From our first meeting with the AVG team we could see a shared commitment to providing people with real control over how their data is collected and used. This shared vision is one of empowerment, not fear. It is one delivered across all of the devices and platforms that you use. It is enlightening, simple and fun. It isn’t about choices made for you, but instead about how you can make better choices. It is also about helping move industry and decision-makers toward practices that give people more control over their own data. 

We’re deeply grateful to the many people who have contributed to the PrivacyChoice project. Most of all, I want to thank our users: those who wrote to us with praise, suggestions or complaints; those who have helped us troubleshoot problems; those who have volunteered us test new versions; and those who have spread the word about Privacyfix to family and friends. It is the thrill of serving you that propels us forward.

Thank you

Jim Brock - Vice president Privacy Products at AVG and founder of PrivacyChoice

Watch Jim explain about PrivacyChoice and Privacyfix in this video below:

Mobile phones are playing an increasingly important role in our daily lives; a report by New Relic on Mobile usage even found that we check out phone on average 150 times a day! The same report also showed that Android™ platform is at the heart of the mobile explosion and that roughly 1.3 million Android devices are activated every single day!

So it seems the world is going mobile and AVG is right there with it. This week we are adding two new members to our family of mobile products, AVG Cleaner and AVG Image Shrinker.

We have designed these tools with the modern Android user in mind, and custom built them to fit around their wants and needs.

Here’s a little bit about what they do:

AVG Memory and Cache Cleaner

Designed to enhance Android™ smartphone and tablet performance, AVG Cleaner allows users to monitor storage availability on their device and clean cached and unnecessary browser history or clipboard files to free up memory and make more space. The application includes tools to automatically monitor device memory and storage, remove files, and schedule regular clean ups to keep the device running smoothly.

AVG Image Shrinker

Developed to help users save on data use and share their images more easily, AVG Image Shrinker is a free application which reduces image sizes and enables direct uploads to photo sharing sites, MMS or email directly from the application. Images can be uploaded straight to Facebook®, Pinterest™, Instagram™, Picasa™ and many other popular social network sites. By reducing the size of photos and images, users not only can save on mobile data usage and the resulting costs, but also the time it takes to send or upload their photos.

These two arrivals sit happily alongside AVG’s existing mobile tools:

For Android

• AVG AntiVirus FREE for Android
• AVG AntiVirus PRO for Android
• AVG TuneUp
• FREE Tablet AntiVirus Security
• Tablet AntiVirus Security PRO

For iOS

• AVG Family Safety
• AVG Safe Browser

Windows Phone:

• Family Safety

AVG AntiVirus for Android has a range of powerful tools which can help you keep your phone running smoothly.

• Scan apps, settings, files, and media in real time
• Enable finding/locating your lost or stolen phone via Google Maps™
• Lock/wipe your device to protect your privacy
• Kill tasks that slow your device
• Browse the Web safely and securely
• Monitor battery, storage and data package usage

The AVG AntiVirus for Android widget will ensure that your AVG protection and tools are never more than a few taps away. With dozens of settings and options, the AVG Android Widget will make sure that your devices security and optimisation are just how you want them.

For more information on AVG AntiVirus for Android, check out the Google Play page.

It has four unique tools that will allow Android users to take full control of their mobiles and tablets and optimise them to suit their needs.

Task Killer:

We’ve all got apps we no longer use. They make our devices cluttered and slow and can even make them freeze.  Task Killer allows you delete your unwanted apps in a single click, making it easier than ever to keep your phone sleek and optimised.

Task Killer also shows which apps you use the least and how much memory they use so you know exactly how much RAM you can free up by deleting them.

Battery Consumption:

Smartphones often get criticised for their poor battery life, but with AVG’s Battery Consumption tool, you can adjust your settings to dramatically improve it.

Firstly, there are the Power Saving Options which gives you a list of the core things that are draining your battery and lets you set which ones you want to switch off or change to save power.

Secondly, the Battery Saver gives Android users an easy to view battery consumption status that you can set up to warn you at a level you choose so you’ll never be caught without power again.

Data Usage manager:

Mobiles are getting smarter and we are spending more time streaming videos and music, Tweeting and Instagraming on them, all of which can add up to some expensive data costs.

