Product Details

Avast's latest professional antivirus tool extends its capabilities with improved compatibility, a brand new interface and new cloud-based services

avast! Antivirus 8 is the avast's next-generation security package, which now comes with a new interface and more extras and options than ever before.

Installation was quick and easy on a test Windows 7 system. If you're familiar with the product then you'll immediately notice the new interface. A compact and clean Home Page separates the beta's key functions into six panes, and clicking Scan for the first time immediately launched a Quick Scan. The scan window still presents plenty of details and options for the various shields, though - File System, Mail, Web, P2P, IM, Network, Script and Behavior - so there's plenty here to explore.

A left-hand toolbar also provides access to some interesting new tools. Software Updater checks your installed applications and alerts you to any available updates; Browser Cleanup aims to help you remove annoying addons from your browsers (although only IE and Firefox at the moment, at least on our system); and AccessAnywhere allows you to set up remote access to your PC. Some of these will apparently only be available via a commercial option called avast! Premier.

And of course there have also been improvements to the core protection technologies, so for instance FileRep and WebRep are now better able to identify and new threats in near real time.

The program also comes in a Pro version, which is available here. The difference between Free and Pro is significant. Pro offers a SafeZone to protect you whilst you do your online shopping, a sandbox so you can surf the internet without any malware affecting your computer and a program sandbox to enable you to test and examine new software, without it affecting the operating of your PC.

If you're an avast! Free 8 user, why not move up to the commercial Pro edition using this special offer?

Review by Mike Williams.