AVG Internet Security: A Strong Contender in the Antivirus Arena

AVG has carved out a significant niche in the free antivirus landscape, thanks to its ownership of both Avast and its own AVG Free product. The strategy here is simple: attract users with robust free offerings, encouraging them to eventually upgrade to premium options.

For many, the logical upgrade is AVG Internet Security, priced at just under $45 for the first year for up to ten devices. This tier falls just short of AVG’s premium product, AVG Ultimate, which includes additional features such as a PC tune-up package and a VPN. However, Internet Security provides essential security features like antivirus protection, a firewall, and phishing defense, making it a solid choice for most users. Notably, AVG does not include a password manager in any of its packages.

User-Friendly Interface

Upon launching AVG, users are greeted with an interface reminiscent of Avast, featuring a sleek gray background highlighted by bright green elements. The main dashboard showcases active security sections with a clear “Protected” label, providing an immediate overview of the system’s status.

The latest version of the dashboard has seen improvements, with all five primary components now clickable. These tiles include:

• Computer: Automatic scanning of new files, behavior analysis, ransomware protection, and a network inspector.
• Web & Email: Options for web protection and email scanning.
• Hacker Attacks: Firewall management, enhanced password protection, and remote access shielding.
• Privacy: Webcam protection and monitoring for sensitive files.
• Payments: Phishing protection through a feature called Fake Website Shield.

Additionally, a menu icon at the top right provides access to settings, subscription details, browser extensions, and support options.

Scanning Made Simple

AVG makes scanning straightforward with its “Run Smart Scan” button. This feature acts as a quick scan, while users can also choose from various scan options, including deep scans and specific file scans. The performance scan is particularly useful, identifying “useless data” that may affect system speed and security. However, resolving these issues requires AVG TuneUp, which is a paid feature.

Performance and Protection

AVG’s performance in malware protection is impressive. In tests conducted by AV-Test, AVG achieved 100% detection rates for both zero-day threats and malware. Additionally, in AV-Comparatives’ real-world protection tests, it blocked 99.7% of threats with only ten false positives.

In terms of system performance, AVG had minimal impact during standard operations. A PCMark 10 test showed only a slight drop in performance when AVG was running, indicating that most users should not experience significant slowdowns. However, users on less powerful machines might notice minor performance dips during resource-intensive tasks.

Conclusion

AVG Internet Security has made significant strides in recent years, delivering robust protection and a user-friendly interface. Its feature set is adequate for most users, and while there might be slight performance impacts under specific conditions, the overall experience remains positive. At a competitive price, AVG offers an appealing option for anyone seeking reliable antivirus protection without breaking the bank.