AVG TuneUp for Android helps reduce these costs by giving you a detailed breakdown of your data usage and sets alerts to warn you when you are approaching your data limits.

Data usage also shows you which of your apps are using the most data so that you won’t get stung when your maps app uses up your whole allowance!

Storage Space manager:

Space on our phones is competitive real estate. We juggle apps, photos, music, videos and emails in a constant battle to keep the things we want and delete those we don’t.

This is where AVG TuneUp for Android can help with its Storage Space manager. Storage Space will tell you what is taking up space on both your phone and any SD cards, making it easier for you to decide what you want to keep and what you don’t.

So whatever your needs, whether it is to make your phone last longer, run faster or clean up all the junk you’ve gathered over months of use, AVG TuneUp for Android can help you get the most of your pocket companion.

AVG TuneUp for Android is available for FREE from the Google Play store. 

AVG Family Safety now available on Windows Phone 8

As smartphones get smarter and easier to use, it becomes more important than ever to keep our little ones safe when they use them.

That’s why this week AVG have made AVG Family Safety available for free to Microsoft Windows® Phone 8 users.

AVG Family Safety is a free, secure, mobile web browser, that gives parents greater control over what their children can browse online.

The browser comes with all the great functionality you’d expect from a leading browser such as browser history, a self hiding address bar to maximise screen space and works with both WiFi and mobile internet connections.

Parents will appreciate that their children are not being led to inappropriate or infected web pages as AVG Family Safety comes with in-built AVG Linkscanner technology which scans all links before you get taken to them to protect them from malware threats.

Existing AVG Family Safety users can also transfer their existing family profiles to the phone so that your children experience a consistent and safe browsing experience whether it be on the family computer or a mobile device.

AVG Family Safety is supporting the Windows Phone 8 Kid’s Corner, a newly introduced feature that allows parents to set up an area on their smartphones where children can play with pre-loaded games, apps, music and videos, but can’t access the content or applications on the rest of the device.

Adding AVG Family Safety as the default browser on this section is an easy and great way for parents to open up the Internet to their children but within a protected environment.

AVG technicians have further analyzed the Nova app and can confirm the detection is a false positive and have issued a hotfix that will be released soon.

While this is an unfortunate occurrence, false positives can occur with any security software that utilizes multiple detection methodologies.

AVG has advanced anti-false positive mechanisms to avoid as many of these incidents as possible but unfortunately they do occur from time to time.

If you think that AVG has detected a false positive, please report it to us using the steps described on this FAQ page.

So what’s new in Service Pack 1?

Inactive scans: We understand that PC’s are doing more work than ever before which is why we’ve introduced a scanning mechanic that will only scan your machine when it is idle, meaning that you get peak performance when you most need it.

PC optimization: With AVG Quick Tune, we’ve introduced some additional PC optimization tools to AVG AntiVirus and AVG Internet Security. This means you can benefit from top quality protection and make sure that your PC runs smoother, faster and suffers fewer crashes.

Existing AVG users should automatically be updated to SP1. For more information on any of our products, please follow the links in our guide to choosing the right Internet Security software below.

If you don’t have Internet Security from the AVG 2013 range, then here’s a guide to getting the best cover for you.

AntiVirus, Internet Security, PC optimization, email scanner, advanced firewall and social networking protection. The list of software that we need to keep our computers running smoothly and safely seems to grow by the day.

Shopping for security software is a lot like shopping for furniture at Ikea. First off it can be hard working out what you want, need and how much you want to spend. After you’ve finally taken the plunge, get your purchase home, you then discover that setting it up can more than a one person job!

That’s why AVG has designed our whole 2013 product range with ease of use in mind. We introduced a brand new, simplified user interface so that you can get things done with a minimum of fuss.

So what level of protection is right for you? Depending on what you use the web for, we have a product that will help you stay worry free, so you can get on with being yourself.

AVG AntiVirus FREE

Great basic protection, absolutely FREE. Ideal if you search, surf and email but don’t download, shop or bank online. Smart performance technology delivers quicker scans and gaming without annoying lags and freezes caused by scheduled updates and scans.

AVG AntiVirus

Advanced protection for people who do not shop or bank online, but want to search, surf, email and download safely. Includes new privacy controls and smart performance technology for quicker scans and gaming without annoying lags and freezes caused by scheduled updates and scans.

