Softonic.com Offers Secure Free Software Download Site

PRESS RELEASE

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 30, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Softonic.com, the second-biggest software download site worldwide, has launched a new security seal that scans programs before they are downloaded to ensure they are not infected with a virus. Furthermore, Softonic re-scans each download once a week to provide even greater security to its users. With its new security seal, Softonic.com becomes the world's most secure free software download site, being the only one that runs 30 different anti-virus programs, including Kaspersky, Avast and Norton, on all downloads.

A security guarantee is vital when downloading software online. Kaspersky's latest quarterly report reveals that the United States has the most virus-infected websites in the world. The U.S. is followed by Russia, China, Germany, Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. The same study reveals that the most common types of viruses and malware on the Internet are trojans, exploits and adware, although nearly half of infections (48 percent) are caused by trojans. As a response to growing user demand for security, Softonic.com developed the security seal to guarantee security for all free downloads through the most exhaustive analysis in the sector.

Once the analysis is completed, users can see the security level of the program they want to download. If there is no risk of a virus, the user is safe to proceed with the download. They will then be given the option to view a complete breakdown of the analysis performed. Users are also given other safe downloadable alternatives to programs being searched for by the user. The security seal has been implemented in Softonic.com's portals in multiple languages, including English, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Polish and Spanish.

"With this new guarantee, we have taken a definitive step in offering downloads with maximum safety guarantees at no extra cost," said Santiago Arano, CEO of Softonic.com in the U.S. "We offer value-added services, such as the reviews written by our editorial team as well as active participation in our extensive user community. Thanks to these initiatives, we can consolidate our position as a reference portal for free software downloads, not just in Spain but in all our markets of operation."

Download Manager

The security seal has been launched in conjunction with the Softonic.com website redesign and the implementation of a download assistant, designed to offer users a top-quality free download experience. The new manager offers faster downloads (thanks to multithread technology) and enables greater control over the download process, which can be stopped or restarted when the user desires. It is a free service that requires no previous registration. The Softonic.com download manager has been recognized by TRUSTe, the leading online privacy services firm, as a completely user-safe download assistant.

About Softonic.com (www.softonic.com)

Softonic.com is the second-biggest software download site worldwide and the biggest in Europe and Latin America. Founded in Barcelona, Spain, in 1997, the company has 187 employees. Softonic.com offers one of the biggest collections of software, shareware and free titles, as well as commercial demos that have been analyzed, evaluated and validated in different languages by an expert editorial team.

It presently has over 130,000 software titles for Windows, Mac and mobile phones. Softonic.com is available in English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Polish and Dutch, and Japanese. The company has offices in Barcelona, San Francisco, Shanghai, Tokyo and Madrid.