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Thread author
Hello,
This is a mini-review of both Avira Pro and Free.
Avira Pro
Pros:
Pros:
Impressions:
Avira is definitely Germanic ... and like all fine German products it is over-engineered.
It is also an anachronism - a signature-based dinosaur. It's protection model may be a relic, but Avira nevertheless has taken it to the ultimate expression.
Avira is essentially a super turbo-charged signature-based scanner with other features built around it.
Real-time protection (which is essentially a file guard for on-access/mapped-to-memory detection with heuristics) works like a charm. Malicious URL filtering is there as well (in the paid versions only), but that is, unfortunately, about it protection wise.
What this means is that if Avira does not detect malware via signature, then the entire system is exposed. In my opinion Avira definitely needs to be bolstered with other security products... free, paid, or otherwise.
On the other hand, if all I wanted was a super scanner, then Avira is definitely it.
I like using Avira despite its limited protections. Maybe its that signature red color they use ... hypnotic red. Maybe the cute umbrella ?
I really like Avira's GUI. Clear, intuitive ... easy to use. And I enjoyed using it ... I definitely think it's the red now ... it does what it was designed to do (sig-based detection) remarkably well.
That it integrates Windows Firewall into its own GUI is also a really useful feature for those that use WFW. It's a sweet spot for me.
Only Avira Free is worthwhile due to the relatively high cost of the paid versions.
Bandwith consumption was not an issue on my system. Plus it was stable and played well with other software. I experienced no bugs. One warning however... the deepest scans should not be performed only at idle; up to 100 % CPU usage for hours... yes, hours.
Bottom line: Avira protection is like Teutonic Swiss cheese.
Use Avira Free as "core" protection and create your digital bunker by adding the best freeware protections around it... a tweaking geek's dream.
Suggestion:
Combine Avira Free with BiniSoft's Windows Firewall Control to monitor all outbound connections; Total Cost for the combo $10 for unlimited licenses and installs !
Add web-filtering capability at the browser level (e.g. Privoxy, uMatrix, etc).
Add EMET or MalwareBytes Anti-Exploit.
Add NVT ERP.
Add Anti-Keylogger, Screen/web-cam capture ... maybe Oxynger KeyShield.
This is a mini-review of both Avira Pro and Free.
Avira Pro
Pros:
- Very good performance against malware from MT's Malware Hub; up-to-date signatures.
- Resource impact on my W8.1 system was low (not while scan running).
- GUI is clear and easy to use.
- User can easily figure out actions taken by Avira to protect/clean system.
- Logging is clear and easy to interpret/understand; the best I have seen.
- Highly configurable scanner.
- Integrates Windows Firewall into its own GUI enabling easier access to Windows FW GUIs.
- Really expensive for the features and overall protection provided.
- No firewall (for all Avira products including Internet Security Suite).
- Only signature-based protection/malicious URL filtering with limited heuristics; no file rating/Behavior Blocker/anti-executable.
- Cloud Scanner requires many active network connections (bandwidth).
Pros:
- Identical to Avira Pro, but free (some built-in ads that can be circumvented).
- No web protections.
Impressions:
Avira is definitely Germanic ... and like all fine German products it is over-engineered.
It is also an anachronism - a signature-based dinosaur. It's protection model may be a relic, but Avira nevertheless has taken it to the ultimate expression.
Avira is essentially a super turbo-charged signature-based scanner with other features built around it.
Real-time protection (which is essentially a file guard for on-access/mapped-to-memory detection with heuristics) works like a charm. Malicious URL filtering is there as well (in the paid versions only), but that is, unfortunately, about it protection wise.
What this means is that if Avira does not detect malware via signature, then the entire system is exposed. In my opinion Avira definitely needs to be bolstered with other security products... free, paid, or otherwise.
On the other hand, if all I wanted was a super scanner, then Avira is definitely it.
I like using Avira despite its limited protections. Maybe its that signature red color they use ... hypnotic red. Maybe the cute umbrella ?
I really like Avira's GUI. Clear, intuitive ... easy to use. And I enjoyed using it ... I definitely think it's the red now ... it does what it was designed to do (sig-based detection) remarkably well.
That it integrates Windows Firewall into its own GUI is also a really useful feature for those that use WFW. It's a sweet spot for me.
Only Avira Free is worthwhile due to the relatively high cost of the paid versions.
Bandwith consumption was not an issue on my system. Plus it was stable and played well with other software. I experienced no bugs. One warning however... the deepest scans should not be performed only at idle; up to 100 % CPU usage for hours... yes, hours.
Bottom line: Avira protection is like Teutonic Swiss cheese.
Use Avira Free as "core" protection and create your digital bunker by adding the best freeware protections around it... a tweaking geek's dream.
Suggestion:
Combine Avira Free with BiniSoft's Windows Firewall Control to monitor all outbound connections; Total Cost for the combo $10 for unlimited licenses and installs !
Add web-filtering capability at the browser level (e.g. Privoxy, uMatrix, etc).
Add EMET or MalwareBytes Anti-Exploit.
Add NVT ERP.
Add Anti-Keylogger, Screen/web-cam capture ... maybe Oxynger KeyShield.
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