AVG Internet Security

Shop, bank, browse, email, chat? Need security but want speed too? AVG Internet Security 2013 is ultimate protection that won’t slow you down or get in your way. It now includes smart performance technology for video streaming and gaming without annoying lags and freezes caused by scheduled updates and scans. Not to mention the new performance fix with Quick Tune to help restore your PC to peak performance

AVG Premium Security

The ultimate protection for everything online, plus pro-active identity protection and PC speed-boosting tools. AVG Identity Alert scans the Internet for misuse of your personal data and AVG Quick Tune restores your PC to peak performance.

Shortly after AVG CEO JR Smith was delivering his keynote speech at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, AVG announced its latest agreement.

The deal will deliver simple, affordable mobile security to users of Samsung’s popular Android devices by providing each of them with a copy of AVG AntiVirus PRO for Android for free.

Available to download from Samsung Apps and Google Play, AVG AntiVirus for Android PRO is a powerful and easy to use security app for Android phones.

There’s more good news, the entire AVG AntiVirus for Android and Tablet range has just been updated to 3.1.2. The latest version boasts a revolutionary user interface, designed to be more efficient and easier to use and has new features such as the Call and SMS blocker.

Whether you want to make sure your personal files on your phone are safe, block pesky cold callers, scan for viruses or recover your lost mobile, AVG AntiVirus for Android PRO has you covered.

Here’s just a sample of what Samsung mobile users in the UK can look forward to…

Safe Web Surfing:

• Actively checks web addresses in real time with AVG LinkScanner®, to help you make the right decisions online. Directs you to a safe page when visiting a website deemed suspicious.

Safety:

• App Scanner – scans apps to help ensure that malware will not infect your device. Scans run manually or you can easily set up automatic daily or weekly scans.
• File Scanner – scans for malware, spyware, viruses and lets you remove them with a simple click. Protects your phone while you’re using your favorite apps, keeping your contacts, bookmarks, text messages, music and videos safe. Choose between running manual scans or setting up automatic daily or weekly scans.

Privacy:

• App Locker enables you to lock your apps and secure them from being accessed by others using your phone. Only available with AVG AntiVirus PRO!

Nero has an extensive range of leading software solutions that help users convert audio files, protect CDS, DVDs and Blu-ray Discs and even organize their music collection with Gracenote. The 240 million Nero users will also now benefit from AVG’s Secure Search functionality.

AVG’s Secure Search is a versatile security solution which helps users stay safe online and also enhances their privacy options by giving them greater control over who can see their data. While you’re surfing the web AVG Secure Search will rate each link for safety so that you can avoid malicious sites before you get to them.

AVG Secure Search comes with in-built AVG Do Not Track functionality which helps users identify and block Ad Networks, Social Buttons, and Web Analytics that potentially track their activity.

One of the driving principles behind all of AVG’s products is that things should not be more complicated than they need to be and AVG Secure Search is no different.

“AVG’s easy-to-use technologies make it simple to protect you and your family online, and we are delighted that this exciting new cooperation with Nero will allow even more people to enjoy enhanced digital freedom and peace of mind,” explains AVG’s CEO JR Smith.

For more information about AVG Secure Search, visit www.avg.com/secure-search

How does one app achieve all of these things? Well AVG AntiVirus PRO for Android is no ordinary app; it protects you while browsing the web or following links in emails, it helps you keep your battery alive for longer; it alerts you to who is collecting data and even has built in support feature so that you can come to AVG for help any time you need.

So much more than the diligent antivirus protection that has made AVG a household name, AVG AntiVirus PRO for Android can even help you recover your device if it gets lost or stolen.

Keep your Life Protected:

As you’d expect from any AVG product, AVG AntiVirus PRO for Android detects and stops a wide range of viruses, threats, and malware. You can run scans manually or easily set up automatic daily or weekly scans to check for viruses or malware.

You can be sure that your phone is protected when you’re surfing online as AVG AntiVirus PRO for Android comes with Safe Web Surf feature which checks web addresses in real time to help direct you away from sites deemed suspicious.

