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We offer ultra-light virus definition updates – with a footprint so small it doesn’t slow you down and hog your system’s resources.
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To stay ahead, our multi-layered security harnesses the power of cloud technology, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. And as all the analysis happens on our end, you get top protection with minimal system impact.
We protect you from all online threats — for free
Ransomware
Ransomware
Ransomware
What is ransomware?
There are two types of ransomware: crypto-ransomware that encrypts files (rendering them unreadable), and screen-locking ransomware that locks the home screen. In both cases, the authors of malicious software demand a ransom from its victims to access the files and device.
Adware
Adware
Adware
What is adware?
Adware stands for “advertising software”, a program that displays banner ads and/or pop-ups on devices without permission.
Adware distinguishes itself from your typical in-product ads, in-app banners, and service-supported ads in the following ways:
• The software, which displays the ads, was installed without your explicit consent (often unnoticed during the installation process).
• The adware hijacks your web browser and redirects you to third party websites.
• Sensitive information related to your web browsing and purchasing habits is collected without your knowledge and consent.
Spyware
Spyware
Spyware
What is spyware?
Spyware is software that secretly monitors and collects information.
Spyware can be used legally. Certain companies install it on their employees’ computers to monitor sensitive activities (in which case, it ought to be included in their contracts). It is also included in some parental control programs, which can work in a similar fashion to keep a watchful eye out for cyberbullying.
Hacking
Hacking
Hacking
What is a hacker?
It denotes an individual with outstanding programming skills. Although frequently used to denote criminal activity, the term itself is agnostic.
Hackers are frequently divided into 3 categories: Black Hat, White Hat, and Grey Hat.
• Black Hat hackers are computer programmers who use their skill for illicit activities, such as developing malware.
• White Hat hackers, on the other hand, are frequently hired by companies with the explicit purpose of testing their network defenses.
• Grey Hat hackers are a more elusive community usually associated with hacktivism, a hacking activity driven by political or social motivations.
The prominent Anonymous group is often thought of as a community of Grey Hat hackers.
Phishing
Phishing
Phishing
What are phishing attacks?
These are attempts to capture sensitive information by cybercriminals masquerading as banks, social media platforms, and other official entities.
Rootkits
Rootkits
Rootkits
What are rootkits?
It’s a technique used by software to gain long-term access to a computer without having the required permission. Rootkits are typically installed by other malware to cover their traces. For example, a keylogger might siphon off passwords and credit card details, while the rootkit hides the traffic to keep the theft unbeknown to the user. Other cases involve Trojans that install a rootkit in order to create a botnet.
Trojans
Trojans
Trojans
What is a Trojan?
Trojans are malicious programs that misrepresent themselves to appear routine or helpful, but actually carry out hidden functions.
Worms
Worms
Worms
What is a computer worm?
Worms are malicious programs similar to viruses: they cause havoc on devices and are able to self-replicate. Unlike viruses, which need human action to propagate, worms are able to send out hundreds of thousands of copies of themselves via email, or spread via USB devices and shared folders.
Private by design: We don't sell your data.
Unlike most security vendors, Avira doesn't sell your data and never will. Nor do we share your data with 3rd parties such as government, Big Tech or advertising networks.
Avira has more than 35 years of online security experience
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CNET Editor’s rating
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What’s inside Avira Free Antivirus?
All the essentials to ensure your security, privacy, and performance.
All the security essentials
Whatever you use and whatever you do, keep it secure
Avira Free Antivirus protects your personal data, your software, your browsing, your searches, and even your home network.
All the privacy essentials
Be anonymous in everything you do
Avira Free Antivirus helps you browse anonymously, encrypts your web traffic, prevents companies from collecting your private data, and keeps your passwords secure and for your eyes only.
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Learn more about the following
What is adware?
Adware shows annoying or infected advertisements on your device without your permission and you get spammed with banners and pop-ups…
Learn about adware
What is malware and how can I stay safe online?
Visiting websites and downloading files makes your computer or mobile device vulnerable to threats and attacks…
Learn about malware
What is ransomware and why do I need ransomware protection?
Ransomware is malicious software that encrypts the hard disk of the infected system…
Learn about ransomware
What is phishing and why can it lead to ID theft?
Is that email from your bank? This technique uses deceptive emails and websites to gather personal information…
Learn about phishing
What is spyware and why is it “watching”?
Spyware is a software that secretly monitors you and collects data about you, your device, and your online activities…
Learn about spywareAvira Free Antivirus – effective virus protection
Why do you need an antivirus app?
The internet has connected almost all four corners of the globe. Social media and streaming are booming, and banking is now largely done online. But this is attracting an ever growing number of cybercriminals. Malware and malicious app attacks on computers, smartphones, and tablets are constantly increasing. Even though Apple, Microsoft, and tech companies are constantly releasing new security updates, no digital device should be without an antivirus app. That’s because even the latest, fully updated operating system and software cannot always reliably prevent cyberattacks. The freeware virus protection solution Avira Free Antivirus helps you protect your sensitive data from malware and prevent hackers manipulating and blackmailing you.
How does an antivirus app work?
An antivirus app is a kind of doctor for computers, smartphones, and tablets, regularly checking for infections. Avira Free Antivirus offers preventative protection for your data and devices, with the antivirus scanner constantly scanning your system for viruses, Trojans, worms, and other malware. Depending on your settings, the software will either delete any malicious file it finds or move it to the quarantine. Once there, the malicious file can no longer do any damage — plus you can check it and delete it if necessary.
How good and reliable is Avira Free Antivirus?
