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{{redirect|Avast}}
{{redirect|Avast}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Infobox company
{{Infobox company
| name = Avast Software s.r.o.
| name = Avast
| trading_name = Avast
| logo = Avast Software logo 2016.svg
| logo = Avast Software logo 2016.svg
| logo_size = 220px
| logo_size = 220px
| native_name_lang = <!-- Use ISO 639-1 code, e.g. "fr" for French. For multiple names in different languages, use {{lang|[code]|[name]}}. -->
| native_name_lang = <!-- Use ISO 639-1 code, e.g. "fr" for French. For multiple names in different languages, use {{lang|[code]|[name]}}. -->
| former_name = Alwil Software
| former_name = Alwil Software
| type = [[Private limited company|Private]] ([[Společnost s ručením omezeným|s.r.o.]])
| type = [[Private limited company|Private]]
| industry = [[Computer software]]
| industry = [[Internet security]]
| products = [[Security software]]
| products = [[Security software]]
| services =
| services =
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* Eduard Kučera
* Eduard Kučera
}}
}}
| revenue = US$714&nbsp;million<ref name="Avast 2017-05-18">{{cite web |url=https://press.avast.com/record-revenue-puts-avast-in-second-among-security-industry-leaders |title=Record Revenue Puts Avast in Second Among Security Industry Leaders |date=18 May 2017 |publisher=Avast Software |accessdate=11 June 2017 }}</ref>
| revenue = US $714&nbsp;million<ref name="Avast 2017-05-18">{{cite web |url=https://press.avast.com/record-revenue-puts-avast-in-second-among-security-industry-leaders |title=Record Revenue Puts Avast in Second Among Security Industry Leaders |date=18 May 2017 |publisher=Avast |accessdate=11 June 2017 }}</ref>
| revenue_year = 2016
| revenue_year = 2016
| operating_income = US$353&nbsp;million<ref name="Avast 2017-05-18"/>
| operating_income = US $353&nbsp;million<ref name="Avast 2017-05-18"/>
| income_year = 2016
| income_year = 2016
| num_employees = 1000+<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.avast.com/careers |title=More than just jobs, accelerate your career at Avast |date=29 June 2017 <!-- according to the page source --> |publisher=Avast Software |accessdate=30 June 2017 }}</ref>
| num_employees = 1000+<ref name="primary">{{cite web |url=https://www.avast.com/careers |title=More than just jobs, accelerate your career at Avast |date=29 June 2017 <!-- according to the page source --> |publisher=Avast |accessdate=30 June 2017 }}</ref>
| num_employees_year = 2017
| num_employees_year = 2017
| hq_location =
| hq_location =
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| hq_location_country = [[Czech Republic]]
| hq_location_country = [[Czech Republic]]
| area_served = Worldwide
| area_served = Worldwide
| key_people = {{nowrap|Vincent Steckler (CEO)}}
| key_people = Vincent Steckler (CEO)
| subsid = [[AVG Technologies]]<br>[[Piriform (company)|Piriform]]
| subsid = [[AVG Technologies]]<br>[[Piriform (company)|Piriform]]
| website = {{URL|https://avast.com}}
| website = {{URL|https://avast.com}}
}}'''Avast''' is a private company headquartered in [[Prague]], [[Czech Republic]]. It provides cybersecurity software and services. Avast's software has about 400 million users.<ref name="Thubron 2017">{{cite web | last=Thubron | first=Rob | title=Avast acquires Piriform, the maker of CCleaner and Speccy | website=TechSpot | date=July 20, 2017 | url=https://www.techspot.com/news/70213-avast-acquires-piriform-maker-ccleaner-speccy.html | access-date=August 7, 2017}}</ref><ref name="venturebeat"/> The company has more than 1,000 employees,<ref name="primary"/> with about 650 at its headquarters in the Czech Republic.<ref name="iDNES.cz 2016">{{cite web | title=Hodně místa, pěkný výhled a celý den jídlo zdarma. Avast se přestěhoval | website=iDNES.cz | date=January 22, 2016 | url=http://ekonomika.idnes.cz/fotogalerie-z-nove-kancelare-avastu-db5-/ekoakcie.aspx?c=A160122_175550_ekoakcie_rny | language=cs | access-date=August 7, 2017}}</ref> Avast was founded by Pavel Baudiš and Eduard Kučera in 1988 as a [[cooperative]] and has been a [[Private limited company|private]] company since 2010. In July 2016, Avast acquired competitor AVG for $1.3 billion.
