Avira Operations has launched its 2013 product range, which includes Avira Free Antivirus, Avira Antivirus Premium 2013($29.99), Avira Internet Security 2013 ($59.99) and Avira Internet Security Plus ($81.99).
Paying customers will benefit from integration with Avira’s Protection Cloud, which should see malware identified more quickly, while scanning is now more thorough with the new ability to check network folders.
If you install Avira’s SearchFree toolbar then you’ll now benefit from its Browsing Tracker Blocker, which prevents more than 600 networks from tracking your online activities.
Searches made via the toolbar will have icons added to the results, warning you of potentially dangerous sites before you click their links.
The program’s parental controls have been extended via Avira Social Network Protection, which helps monitor your kids on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and others.
A new Android tool delivers on all the security basics (privacy protection, call/ SMS blocking, lost phone recovery and more).
Avira Free-specific improvements mean that users who install the SearchFree toolbar will no longer have pop-up ads displayed, while Avira Free will now update itself every 6 hours instead of 24, for more current protection.
And a right-click on Avira’s system tray icon reveals another new option in the Experts Market, a forthcoming online community where geeks will hire out their services to help with whatever computer problems you might have. Right now this just points to an Avira support page, but details will become clearer when the service is launched in October.
Avira 2013 doesn’t always work quite as we’d like. The firewall, for instance, still spends far too much time hassling users to confirm whether this or that process should be allowed to go online, where the competition largely figures this out for itself.
The core antivirus engine is still one of the best, though, and it’s been extended this time with plenty of worthwhile extra features. If you’re interested then downloads of Avira Free Antivirus,Avira Antivirus Premium 2013 and Avira Internet Security 2013 are available now.
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