Our antivirus app combines real-time protection with the security technology of our Protection Cloud, which examines unknown files for malware and exploits before they can get onto your computer. Thanks to artificial intelligence, our virus protection is always learning and automatically adapting to new cyberthreats. With Avira Free Antivirus, you also get to enjoy reliable protection against:
- Spyware: Our free antivirus scanner helps you protect yourself from hackers spying on you by identifying hidden spy software and rendering it harmless immediately.
- Malicious websites: The Avira Browser Safety add-on helps you block potentially dangerous websites before they even load.
- Ransomware extortion: The anti-ransomware feature helps protect your data from being held hostage by ransomware.
- Adware: The adware scanner helps you detect and block bloatware or potentially unwanted applications (PUAs) like adware in software downloads.
Why should I go for Avira Free Antivirus?
With Avira Free Antivirus, you can protect your data and devices from internet threats. Our next-gen antivirus helps you block ransomware, prevent phishing, and take proactive steps against viruses, Trojans, adware, and spyware. Thanks to our Protection Cloud technology, our real-time protection also safeguards you against zero-day attacks. On top of all this, the virus definitions are updated frequently and installed automatically in the background.
On which devices can I install Avira Free Antivirus?
You can use the antivirus app on all the latest computers, smartphones, or tablets running Windows, macOS, Android, or iOS and which meet the following minimum requirements:
Windows
Operating system: Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8 (32- or 64-bit), or Windows 7 (32- or 64-bit) with Service Pack 1 and the latest updates
Processor: AMD: Athlon 64 or Sempron (Paris Core)/Opteron and newer
Centaur technology: VIA C7 and newer
Intel: Pentium 4 (for desktop) or Pentium M (for laptop) and later
2 GB RAM
2 GB of free disk space plus additional space for temporary and quarantine files
Internet Explorer 8 or newer
macOS
Operating system: macOS 10.13 (El Capitan) or later
Processor: 64-bit single core
2 GB RAM
2 GB of available hard drive space
Android: Android 6.0 or later
iOS: iOS 8 or later
What features does Avira Free Antivirus come with?
When you download our freeware antivirus solution, you also get:
- An adware scanner to detect and block unwanted advertising software in downloads.
- A Malware Scanner to scan your system for malware and delete or quarantine it as necessary.
- An anti-ransomware feature to protect your data from being held hostage by digital extortionists.
- A spyware cleaner to unmask and remove spy apps on your computer or smartphone.
How do I install the Avira Free Antivirus app?
Download Avira Free Antivirus for Windows or Mac for free from our website or install the app on your mobile device from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Open the downloaded file on your Windows or Mac computer and follow the installation instructions. You can then use Avira Free Antivirus straight away to run your first scan and check your device for security, online privacy, and performance issues.
What’s included in the free download?
Avira Free Antivirus combines many features and technologies to protect yourself from hacker attacks, malware, and other threats. It also includes other features to help you protect your online privacy as well as various tune-up utilities.
- Avira Phantom VPN for secure and anonymous surfing
- Avira System Speedup to clean up and speed up your Windows PC
- Avira Browser Safety for protection against online tracking and malicious websites
- Avira Safe Shopping for the best prices and deals from trusted sellers
- Avira Password Manager to generate ultra-strong passwords for your user accounts
- Avira Software Updater to keep your Windows drivers and apps up to date
What is Avira Antivirus Pro and how much does it cost?
Avira Antivirus Pro has your back in many more ways with additional features such as web, download, and email protection (Windows feature). Armed with these features, you can scan your downloads and email attachments for malware, and even protect yourself from phishing links in emails. In addition, our premium version offers advanced ransomware protection. And since Avira Antivirus Pro performs both a signature-based analysis and heuristic (behavior-based) analysis, it can also detect and block new ransomware types and mutations.
The premium version of Avira Antivirus Security for Android features web protection for safer surfing as well as camera and microphone protection to prevent prying eyes and ears from snooping on you. The premium version of Avira Mobile Security for iOS also comes with web protection, plus a breach monitor to alert you if your data has been leaked online.
The premium protection of Avira Antivirus Pro for Windows or Mac is available from just EUR 34.95 per year (with an annual subscription). Avira Antivirus Security for Android and Avira Mobile Security for iOS are available as annual subscriptions for EUR 7.95.
Free antivirus protection like Avira Free Antivirus provides very good real-time protection against numerous types of malware such as viruses, worms, Trojans, and ransomware. The free version uses the same high-performance scan engine and cloud-based detection system as our premium Avira Antivirus Pro version, although this paid-for edition performs an additional signature-based and heuristic (activity-based) analysis, plus comes with an advanced web protection feature. Thanks to the immense, ever-growing threat database and frequent updates, our free antivirus solution can detect even the latest threats. Our free Avira Browser Safety add-on is the perfect companion for your antivirus product. With this browser extension, you can block harmful ads and web pages as well as prevent companies tracking you online.
You can remove viruses using a free antivirus tool such as Avira Free Antivirus. If the virus scanner detects a virus or other type of malware, the suspicious file is moved to the quarantine where it can no longer do any harm. You’ll then be alerted so you can check the file and, if necessary, delete it. It’ll then be erased from your hard drive. It’s then always best to run another virus scan just to check that the malware hasn’t replicated itself.
Antivirus software such as Avira Free Antivirus constantly monitors your system in real time, helping you to protect it from malware such as viruses, worms, Trojans, and ransomware. You can also run regular system scans and check your device for malware. If the virus scanner detects a suspicious file, its digital fingerprint is uploaded to the Avira Protection Cloud where it is checked in real time against the immense, ever-growing threat database. The file is then moved to the quarantine if it is classified as infected, rendering it harmless. Avira Free Antivirus Pro performs a signature-based and heuristic (activity-based) analysis, enabling it to also detect as-of-yet unidentified ransomware. In addition, it comes with an advanced web protection feature.