If your device gets lost or stolen you can use the powerful anti-theft tools which allow you to remotely locate (with the help of Google maps), lock, and even wipe your phone so that should it fall into the wrong hands your details and contacts are protected.

Keep your life optimized:

Much like us, computers tend to slow down when they get older, and smartphones are no different. AVG AntiVirus PRO for Android can help keep your phone running at top speed with its TuneUp and Task Killer tools.

The powerful TuneUp tool allows you to optimize device performance by monitoring data usage, battery usage and even app storage consumption.

AVG’s Task Killer will let you keep your device running in a trim and proper fashion by allowing you to shut down any tasks or apps that you don’t want to run. This can reduce strain on your battery, keeping your phone alive for longer.

The latest version of AVG AntiVirus PRO for Android has a brand new look which has been designed to give users all of the information they need at a glance and provide an easy to use navigation system that allows users to do what they want when they want to.

Keep your life private:

We spend so much time on our phones these days that they are a hub for all of our personal information. It is more important than ever to make sure that your personal information stays private and AVG AntiVirus PRO for Android can help you do just that.

Many of us have passcodes on our devices but AVG AntiVirus PRO for Android helps you go that extra mile to keep things that are important to you safe. App Locker allows you to lock apps and secure them from being accessed by others using your device.

AVG AntiVirus PRO for Android also comes with a handy SMS Filter that keeps spam and scam text messages at bay to help prevent you from falling foul to any criminals phishing for your details. SMS Filter scans text messages and marks suspicious items to help easily identify and delete them.

Keep your life supported:

We understand that the world can be a daunting place, especially the world of technology. That’s why we decided to include an in-app user support form so that our users can ask any questions or give us feedback with just a few clicks. It’s important to us that we listen to our users and are making changes to the product to ensure that it’s doing exactly what you, our customers want it to.

To download AVG AntiVirus PRO for Android, visit the Google Play store page.

For more information on AVG AntiVirus PRO for Android, visit the website.

Android™ is a trademark of Google, Inc. 

All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Luckily for parents AVG has adapted its popular AVG Family Safety^TM product so that they can experience the same control and awareness over what their child can find online. With all of the powerful and customizable tools you can expect from the full version, the AVG Family Safety app will allow you to block or simply monitor your child’s online mobile activity.

But AVG Family Safety isn’t just about monitoring kids. It’s designed to help parents establish a safe zone where kids can learn and explore. It protects as they socialize and with customizable settings, it adapts as they grow. Once you install AVG Family Safety for mobile, AVG helps protect your kids from malware or adult content they might encounter while surfing on the iPhone®, or iPad®.

Also available for all users and not just parents is the AVG Safe Browser^TM for iOS devices. AVG Safe Browser is a free web browser app that helps ensure you only visit sites that have been checked for malware by our LinkScanner technology while also giving you control over who is able to see and use what you do online. It helps keep you safe from scam, fraud, phishing, data misuse and potentially malicious online content when surfing the Internet on your iPhone or iPad.

On top of all the features you’d expect from a top browser, such as browsing history, bookmarks and an optimized user interface, AVG Safe Browser uses AVG LinkScanner® technology that aims at blocking malicious or unsafe websites that contain scams or malware. Nevertheless, should you actually reach a suspicious website; the app will notify you and take you to an alternative page.

What’s more AVG Safe Browser comes with AVG Do Not Track® installed by default which helps you identify which websites are tracking your data and gives the ability to control whether you share that information or not.

So what are you waiting for, download AVG Family Safety and AVG Safe Browser for you iPhone or iPad now and equip yourself with powerful tools to help keep yourself and your family safe on the move.

When it comes to cloud computing and small business there’s a lot of jargon out there which can overcomplicate things. It’s not always clear which solution or which “service” is best for your customers.

That’s why AVG has developed AVG CloudCare™; a simplified cloud platform built precisely with small business in mind.

Simple and effective

AVG CloudCare allows you or your small business clients to manage their IT requirements from a single, effective system, making it efficient to protect the clients’ computers. AVG CloudCare combines AVG’s award-winning protection with other useful tools like content filtering and custom reports saving your business customers time and money.