}}
'''Avast Software''' {{IPAc-en|ə|ˈ|v|ɑː|s|t|,_|ə|ˈ|v|æ|s|t}} is a Czech multinational [[Computer security software|cybersecurity software]] company headquartered in [[Prague]], [[Czech Republic]], that develops [[antivirus software]] and [[internet security]] services. It was founded by [[Pavel Baudiš]] and Eduard Kučera in 1988 as a [[cooperative]] and has been a [[Private limited company|private]] company since 2010. Avast holds the biggest share of the world market for antivirus applications<ref>Abhirup Roy. [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-avast-ceo-idUSKCN0SN2MJ20151029 Avast worth 'upwards of $2 billion'; no IPO before 2017]. ''[[Reuters]]''. Published on 29 October 2015.</ref> and its portfolio includes a wide array of security-related products targeting both consumer and corporate markets, such as [[Avast Antivirus]] and [[Avast SecureLine]] ([[virtual private network]]) for [[Android (operating system)|Android]], [[Microsoft Windows]], [[iOS]] and [[macOS]] platforms.


==Corporate history==
As of 2016, Avast had 400 million users and 40 percent of the security software market outside China.<ref name="Reuters September 30, 2016"/> Avast has over 1,000 employees with offices in the Czech Republic,<ref name="idnes January 22, 2016">Aleš Černý. [http://ekonomika.idnes.cz/fotogalerie-z-nove-kancelare-avastu-db5-/ekoakcie.aspx?c=A160122_175550_ekoakcie_rny Hodně místa, pěkný výhled a celý den jídlo zdarma. Avast se přestěhoval]. idnes.cz. ''[[Mladá fronta DNES]]''. Published on 22 January 2016.</ref> and 15 other countries including [[United States]], [[Germany]], [[United Kingdom]], [[Switzerland]], [[Norway]], [[Russia]], [[China]], [[South Korea]] and [[Taiwan]].<ref>News Desk. [http://www.praguepost.com/economy/45638-avast-becomes-most-valuable-it-company-in-the-cr], ''[[Prague Post]]'', Prague, 11 March 2015. Retrieved on 23 March 2015.</ref> In September 2016, Avast Software acquired [[AVG Technologies]] for US$1.3 billion.<ref name="BW September 30, 2016"/> In July 2017, the company acquired [[Piriform (company)|Piriform]], the developer of [[CCleaner]].<ref name="VentureBeat 19 July 2017">{{Cite news|url=https://venturebeat.com/2017/07/19/avast-acquires-piriform-maker-of-popular-system-cleaning-program-ccleaner/|title=Avast acquires Piriform, maker of popular system cleaning program CCleaner|last=Sawers|first=Paul|date=19 July 2017|work=[[VentureBeat]]|access-date=19 July 2017|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=}}</ref>
Avast was founded by Eduard Kucera and Pavel Baudis in 1988.<ref name="USA TODAY 2013">{{cite web | title=Avast emerged from Communism to shine in security | website=USA TODAY | date=October 20, 2013 | url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/10/20/avast-software-mcafee-the-great-czech-startup-story/3002031/ | access-date=August 8, 2017}}</ref> The founder met each other at the Research Institute for Mathematical Machines in Czechoslovakia.<ref name="USA TODAY 2013"/> The founders weren't allowed to study physics without joining the communist party, which they did not want to do, so they were studying math and computer science instead.<ref name="USA TODAY 2013"/> At the Institute, Pavel Baudiš discovered the [[Viennavirus]] on a floppy disk and developed the first program to remove it.<ref name="USA TODAY 2013"/><ref name="Blesk.cz">{{cite web | title=Příběh superobchodu s antiviry: Avast koupí AVG ukázal um „zlatých českých ručiček“ v IT | website=Blesk.cz | url=http://www.blesk.cz/clanek/zpravy-udalosti/405850/pribeh-superobchodu-s-antiviry-avast-ukazal-um-zlatych-ceskych-rucicek-v-it.html | language=cs | access-date=August 8, 2017}}</ref><ref name="Download3K 2014">{{cite web | title=Interview with Avast's COO Ondřej Vlček | website=Download3K | date=November 19, 2014 | url=https://www.download3k.com/articles/Interview-with-Avast-s-COO-Ond-ej-Vl-ek-00903 | access-date=August 8, 2017}}</ref> Afterwards he asked Eduard Kucera to join him in cofounding Avast as a cooperative.<ref name="Blesk.cz"/> The cooperative was originally called Alwil and only the software was named Avast.<ref name="Wonder 2013">{{cite web | last=Wonder | first=Dan | title=Who Makes Avast? | website=Chron.com | date=June 17, 2013 | url= | access-date=August 8, 2017}}</ref>


