Avast offers plenty of great products for home internet security, including a Free Antivirus. To get the best the company has to offer, though, you might want to upgrade to the Avast Home Edition of Internet Security, or go even further to get the Premier or Ultimate suite. There are many benefits, such as ongoing protection and a 30-day money back guarantee.
One of the newer features that sets the Internet Security suite apart from previous versions is the wall it puts around all of your private photos and files so that they won’t be encrypted and held hostage by ransomware hackers. On average, hackers demand around $640 from their ransomware victims. It’s a misconception that hackers only go after big businesses or wealthy people – any home internet user or small business can be a victim.
Many Avast users opt to upgrade to a paid version of one of their security products because there are ads on the annoying free version. This is the downside of any free antivirus, however. At least with Avast Home Edition, it is very easy and affordable to upgrade, and in doing so you will get the best protection possible. The intelligent antivirus feature detects and blocks viruses, ransomware, phishing, spyware, and malware. All threats are stopped before they affect your computer, thanks to smart analytics.
With the Smart Scan function, malware is not able to slip in through cracks such as suspicious add-ons, unsafe settings, and any out of date software. The Behavior Shield detects and blocks suspicious behavior patterns to prevent any potential unknown threats and ransomware. You get “zero-second protection” with this technology offered by Avast.
Avast Home Edition Cloud
The Cloud is utilized in some instances with “Cyber Capture”, which automatically sends suspicious files to the cloud where they are analyzed. If discovered to be a genuine threat, a cure is pushed to all Avast users. In the “Sandbox”, you can test and play with files that may be suspicious in a safe environment before you allow them to run on your PC.
It’s important to remember that new threats and suspicious files are popping up every single day somewhere on the internet, and the best antivirus programs are designed to keep up with those threats and update themselves automatically.
Since most home users also have smartphones and other devices in addition to PCs, you might want to consider a subscription option with an Avast Home Edition product that includes protection for multiple devices and not just your home computer. It’s very easy to manage all of your licenses and stay organized by accessing everything via one Avast account.