AVAST Releases avast! 2014

PRESS RELEASE

REDWOOD CITY, California, October 15, 2013 – AVAST Software, maker of the most trusted and recommended antivirus in the world, today launched avast! 2014 – the latest version of the antivirus solution used by a quarter of all protected PCs worldwide. With the only boot-time scan in the antivirus market, the 2014 version improves performance, download and install times, privacy, and protection.

"The new avast! 2014 delivers on our commitment to provide faster, better protection to the market," said AVAST Chief Executive Officer Vincent Steckler. "It's the culmination of 25 years of research and the experience of protecting nearly 200 million devices – far more than any other antivirus product."

The avast! 2014 solution offers a new Do Not Track function in the avast! browser plugin. This technology lets users decide which companies they will allow to track their online behavior. For AVAST subscription products, SafeZone provides additional security for financial transactions.

Additionally, avast! 2014 offers even stronger protection with DeepScreen technology. This allows avast! to clear away false code, misdirections, and other techniques malware creators use to mask the true intentions of their malware. By peeling away layers of obscure code, avast! 2014 is able to observe the binary level commands within the malware to better understand the hidden instructions embedded in it. New in avast! 2014 is the Hardened Mode feature, which lets users switch on a whitelisting mode that blocks files from executing when it is unclear whether they are infected or not.

The latest version also empowers users to create a bootable antivirus USB, CD or DVD. That way if anything happens to their PC, the user has the disk ready so they can clean and restore their PC to normal function. The Rescue Disk is built on Windows PE (pre-installation environment) which allows users to boot a PC even when there is no functioning OS. The Rescue Disk function is available in all avast! products and is an integral part of the new remediation module introduced by this new version.

AVAST has also redesigned the entire user interface based on input from its customers. Users will find it simple and straightforward, making it easy to find everything they need. Additionally, the interface puts everything in the same place for both the Free and Paid product lines, making migration easier.

"The avast! 2014 solution is a big step forward," said AVAST Chief Technology Officer Ondřej Vlček. "We now stream more than 250 micro-updates to active devices each day to improve zero-day detection and prevention. By protecting the most devices we have the best insight into the threat landscape, and that translates into better protection for our users."

In addition to releasing avast! 2014, AVAST will be conducting a contest in anticipation of its 200 millionth installation. Details will be announced soon.

The 2014 version is available in four consumer variations – avast! Free Antivirus, avast! Pro Antivirus, avast! Internet Security, and avast! Premier – and in more than 40 languages. AVAST also provides world-class protection for businesses and mobile devices.

ABOUT AVAST:

AVAST Software (www.avast.com), maker of the most trusted antivirus in the world, protects nearly 200 million people, computers and mobile devices with its security applications. In business for 25 years, AVAST is one of the pioneers in the computer security business, with a portfolio covering everything from free antivirus for PC, Mac, and Android, to premium suites and services for both consumers and business. In addition to being top-ranked by consumers on popular download portals worldwide, AVAST is certified by, among others, VB100, AV-Comparatives, AV-Test, OPSWAT, ICSA Labs, and West Coast Labs.