The cooperative was changed to a joint partnership in 1991, two years after the [[velvet revolution]]<ref name="Avast Foundation 2017">{{cite web | title=Who We Are | website=Avast Foundation | date=August 8, 2017 | url=http://foundation.avast.com/who-we-are | access-date=August 8, 2017}}</ref> caused a regime change in Czechoslovakia. The new regime severed ties with the Soviet Union and allowed more capitalist organizations.<ref name="Blesk.cz"/><ref name="Wonder 2013"/> A few years later in 1995, Avast employee Ondřej Vlček wrote the first antivirus program for the Windows 95 operating system.<ref name="Blesk.cz"/> In the 1990s security researchers at the Virus Bulletin, an IT security testing organization, gave the Avast an award in every category tested, increasing the popularity of the software.<ref name="Blesk.cz"/> However, by the late 1990s, the company was struggling financially.<ref name="USA TODAY 2013"/> Alwil rebuffed acquisition offers by [[McAfee]], who was licensing the Avast antivirus engine.<ref name="USA TODAY 2013"/>
==History==


By 2001, Alwil was facing financial difficulties, when it converted to a freemium model, offering base Avast at no cost.<ref name="Blesk.cz"/> As a result of the freemium model, the number of users of the software grew to one million by 2004<ref name="Blesk.cz"/> and 20 million by 2006.<ref name="Wonder 2013"/> Former Symantec executive Vince Steckler was appointed CEO of Avast in 2009.<ref name="The CEO Magazine 2016">{{cite web | title=Vince Steckler | website=The CEO Magazine | date=September 22, 2016 | url=http://www.theceomagazine.com/business/vince-steckler/ | access-date=October 6, 2017}}</ref> In 2010, Alwil changed its name to Avast, adopting the name of the software<ref name="Wonder 2013"/> and raised $100 million in venture capital investments.<reF>{{cite news|date=May 1, 2012|url=https://www.economist.com/blogs/schumpeter/2012/05/fighting-cyber-crime|newspaper=The Economist|accessdate=August 8, 2017|title=Security Czechs}}</ref> The following December, Avast filed for an [[initial public offering]], but withdrew its application the following July, citing changes in market conditions.<ref name="Roy 2015"/> In 2012, Avast fired its outsourced tech support service iYogi, after it was discovered that iYogi was using misleading sales tactics to persuade customers to buy unnecessary services.<ref name="Dunn 2012">{{cite web | last=Dunn | first=John E | title=Avast suspends antivirus support company after mis-selling allegation | website=Network World | date=March 16, 2012 | url=http://www.networkworld.com/article/2186885/lan-wan/avast-suspends-antivirus-support-company-after-mis-selling-allegation.html | access-date=August 9, 2017}}</ref> By 2013 the Avast had 200 million users in 38 countries and had been translated into 43 languages.<ref name="USA TODAY 2013"/> At the time, the company had 350 employees.<ref name="Prague Post 2015">{{cite web | title=Avast becomes most valuable IT company in the CR | website=Prague Post | date=March 11, 2015 | url=https://www.praguepost.com/economy/45638-avast-becomes-most-valuable-it-company-in-the-cr | access-date=August 8, 2017}}</ref>
===1988–2000: Founding and company beginnings===
After coming across the Vienna virus in 1988, researcher Pavel Baudiš of Prague’s Mathematical Machines Research Institute set to writing a program that would be able to successfully remove it. He then shared the program with his colleague, Eduard Kučera, and later that year the pair started ALWIL Software, which released the first Avast antivirus. Because of restrictions on forming a company in then-Czechoslovakia, ALWIL Software was founded as a cooperative. The [[Velvet Revolution]], however, brought with it the introduction of the free market. In 1991 Baudiš and Kučera were able to register ALWIL Software as a joint-partnership company.<ref name="usatoday.com">Swartz, Jon. [https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/10/20/avast-software-mcafee-the-great-czech-startup-story/3002031/ "Avast emerged from Communism to shine in security"], ''[[USA Today]]'', Prague, 23 October 2013. Retrieved on 23 March 2015.</ref>