Content Filtering

We all know that the Internet is one of the most powerful tools available to small businesses, but it can also serve as one of the largest distractions for employees. In fact a recent Salary.com survey called Wasting Time At Work 2012 indicates that as many as 64% of employees spend time on non-work related sites every single day.

While you might not want to ban personal browsing completely, AVG® Content Filtering allows small business owners to manage internet availability or limit when personal web browsing is available to employees. Whether it’s just available at lunch time, or for the first five minutes of each hour, AVG CloudCare leaves it up to the small business owner.

Pay as You Go Model

Small businesses often don’t have a lot of capital to invest in their IT solutions, especially in the current economy. Getting value for money is more essential than ever which is why AVG CloudCare has a “Pay-as-you-go” model so that businesses can custom build their own packages and only pay for what they use.

It’s also never been more straightforward for small businesses to adopt cloud based technology. With AVG’s “one-click” customer and product activations, customers can go from sale to active protection in a matter of minutes.

Remote Tools

In today’s busy working environment, onsite visits to clients can be costly and time consuming. AVG’s CloudCare gives you real-time visibility into your customers’ systems, minimizing the need for on-site visits.

Remote Deployment allows you to manage installations, updates and uninstallations from your own office leaving you with more time to generate new business.

Easy Administration also takes the hassle out of invoicing your clients and processing orders. With “anytime” access, to a centralized management system, you can manage all of your accounts in one place so that you can keep track of all of your clients at a glance.

30 Day Free Trial

Take the hard sell out of the equation with a standard 30 day FREE trial offer on AVG CloudCare. The trial comes with no obligation to buy at the end of the purchase period and is a risk free way for your small business clients to experience the power of cloud services first hand.

Don’t just take our word for it; see how AVG CloudCare is already helping our partners in the UK. Watch this case study with Clark Integrated Technologies in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

If you want more information on cloud technologies then read our FREE guide on cloud computing for small businesses.

For more information on AVG CloudCare, visit the AVG CloudCare site. If you have any questions or comments, come and let us know on the AVG SMB Facebook page.

Listed below are just a number of features which have been specifically designed to keep you and all that you care for safer than ever before.

AVG Community Protection Network

By installing and using any AVG product you instantly become part of a global community of 128 million users that shares and cooperates to ensure its own safety.

When you or any other member of the AVG Community Protection Network encounter a new threat, the new definition is sent out across the entire network so that our users computers are armed and ready to tackle the emerging malware.

We think this is a great way to stay on top of the ever changing face of malware and to ensure that everyone in our AVG community is protected.

AVG LinkScanner - Surf-Shield

Another feature available to all of our users, free or paid, AVG LinkScanner® Surf-Shield can be an invaluable companion when out surfing the wild, wild web.

LinkScanner works by scanning the destination of a link before you get there. Crucially this will prevent your system becoming infected by preventing the loading of a malicious page.

LinkScanner is even available online for when you’re out and about in an internet cafe and don’t have AVG available.

AVG Online Shield^TM

Much like AVG LinkScanner but for downloadable files, AVG Online Shield thoroughly checks any file before you download it so that you can be sure that it won’t pose a threat once it’s on your system.

AVG Online Shield doesn’t only scan downloads for malware, it also includes files which being exchanged by two users. If you’ve even sent or received a file on MSN Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, ICQ or even Skype then you could benefit from AVG Online Shield.

AVG Enhanced Firewall 

If you shop, bank or store other sensitive information online then the AVG Enhanced Firewall will be a great tool to help protect your personal information.

Available for AVG Internet Security and Premium Security users, the Enhanced Firewall blocks hackers attempting to access the private data stored on your PC and should you get infected, stops malware on your system from spreading to other systems.

The AVG Enhanced Firewall works on both wired and wireless networks.

AVG Identity Alert

We use the internet for pretty much everything these days, including weekly shopping, booking flights, filing tax returns, Christmas shopping, or finding matches on online dating services.

It doesn’t take a computer expert to realize that with each website we interact with and log in to, our digital footprint is growing. This isn’t necessarily a problem but you always want to be in control of what information you share with the web and protect the information that you don’t.

AVG’s Identity Alert lets you do just that by actively searching the Internet for unauthorized trading or selling of your personal information.

Should AVG Identity Alert discover misuse of your email address, phone number or credit cards and instantly alerts you.

