Review of Avira AntiVir Premium Suite: Provides Excellent Protection

Computer Security, Computing
Review of Avira AntiVir Premium Suite: Provides Excellent Protection
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Avira Premium Security Suite

The Avira Premium Security Suite includes a firewall, virus detector, parental control, phishing protection, firewall, and spam protection.

Components (4 out of 5)

  • AntiVir Guard: The AntiVir runs in the background. The component monitors, and repairs files during operations such as open, write, and copy. The file is automatically scanned. Moreover, changing the name of a file does not trigger the AntiVir Guard scan.
  • AntiVir MailGuard: The component is the interface between the computer and the email server through which emails are downloaded. The component is connected through a proxy between the email program and server. The component effectively protects against spam emails.
  • AntiVir WebGuard**:** While surfing the Internet, the web browser requests data from the web server. Thus, AntiVir WebGuard helps in providing an on – access scan.
  • Avira Firewall**:** The Avira Firewall controls communication to and from the PC and allows or denies communications based on security policies.
  • Backup: This component helps in creating mirror backups of data manually and automatically.

Installation (4 out of 5)

The file can be downloaded from the Avira website. The downloaded speed is fast as not many people know about the software and the file size is about 33 MB. After downloading the file, the software starts the installation process. It is possible to install features and components that the user requires. Once installed, start the configuration wizard. In the configuration wizard, the basic features need to be configured. Once updated, the PC restarts. The process is easy, quick, and trouble-free. Infact the installation took only 1 minute 20 seconds.

Interface (3 out of 5)

The main interface of the Avira Premium Security Suite states all components, license terms, and status of full computer scan. On the left side are tabs that provide access to components. Other features are listed in the menu options. Everything is clearly displayed. Thus, users do not have to look for the components. A visual cue is also provided if the component is running or not. The tool has two levels: beginner and expert. In the beginner level, only the basic features exist and scope is limited. In the expert level, there is a full array of features.

Protection (3 out of 5)

The virus scanner until date is one of the best scanners available in the market. The testing can be initialled on demand basis as well as on a timely basis. Virus scans, updates, and back-ups can be scheduled by Scheduler Administration menu. The scan gives users two options: full scan and custom scan.

Effectiveness (5 out of 5)

  • AV Comparatives: The tool received highest Antivirus rating of Advanced +. This rating is done by a company based in Austria.
  • ICSA Labs Certified: ICSA Labs is an independent standard organization that has certified the Avira Suite.
  • Virus Bulletin’s VB 100% Certified: The VB 100% certification is gives to antivirus tools that detect virus ‘in the wide’.
  • West Coast Labs: Specializes in functionality testing and performance validation. The organization has certified the tool.

Help and Support (3 out of 5)

A Help link is situated on the upper side of every panel. This allows users to access the Help file easily. The file content is informative and easy to understand. This file can quickly be accessed by using the F1 function. The tool also provides telephone support in Austria, Switzerland, Italy, and Germany at a cost of $2.5 per minute. Fortunately, the tool has great email support and an active forum to help users.

Overall (3 out of 5)

Overall, the Avira Premium Security Suite is a good tool that protects the PC modestly. The best thing about the tool is that it has little effect on the performance of the PC. The tool is best for the power user who would like to have complete control over the program.

Pros of Tool

  • Great virus scanner.
  • Among the best for malware detection.
  • Very minimal impact on performance of PC.
  • Parental control.
  • Backup upload.

Cons of Tool

  • Language used is Dutch and not English.
  • Excessive firewall.
  • Moderate spam filter.
  • User interface looks outdates.
  • Lacks phone support in America.

Image Credit

Avira Premium Security Suite screenshot by Avira