In 2014, CVC Capital bought an interest in Avast for an undisclosed sum. The purchase valued Avast at $1 billion.<ref name="Tan Cimilluca 2014">{{cite news | last=Tan | first=Gillian | last2=Cimilluca | first2=Dana | title=CVC Capital Near Deal to Invest in Antivirus Company Avast | newspaper=The Wall Street Journal | date=January 30, 2014 | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/cvc-capital-near-deal-to-invest-in-antivirus-company-avast-1391040888 | access-date=August 8, 2017}}</ref><ref name="TechCrunch 2014">{{cite web | title=Security Software Firm Avast Gets CVC Capital Investment, Now Valued At $1B | website=TechCrunch | date=February 5, 2014 | url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/02/05/security-software-firm-avast-takes-cvc-capital-investment-at-a-1b-valuation/ | access-date=August 8, 2017}}</ref> Later that year, Avast acquired mobile app developer Inmite in order to build Avast's mobile apps.<ref name="VentureBeat 2014">{{cite web | title=Malware buster Avast buys up mobile app maker in move to be mobile friendly | website=VentureBeat | date=July 24, 2014 | url=https://venturebeat.com/2014/07/24/avast-acquires-czech-mobile-dev-shop-inmite/ | accessdate=August 8, 2017}}</ref> Additionally, in 2014 Avast's online support forum was compromised, exposing 400,000 names, passwords, and email addresses.<ref name="Kirk 2014">{{cite web | last=Kirk | first=Jeremy | title=Avast takes community forum offline after data breach | website=Network World | date=May 26, 2014 | url=http://www.networkworld.com/article/2177161/lan-wan/avast-takes-community-forum-offline-after-data-breach.html | access-date=August 9, 2017}}</ref><ref name="Meyer 2014">{{cite web | last=Meyer | first=David | title=Security company Avast suffers embarrassing forum hack | website=Gigaom | date=May 27, 2014 | url=https://gigaom.com/2014/05/27/security-company-avast-suffers-embarrassing-forum-hack/ | access-date=August 9, 2017}}</ref> By 2015, Avast had the largest share of the market for antivirus software.<ref name="Roy 2015">{{cite web | last=Roy | first=Abhirup | title=Avast worth 'upwards of $2 billion'; no IPO before 2017 | website=Reuters | date=October 29, 2015 | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-avast-ceo-idUSKCN0SN2MJ20151029 | access-date=August 7, 2017}}</ref> In July 2016, Avast reached an agreement to buy AVG for $1.3 billion.<ref name="fortune">{{cite news|newspaper=Fortune|date=July 7, 2016|url=http://fortune.com/2016/07/07/security-software-avast-buy-avg/|accessdate=August 8, 2017|title=Security Software Firm Avast to Buy Rival AVG for $1.3 Billion in Cash}}</reF> AVG was a large IT security company that sold software for desktops and mobile devices.<ref name="VentureBeat 2016">{{cite web | title=Avast acquires rival AVG for $1.3 billion to create a security software giant | website=VentureBeat | date=July 7, 2016 | url=https://venturebeat.com/2016/07/07/avast-acquires-rival-avg-for-1-3-billion-to-create-a-security-software-giant/ | access-date=August 8, 2017}}</ref> In July 2017, Avast acquired UK-based [[Piriform (company)|Piriform]] for an undisclosed sum. Piriform was the developer of [[CCleaner]].<ref name="venturebeat">{{Cite news|url=https://venturebeat.com/2017/07/19/avast-acquires-piriform-maker-of-popular-system-cleaning-program-ccleaner/|title=Avast acquires Piriform, maker of popular system cleaning program CCleaner|last=Sawers|first=Paul|date=19 July 2017|work=[[VentureBeat]]|access-date=19 July 2017|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=}}</ref> Shortly afterwards it was disclosed that someone may have created a malicous version of CCleaner with a backdoor for hackers.<ref name="Olenick 2017">{{cite web | last=Olenick | first=Doug | title=Avast CCleaner used to spread backdoor to two million plus users | website=SC Media UK | date=September 19, 2017 | url=https://www.scmagazineuk.com/news/avast-ccleaner-used-to-spread-backdoor-to-two-million-plus-users/article/689675/ | access-date=September 28, 2017}}</ref>