For more information about the range of AVG 2013 products check out the AVG Product Blog.

The new UI is called AVG Easy Interface and has been designed with you, the user at its heart. To get the whole story about the new interface, from design objectives to visual inspiration, AVG Blogs catches up with AVG’s Vice President of Product Management and Customer Experience, Bruce Haldane.

What were the main objectives when designing the new UI? Were users involved in the design process?

AVG’s 2013 range is a major redesign of our security product.  We focused on making things easier, more accessible and more satisfying for the customer, implementing many usability improvements across the board, and delivering a new look and feel which is designed to work well on older PCs and support traditional peripherals such as keyboards and mice but is also forward looking and ‘touch-friendly’ – important as Windows 8 launches in tablet format as well as traditional formats.

Our design philosophy for this as with all AVG products is to focus both on continued and improved effectiveness but also on satisfying the needs of our customers.

For effectiveness the design was extensively tested with our customers on both sides of the Atlantic to ensure they approve and will benefit from the direction we’ve taken. We kept the elements that we knew worked, and changed and improved those that we knew and our customers told us could be better.   We moved common tasks up to the surface of the application, and provided much easier ‘at-a-glance’ overview of the security status of your system.

On the aesthetic side of things we also updated the look and feel of the design so that customers feel safer in addition to being safer, and overall have greater pride of ownership with a beautiful product that no one would be embarrassed to have on their desktop.

Where did the inspiration for the new UI come from?

Initial inspiration came from our customers who provide huge amounts of feedback, and then from our CEO JR Smith who has been a tremendous advocate of improving the customer experience. He has helped us to establish the central Customer Experience function in AVG which is responsible for designing AVG products and web sites.

Customer research together with our own design intuition led to the creation of several concepts which were then tested with customers in the US and in Europe.  One direction quickly took the lead and that is what led to the new design we are unveiling with the AVG 2013 range.

What are the fundamental differences between the new UI and the old one?

From the first overview screen, AVG 2013 suite provides more focus on key user concerns, making it clear at-a-glance what is protected.  If customers are interested in the details they can still see those by clicking on the relative categories … Computer, Web Browsing, Identity, Email or Firewall.   It’s also achieved a difficult trick, delivering a more powerful application while at the same time reducing complexity and delivering a product that is simply easier to understand and use.

The darker look and feel is much more dramatic and feedback from our customers has been overwhelmingly positive – they like it.   It’s very much aligned with Windows 8 design cues, while still designed to work well on older PCs.

How many people worked on the new UI? Was it a large, complicated undertaking?

While the AVG Customer Experience team drove the design concept, delivering this to market was a cross-company achievement, involving research, design, engineering, customer services, sales, marketing and product management.   We could tell you more, but we can’t

How long has the new UI been in development? How long have you known that AVG would overhaul its UI?

Just like a baby this took approximately nine months from concept to delivery.

What was the most difficult aspect of the new UI to build?

Making software simple to use is easy to say but difficult to achieve, and it takes dedicated design professionals and support across the company.   AVG felt it was worth the investment, as customer experience is a priority to ensure customers see constant improvement and evolution in our products and services.

Will the new UI be available in all languages?

Yes.

Can you give us an example of the new UI providing greater ease-of-use to the user?

Firewall is much easier to understand, use and manage.   Key tasks are all now one click away and the main UI provides a really simple at a glance view of your protection, which honestly is what users most wanted and what the 2013 products deliver.

Does the new and improved UI require greater system resources? If not, why not?

Under the covers the new app actually uses fewer resources than before, and how that is achieved – again, I can’t share

Is there anything you’d like to add?

Just that we think that this is clearly a thoughtfully and beautifully designed product; we believe much more so than the competition, and designed with the direct involvement of AVG customers.  We’re very proud of AVG 2013 and we hope that as a result of our hard work that our incredibly supportive customer base will continue to consider and recommend AVG to their family, friends and colleagues as simply ‘the best’ they have used.

For more information on the AVG 2013 product range visit www.avg.com or the AVG 2013 product blog.

What were your goals when designing the AVG 2013 range?

Our goal was simple and that was making it the best AV product for people. This year, we’ve focused a lot on ease-of-use with the new interface which will make the product easier to use than ever for users of all experience. Of course we spent a great deal of time working to improve overall performance and protection so that AVG users are the safest users on the web today.

