Avast antivirus provides a great array of features in an easy-to-use package. Its malware engine got an excellent score during my tests, and its web security was effective in identifying websites that were phishing, and getting past Chrome and Firefox’s default detection systems. The performance scanner did a great job of keeping its impact on the speed of your system to minimal. In fact, Avast’s performance scanning was more effective at reducing the use of CPU than any other program I tested.
Apart from the malware protection and performance scan, Avast offers a host of other tools. This includes a password manager and a VPN (exclusive to Avast One), a photo vault, as well as a data breach monitoring feature. The security toolkit also comes with the sandbox to run applications and the ability to scan routers for weaknesses.
Avast offers a complete support website that includes a knowledge base for when you have issues. Its search function makes it easy to find answers to frequently asked questions. If you’re not able to find the answer to your question, the Avast forum is a solid resource for getting help from other users.
Avast may claim that they no longer sells data about its customers, but the past of this practice is still fresh in many consumers’ minds. PCMag and Motherboard reported in January of 2020 that Avast had sold personal information as well as location data of its users via its Jumpshot subsidiary. Avast has stopped this practice and requires users to opt in during the installation of its desktop antivirus software. The privacy policy of the company states that the data of consumers is “stripped and removed from identification” before being shared with third party.
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