Avira AntiVir Video

Avira AntiVir Video Transcript

Hi, I'm Seth Rosenblatt from CNET Download.com, and today we're taking a first look at Avira Antivir, a free security program that has consistent high scores on independent tests and has raced to the top of the Download.com charts in the past nine months. Antivir offers nearly every major security feature you could want in a suite, protecting against viruses, spyware and other malware, rootkits, heuristics, and more in just one engine. This allows scans to occur faster, and prevents the real-time defense from dragging down your system. The main window lets users know how recent scans and updates have performed. Antivir is customizable, too. There's a scheduler that lets you determine the type of scan that runs and how many scans you run, so you can set longer scans for when you know you'll be away from your computer. The quarantine provides a quick link to email suspected threats to Avira for additional testing. Email scanning checks incoming and outgoing SMTP email, but is only accessible from the Advanced options menu. To access it, click on the Configuration link that lives at the top of the main panel, then hit the Expert Mode box on the left. Click on the Email option under General, and then enter your email info. This is a new feature in version 8. Also new is the faster definition file update, which still takes a while. I think it's worth the lag time, and the nag screen, to get a level of protection that the independent AV-Comparitives scored at the top of its chart. I've never been the type to get worked up about security programs. I expect them to work hard and do it quietly, like an overeager 4th grader. But I'm so impressed with Antivir that I use it on four computers and I haven't had any viruses or malware infect my computers since installing it. If you can put up with the nags, this A-V app could really take care of you. This has been a First Look at Avira Antivir for CNET Download.com. I'm Seth Rosenblatt.