How do detections differ from AVG 2012?

Every year we examine our detection methods and try and find a way to improve them and this year is no different.

Having tackled newly coded viruses and emerging malware throughout 2012, the 2013 virus database is full of up to date definitions and optimized to detect some of the most popular malware on the web.

Safety is the primary concern for any antivirus and this year we’ve added several new detection methods including enhancements in both static and dynamic heuristics, added support for APK, passworded RAR and xor-encrypted PE files. On top of this we’ve improved support for LNK and JOB files and host of functionality looking forward to Windows 8, so users can be absolutely sure that with the AVG 2013 products they are more protected than ever before.

How can AVG 2013 products help my computer’s performance?

The AVG 2013 products don’t just offer exceptional protection for your PC, this year we’ve included more performance related enhancements than ever.

In independent tests, PC’s running AVG Internet Security 2013 run 26% faster than the 2012 equivalent and the user interface also loads 200% faster.*

We’ve also improved scan times with the introduction of AVG Turbo Scan which dramatically shortens security-scanning times thanks to a smarter scanning sequence that follows the order in which files are saved to the hard drive. Independent tests have measured a 36% improvement in scan time.*

For our AVG Premium Security users we also have a great feature called ‘QuickTune’, which is able to assess the user’s system and monitor for performance problems. Once it finds and corrects the issues, it helps to speed up the most critical parts of the system – its drive and registry.

*Data provided by independent studies from Dennis Technology Labs (www.DennisTechnologyLabs.com), commissioned by AVG.

If I already have AVG PC TuneUp can I still benefit from AVG Premium Security?

Absolutely. AVG PC TuneUp is a standalone product which offers  performance related tools to help ensure your PC runs at its top speed. It’s a beneficial add-on set of tools to your security product.

On top of this AVG Premium Security offers a host of other functions which will help you stay secure online including Identity Alert. Identity Alert is a service which scans the web for a user’s personal details and informs them when their personal information has been misused.

For more information on AVG 2013 check out our product blog.

The threat landscape is constantly changing and evolving. Malware writers are constantly trying to stay one step ahead of security professionals by developing new ideas and techniques to avoid detection.

However that’s only half of the story; security professionals are also constantly developing new tools and features to help keep you safe while checking emails, social networking, gaming or just surfing the web.

If you want to successfully defend against the latest threats, you need the latest tools. That’s where AVG’s 2013 suite of products comes into the picture. AVG’s 2013 offerings has outstanding protection for whatever your needs or means.

AVG’s 2013 products have been designed with the user’s every possible need in mind:

Protection: Whatever you do, whatever the device, we’re doing everything possible to protect you and your family.

Privacy: Keep what’s private, private. We give you control over who gets access to your personal data and the power to prevent them misusing it.

Performance: You want your devices to work faster, better, smoother. We go further and do more to keep them at peak performance.

Support: Delivers proactive advice and alerts that are quick to action plus free support.

What’s more, this year all of the AVG 2013 products have a new look with the AVG Easy Interface, making the job of staying safe easier and simpler than ever before.

AVG Antivirus FREE 2013

AVG Antivirus FREE 2013 is our most complete free product ever and even includes features usually only found in paid-for products.

AVG Free has all of the security features that you would hope for from a free product including real-time protection, on demand scans, email protection and AVG LinkScanner Surf-Shield.

But AVG AntiVirus FREE 2013 goes beyond detecting and removing viruses on your PC. Packed with extra features such as ‘AVG Do Not Track’, Anti-Spyware and AVG WiFi Guard to help you secure your privacy and prevent spying and data thefts

Features include:

Clearly, we’d all go the distance to ensure that our tablets and smartphones are protected and keeping them safe in our bags and pockets is only half the battle.

As phones and tablets get smarter, companies like AVG are developing tools which can allow us to safeguard our devices even if we encounter some misfortune or something more sinister.

AVG AntiVirus for Android™ smartphones and tablets is packed full of features to help you protect and if necessary, recover your lost or stolen phone.

