AVG Antivirus

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AVG AntiVirus

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Basic data

Maintainer AVG AntiVirus CZ
developer Avast
Publishing year 1991
Current  version 18.4.xxxx
(May 2018)
operating system Windows
OS X
Android
category Antivirus program
License proprietary
German speaking Yes
www.avg.de

AVG AntiVirus is an antivirus program from the Czech security software manufacturer AVG Technologies CZ sro , based in Brno , which has been part of the Avast group of companies since October 2016 .

history

The original developer was Jan Gritzbach, who together with Tomas Hofer founded the company Grisoft in the Czech Republic in 1990 . The name AVG was formed as an abbreviation for Anti-Virus Grisoft . From 1999 Jan Gritzbach decided to change his previous business model of software sales and also offered registered private customers a free version of his antivirus solution. Only one year after the company was sold to the Prague-based investment company Benson Oak Capital in 2001, the registration no longer applies. From 2002 the new management offered the current version to anonymous visitors to the company website for download.

In 2005, Intel invested in the cross-platform company. A year later, AVG Antivirus was one of the first products to qualify for the beta versions of Microsoft Vista . The company moved its headquarters to Amsterdam , changed the name to AVG Technologies NV and was from 2012 at the York's New Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol traded "AVG".

On July 7, 2016, Avast Software BV , the Dutch parent company of Avast Software sro , manufacturer of the competing product Avast Antivirus , announced the acquisition of the Dutch AVG Technologies NV . The previous shareholders were offered $ 25 per share, which was a little more than a 30% premium on both the closing price on July 6 and the average trading value of the shares over the past six months. The takeover was successfully completed by October 3, 2016. Shortly thereafter, the new majority owner ended public trading of AVG shares by delisting from the New York Stock Exchange. The actual software forge, the Czech subsidiary AVG Technologies CZ sro , continues to exist alongside the Czech Avast Software sro and continues the AVG product line.

properties

AVG Anti-Virus has a modular design. The basic functions such as the detection of malware , Trojans , viruses , worms and spyware are always included. In addition, the software offers, for example, the checking of search engine results for their security with the help of the company's own AVG Link Scanner technology . Modules that go beyond the basic functions are always displayed, but are sometimes only activated in the product variants that are subject to a charge.

variants

AVG AntiVirus FREE is a free version with the basic functions, in which advertisements for the more extensive but paid version of the software are regularly displayed. Their protection focuses primarily on the use of the Internet by private users, such as searching and reading websites , and participating in social networks .

AVG Internet Security has been expanded to include a personal firewall and additional components. The Identity Protection , the previously unknown malicious software recognizes their behavior was first introduced in this version, but is now one of the freely available basic functions.

AVG Ultimate supplements the virus protection with a so-called "TuneUp solution" with the purpose of improving the general system performance by optimizing the settings of the operating system.

The AVG AntiVirus Business Edition includes a management program for installation and configuration in networks from a central point.

Also available free of charge is the AVG Rescue CD , a Linux- based image that can be started directly from a bootable CD or USB stick regardless of a possibly damaged or virus-infected operating system .

System requirements

As of September 2017, AVG Antivirus is available in several languages ​​for current single-user versions of Microsoft Windows from Windows XP (with Service Pack 3 installed), with the exception of the limited editions (IoT Core, Mobile, RT or Starter). Android version 2.2 is required for use on mobile devices.

On Apple computers, virus protection is only offered in English from operating system version 10.8 (Mountain Lion).

criticism

Zeit Online published a post in September 2015 accusing AVG's antivirus software of behaving like spyware after a change in data protection guidelines.

On December 2, 2019, the Mozilla Foundation, the manufacturer of the Firefox browser, decided to remove both AVG Online Security and Avast Online Security from the add-on catalog. The news portal gHacks Tech News reported on the background that the manufacturer of Adblock Plus had found that the add-ons send far more information from the browser's history to Avast than is necessary for their function. Avast and Mozilla are now talking about the question of whether these add-ons will be added to the catalog again or instead will be put on the list of blocked applications by Mozilla. Avast stated in a statement on December 4, 2019 that the extension would have to record the user's surfing history in order to protect them from attacks. This is done without recording or storing the identification of a user. Updated versions that “fully meet all of Mozilla's new requirements for extensions and are transparent” should “be available as usual in the Mozilla Store” in the near future. The Avast and AVG add-ons remained listed in the directory for the Google Chrome browser.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Jan Cienski: Anti-virus makers spring from an unexpected source. In: Financial Times . December 8, 2009, accessed September 1, 2017 .
  2. ↑ Andreas Donath: Intel invests in a Czech anti-virus company. In: golem.de . September 7, 2005, accessed September 1, 2017 .
  3. ↑ Clement James: Grisoft AVG passes Vista compatibility test. In: itnews. November 6, 2006, accessed September 1, 2017 .
  4. ↑ AVG TECHNOLOGIES NV (AVG) IPO. NASDAQ , accessed September 1, 2017 .
  5. ↑ AVG Technologies sees IPO priced at $ 16- $ 18 apiece. In: Reuters . January 17, 2012, accessed September 1, 2017 .
  6. ↑ Stephan Ehrmann: Antivirus wedding: Avast completes takeover of AVG . In: Heise online , October 1, 2016, accessed on October 2, 2016
  7. ↑ AVG Link Scanner , on the manufacturer's website, accessed September 1, 2017
  8. ↑ AVG Rescue CD ( Memento of the original from October 2, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , from the manufacturer's website, accessed September 1, 2017 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.avg.com
  9. ↑ System Requirements and Supported Operating Systems for AVG , on the manufacturer's website, accessed September 1, 2017
  10. ↑ Patrick Beuth: AVG: Antivirus software will behave like spyware in the future. In: The time . September 22, 2015, accessed December 3, 2019 .
  11. ^ Martin Brinkmann: Mozilla removes all Avast Firefox extensions. In: gHacks Tech News. December 3, 2019, accessed December 3, 2019 .
  12. ↑ a b Mozilla blocks Firefox add-ons from Avast and AVG - heise online news. Retrieved December 3, 2019 .