MY Review of Avast Internet Security

[REDACTED]

Well, I have Avast Internet Security (PAID) just a few day now and I would like to give my impressions what I think of it. But before I do that, lets look at the past products I have used and the reason I no longer use them.

ZoneAlarm: I used this product for over 10 years and loved it until it became bloatware and stopped playing nice with other security software.

Kaspersky: I used this for less than 6 months: Problem with this product is it is a Major resource hog, especially at start up. Does not play well with most other security programs.

BullDog: I used this for less than 1 month. This would be a Great Product expect for the fact that the current version is bugged. Bulldog in fact, can not protect its own settings. Settings can randomly turn off and/or clear. Email support is horrible, no reply in over a week expect to ask me if I was Corporate or not. Tried the forums and was waiting for forum approval for 3 days before I decided to give up. Did not try phone support of live chat. Bulldog does not play nice with some security programs.


Now that leads us to why I have Avast Internet Security:

Avast products in the long past is something I use to stay far away from. The reason. They simply were very poor in generally everything. Even now Avast is not rated in the top 10 by most and after having used it for a few days..... I can see why. The number one problem I have with it is that one could say that it is almost on the verge of being called adware. Having Pop-ups, Specials, and a green neon UPGRADE turn on by default and/or permanent reeks of the sort of thing that Adware is all about. It would simple be enough to have your Store option and leave it at that and/or email your current product users of special offers (If they opted in for such emails). Trying to squeeze Google Chrome and Google toolbar on install is just plain UNSAT. Furthermore, there have been some allegations in the past that avast is using tracking/data collection methods that is not in the best interest of their users. These articles are on the forums if you wish to search them out - But I am not going to get into this here.

As far as the difference between your Internet Security and you Premier Version - I amost feel like it is a Joke. You want me to pay for Premier for a file shredder and a software updater? Great file shredders can be gotten for free. As far as updating software - I do that my self and most programs and some drivers come with a auto-update feature.

My suggestion for Premier would be to not only include your File shredder and software update but your cleanup product as well.


Now at about this point I am sure that you believe that all I wanted to do is drop a Atomic Bomb on your Products... No that is not it at all. I am just trying to help you improve your product. And most of what I said above has been said before in the past by other avast users.

You need to move away from trying to grab money with all sorts of marketing gimmicks and concentrate on delivering a solid product that can compete with your highly rated competitors.

As far as your Avast Internet Security goes, there was only one feature I could not get to work correctly and that was switching to your protected browser from Internet Explorer when I was doing my online banking. For me personally, this is not a big deal as I have other security products and OS settings that will do the JOB.

Now that I have stated the CONS, lets have a look at some of the PROS:

Avast Internet Security passes the open port test on GRC. It is fully masked (invisible). Not all products can do this. Even some of the top 10.

Avast Internet Security is simple but it still has some nice features that allow the advanced users to set up their own firewall permissions for programs.

Avast Internet Security plays nice with a lot of other security programs like real time mode Malwarebytes anti malware and anti exploit.

Avast Internet Security is not a resource hog on your system.


For Now I am going to keep Avast Internet security - simply because it does the basic job and plays nice with other Security Software. I do plan on going to something else after my subscription runs out.

[Eddy]

About (security) software not playing "nice" as you call it towards simular software is really old news.
http://blog.kaspersky.com/multiple-antivirus-programs-bad-idea/

As for the adds in avast, you can turn them off in the paid versions.
You can also set avast to silent/gaming mode and you will not see them.
Downside is that also security warnings will not been shown.

Don't know where you have looked, but everywhere I look avast is in the top 10.

Yes avast is (just as all av vendors) collecting some data about the use of their tools.
This is clearly mentioned in the license/terms/privacy policy.
All allegations I've read in the years say only one thing, namely that avast is collecting some data.
Yes that is true, they do.
But so do ISP's, Microsoft, Apple, MalwareBytes, the tax collector, the (local) government, car dealers  and millions of others.
Nothing wrong with that as long as they clearly mention that they do so and stay within the law(s) with it.

The avast SafeZone Browser is not just in AIS but in all consumer versions.

[bob3160]