to the efficiency of AVG Anti-Virus Free 2011.
If you already have an older version of AVG installed, then you will probably have the option to upgrade. This is sensible as updates for legacy editions will cease once this latest arrival has been established on the market. New users will be able to download and run the installer file in a matter of minutes and the process is typically painless and easy to understand, even for amateurs. AVG has even taken measures to reduce the number of install screens by a third from previous editions, so you will not have to click through endless boxes.
A few welcome evolutionary changes have been made to the AVG Anti-Virus Free 2011 interface so that the user can easily identify the types of protection which are currently in operation and earmark a particular feature that has encountered a problem or is in need of an update. The tabbed sidebar allows for simple movement between scanning, status analysis and updating, which means you do not have to go deep into the menus to find major functions.
Simplicity is the operative ideology behind AVG's latest anti-virus software, but that does not mean it lacks power. In fact this is the most comprehensive free package it has ever produced. While basic anti-virus scans and active protection are included as before, you can now keep spyware at bay thanks to the inclusion of integrated protection. Previously this was reserved for those who invested in the premium version, but now free users can reap the benefits of this technology. On top of this feature, you also have enhanced protection that will keep you free from the clutches of identity thieves. This, too, was previously packaged separately and at extra cost, but with AVG Anti-Virus Free 2011 you get it gratis.
One of AVG's major assets is that it is stronger because of the community of users who share data on the cloud platform. It is possible to opt out of sharing information about your scans and any viruses you encounter, but it is sensible to leave this enabled because you will be contributing in a small way to the future improvement of a service for which you are paying nothing in the first place.
Various social networking services have been incorporated into the AVG Anti-Virus Free 2011 LinkScanner service, so now any links you see shared on Facebook or Twitter will be automatically tagged to show whether they are safe, just as your search results on Google were previously assessed by AVG. In all, it is a tour de force of free security software.