Avira Scout: the browser for your online security & privacy

Will you try it ?


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Avira Scout has been launched for the public, combining our security expertise with the Chromium code to give users a free browser that slashes the risks from malware, malvertising, and obtrusive trackers. Scout provides multiple layers of security and privacy without interrupting the user experience.

We’ve integrated together a selection of best-in-class security and privacy features, stripped out the Chromium always-on tracking elements, and created a safer and more private online user experience. — Daniel Popa, Avira Product Manager for the Scout Browser

Leave no trace
Browsers are the first line of defense against online threats and trackers. Every day, they encounter hundreds of evasive ads, trackers, and social media widgets. These widgets, such as the “like” buttons on Facebook, report back if the link has been seen by the user even if the button has never been clicked on.

Since its launch in early access, Avira Scout detected and blocked a total of 3.5 Million trackers per day for over 1.5 Million users.

Trackers cumulatively build a portrait of your online life which can be sold and resold to whomever. With Scout, people are empowered to control what trackers can learn about them. — Kirill Krechetnikov, Manager Browser Extension Development at Avira

Avira Scout in a nutshell
Security
  • Wherever you go – Scout prevents you from going to a blacklist of malicious, phishing, and tracking sites.
  • Checks your connection – Scout incorporates HTTPs Everywhere, a technology developed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation to ensure that people use a secured, encrypted connection whenever possible.
  • Always in step with updates – A new version of Scout will be released with every Chrome version – closing security vulnerabilities as they appear.
Privacy
  • Blocks trackers twice – Scout combines Privacy Badger from Electronic Frontier Foundation with Avira Browser Safety (ABS) to identify and block trackers.
  • Redlines social media trackers – Tracking elements in Facebook and Twitter are blocked and circled with red, giving users the choice to turn them on or off.
  • Lets you decide – Features and settings can be easily adjusted. A radio-style button on the toolbar provides two pre-planned modes for easy use:
    • Safe Surfing Mode – Enhanced privacy and safe browsing without requiring user input or changing their experience.
    • Safe and Private Mode – Provides a higher level of security and privacy with easy-to-use Scout pop-up boxes.
  • Starts up fast – Personal data including history, bookmarks, cookies, and autofill forms can be easily imported from other browsers to Scout.
Find a Scout near you
At Avira, we believe security is a right, not a privilege. With Scout, we are demonstrating our commitment to enhanced user privacy at absolutely no cost.

Avira Scout is available for free at Avira.com and major download sites. Designed for the demands of Windows operating systems from 7 onwards. It is available in German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), and Russian.

Article : Avira Scout: the browser for your online security & privacy - Avira Blog

Product: Avira Scout - Security and privacy made simple

Some explanations & tips : UPDATE: Avira Scout/Chromium: Tips and Tricks - Avira Blog


Good Browser to install for beginners.
 
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Arequire

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Feb 10, 2017
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I tried this browser back when it was in beta and for the life of me I honestly can't see the point in this browser. It's literally just Chrome with Avira Safesearch Plus (uses Bing for search results), Avira Browser Safety, Privacy Badger and HTTPS Everywhere built in. All usage data gets sent to Avira instead of Google obviously. You can add said extensions to Chrome and you'll inevitably end up with faster updates and in-turn a more secure and stable experience overall in my opinion.
 

Ink

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Jan 8, 2011
22,361
If that's for all downloaded files that'd be pretty nice actually. I never heard anything about it though sadly.
Google Safe Browsing does a decent job alongside existing real-time security, but if Avira did include APC (Avira Protection Cloud) that would have been a bonus. Does Avira Browser Safety not have download checking like Metadefender for Chrome?
 

Arequire

Level 29
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Feb 10, 2017
1,814
Google Safe Browsing does a decent job alongside existing real-time security, but if Avira did include APC (Avira Protection Cloud) that would have been a bonus. Does Avira Browser Safety not have download checking like Metadefender for Chrome?
I don't believe it does sadly. I don't have any malicious files on hand to check but I set ABS to run in incognito, disabled my AV and firewall and was able to download all Amtso's EICAR testing files without Avira blocking any. (It did block two of the webpages but I continued past those to download the files.)
 