Locate your device:

AVG AntiVirus for Android has a tracking feature that uses the device’s GPS functionality, allowing you to locate it with the help of Google Maps™. AVG AntiVirus for Android comes included with remote GPS control which allows you to enable GPS in case it has been disabled.

Remote Locking:

Data and information on your lost or stolen device can be secured using AVG AntiVirus’ remote locking feature. Your device can be locked either online via our Anti-theft service or by sending a special text message.

Once locked, you can set a message to display on the lock screen. You can use this to offer a reward for the return of your device or let the finder know how to contact you.

Shout!:

AVG Mobilation includes a function that forces your device to ring, even if it has been set to silent mode so that your phone doesn’t have to be in eyesight for you to know it is nearby. 

Wipe:

If the worst comes to worst and recovery of your phone seems unlikely, AVG AntiVirus can ensure that your data is still protected. With the remote wipe function, none of your personal data, contacts or sensitive information such as stored passwords will fall into the wrong hands.

Scan:

AVG AntiVirus also provides users comprehensive protection from malware and scams. Scans can be conducted on the device itself or even remotely via the online Anti-Theft service.

To benefit from all the above Anti-theft service features and help safeguard your phone or tablet from loss or theft, you need to simply register to the free Anti-theft service from within the AVG AntiVirus FREE or PRO app.

You can download AVG AntiVirus for Android directly from Google Play.

For more information on AVG AntiVirus for Android, please visit www.avgmobilation.com or our Antivirus for Android FAQ.

In July, PCMag awarded AVG’s Family Safety product with 4.5 out of a possible five stars, and selected it for the prestigious Editor’s Choice award as the leading security software application in its sector. And it doesn’t stop there, AVG Family Safety is also currently in the running for a Top People’s Choice honor in the American Business Award competition for the software-security solution category.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., AVG’s core product AVG Antivirus Free 2012 has earned PCMag’s Editors Choice distinction and a 4.5 star rating from CNET as a top Internet security solution in its class. Softpedia also awarded AVG 2012 with a full five stars along with naming it as a “Softpedia Pick”. German outlet CHIP.DE named AVG Antivirus Free 2012 as a top-100 download, while UK-based outlet Computer Shopper gave the solution a full five-star rating.

Not to be overshadowed by its consumer-focused counterpart, AVG Internet Security Business Edition received a Best Channel designation by Business Solutions Magazine.

Here’s what AVG’s CEO JR Smith had to say about the recent rewards: “We are extremely pleased that AVG products are receiving such a high level of praise and acknowledgement from these important and influential industry outlets.

As we expand our product portfolio to provide our customers with even more easy-to-use solutions that enhance their Internet experience and keep them safe online, we’re expecting to continue the momentum in the time ahead” he said.

For more information on our products you can visit www.avg.com and select any of our products from the drop down menus.

In addition, in our mid-August release, we will launch a number of new features that will enable customers to further customize and personalize their AVG experience. Such features include: a new one-click uninstall process that enables users to quickly revert to original settings; and a toolbar cleanup that enables users to easily remove all unwanted toolbars—including ours—and implement their own, personal search settings.

We have been working diligently with our partners to ensure our customers’ expectations are met and exceeded and we will keep you updated as these changes continue to take effect throughout the next few weeks.

What is new in the latest update?

New Tune-Up feature:

• This feature allows the user to monitor their 3G data plan.
• Set data usage notifications.

Safe surfing notifications:

• Users receive a “Safe Surfing” notification when opening default browser.
•  This will be shown for 3 seconds on top of the browser screen and will be displayed if the safe web surf was selected under settings.

Scan APKs

• Provide the ability to scan APKs. (APK stands for the Android application package file and is the file format used to distribute and install application software and middleware onto Google’s Android operating system. Being able to scan APKs straight from the file system means you can scan APKS that are downloaded from locations outside of Google Play.
• When user installs an APK using the file system, our Anti-Virus app will advise the user to scan it before instalation.

Please note that version 2.12 will no longer support Android OS versions 1.5 & 1.6.

And more…

• The Anti-theft ‘edit lock message’ removed from client menu
• Scan result screen categories
• Bug fixing

If you have an Android and would like free protection, download AVG Mobilation for free from the Mobilation page or the AVG website.

It is free and is compatible with all versions of Android OS, v 2.0 onwards.