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Insecurity

Level 1
Nov 3, 2016
6
Even though I wouldn't use it, I just wanted to try it. And beside the fact that you can't choose a custom installation to select what components you want (or in this case, what security extensions you need or want would've been pretty cool), it seems that Avira is bundling the browser with Avira Connect.

Really unneccessary, to be honest. Yes, it's easy to install the other programs from Avira with the Avira Connect software, but seriously? I was kinda shocked when I saw it. I mean, I just wanted to install their browser.

What I found even more annoying was the first start. The Scout Browser automatically imported all my opened tabs and bookmarks and opened the imported tabs when I first started the browser. Even the latest downloads were imported and the weirdest thing about it was - the imported downloads were downloaded again in the Scout Browser. Though, it was only the Scout Browser exe file since I'm not saving the download history or the history in general.

Anyway. As said from others above, it's just another chrominium based browser with preinstalled extensions from Avira. Nothing special. And I think they're wrongly advertising the features, to be honest? Especially the "we're not collecting data" part.

This is what I'm refering to:
It is also one of the few browsers that does not collect data – we respect your privacy and protect it.
Avira Scout - Security and privacy made simple

That's pretty much a lie, isn't it? It comes with the Avira Safesearch search engine and you have to opt-out from the Avira Price Comparisation, so I guess they ARE collecting the user's information, from what I have read in their privacy policy about these things. It may be that the browser itself isn't collecting much more than other browsers, but these services from Avira are collecting data. Hypocrisy?

Beside that, they enabled the search engine from CLIQZ per default, and if I remember correctly, there's an advertising company behind CLIQZ and they're also collecting everything you're searching with it, even though they claim it to be anonymous. But we've seen how "anonymous" everything was when WOT claimed this. But that's just my opinion, I didn't check this any further. Maybe it's just suspicious for me because Avira doesn't seem to be completely honest about everything.

And even though they're clearly "highlighting" their 'we are not collecting data' statement, you have to manually opt out to many things, for example the price comparisation and anonymous statistics. That shouldn't be the case when a company is saying that their browser is one of the few that doesn't collect data.

That's it - there's nothing special about this browser. The preinstalled extensions could easily be replaced with uBlock, uMatrix, httpseverywhere or similar and you would have the same result in Google Chrome or Firefox - just without Avira Connect and other bloat.

I'm not even sure if there's any beneficial reason to use the Avira Scout browser and I guess you'd have the same level of protection by just installing the standalone browser extension from Avira.

1.PNG 2.PNG 3.PNG 4.PNG
 

Mops21

Level 34
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Oct 25, 2014
2,349
Hi all

Is this the Final Version.

And any Infos for the Performance and for the load the sites

Can everyone make a Video of that please and post it here in the Videos section

With best Regards
Mops21
 

Kubla

Level 8
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Jan 22, 2017
355
One plus might be the fact that since it incorporates HTTPS Everywhere and Privacy Browser that is two less extensions being used and the less extensions you have the more generic your fingerprint becomes.
 

Ink

Administrator
Verified
Staff Member
Well-known
Jan 8, 2011
22,361
Hi all

Is this the Final Version.

And any Infos for the Performance and for the load the sites

Can everyone make a Video of that please and post it here in the Videos section

With best Regards
Mops21
Hello @Mops21

Yes this is the final version.

"Avira Scout has been launched for the public, combining our security expertise with the Chromium code to give users a free browser that slashes the risks from malware, malvertising, and obtrusive trackers."

I was unable to find an offline installer, but do you want everyone to make a video, all 7.4 billion of the people? :p :D
 

Mops21

Level 34
Verified
Honorary Member
Content Creator
Oct 25, 2014
2,349
Hello @Mops21

Yes this is the final version.

"Avira Scout has been launched for the public, combining our security expertise with the Chromium code to give users a free browser that slashes the risks from malware, malvertising, and obtrusive trackers."

I was unable to find an offline installer, but do you want everyone to make a video, all 7.4 billion of the people? :p :D

Hi

Thank you very much for your infos

And any Infos for the Performance and for the load the sites

With best Regards
Mops21
 
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