Current COO and former CTO Ondrej Vlček joined ALWIL in 1995 as a student at the [[Czech Technical University]]<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.avast.com/about | title = Avast About us {{!}} About Avast Software | access-date = 3 January 2016}}</ref> and wrote the company’s first antivirus for Windows 95.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.download3k.com/articles/Interview-with-Avast-s-COO-Ond-ej-Vl-ek-00903|title=Interview with Avast's COO Ondřej Vlček|publisher=Download3K|first=Mihai|last=Neacsu|date=19 November 2014|accessdate=23 March 2015}}</ref> The following year, Avast antivirus was one of the first three antivirus programs worldwide to win Virus Bulletin’s VB100 awards in all testing categories.


⚫
==Products==
In 1997, ALWIL Software licensed the Avast antivirus engine to McAfee for use in its own line of McAfee VirusScan antivirus products.<ref name="usatoday.com"/> Within the next seven years, the company reached the 1 million user mark for its Avast product, following the launch of a free antivirus solution for home (non-commercial) use in 2001.
Avast develops and markets business and consumer IT security products for servers, desktops, and mobile devices.<ref name="Avast 2017">{{cite web | title=Download Free Antivirus for PC, Mac & Android | website=Avast | date=August 9, 2017 | url=https://www.avast.com | access-date=August 9, 2017}}</ref> The company sells both the Avast product line and the acquired AVG-branded products.<ref name="PCMagReview">{{cite web | last=Rubenking | first=Neil J. | title=Avast Free Antivirus 2017 | work=PC Magazine | date=February 23, 2017 | url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2471522,00.asp | accessdate=June 16, 2017}}</ref> As of late 2017, the company had merged the AVG and Avast business product lines and were working to integrate corporate departments from both companies.<ref name="Kuranda 2017">{{cite web | last=Kuranda | first=Sarah | title=Avast Launches New Business Portfolio And Partner Program, Combining Its Channel Forces With AVG | website=CRN | date=September 6, 2017 | url=http://www.crn.com/news/security/300091581/avast-launches-new-business-portfolio-and-partner-program-combining-its-channel-forces-with-avg.htm | access-date=September 28, 2017}}</ref> Additionally, Avast has developed utility software products to improve battery life on mobile devices, cleanup unnecessary files on a hard drive, find secure wireless networks<ref name="Avast Free Mac Security 2017">{{cite web | title=Avast Main Page: For Home/For Business | url=https://www.avast.com/en-us/mac | accessdate=August 10, 2017}}</ref> or create a VPN connection to the internet.<ref name="PCMAG 2017 VPN">{{cite web | title=Avast SecureLine VPN | website=PCMAG | date=August 7, 2017 | url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2420857,00.asp | access-date=November 1, 2017}}</ref>


Avast and AVG consumer security software is sold on a [[freemium]] model, where basic security features are free, but more advanced features require purchasing a premium version.<ref name="PCMagReview"/> The free version is also supported by ads.<ref name="PCWorld2009">{{cite news|title=Can You Trust Free Antivirus Protection?|first=Erik|last=Larkin|newspaper=PC World|date=October 2009|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/170587/free_antivirus_software.html|accessdate=August 9, 2017}}</ref> Additionally, all Avast users provide data about their PC or mobile device to Avast, which is used to identify new security threats.<ref name="USA TODAY 2013"/> Antivirus scanning, browser cleanup, a secure browser, password management, and network security features are provided for free, while firewall, anti-spam, and online banking features have to be purchased.<ref name="pcpro2015"/><ref name="Nadel 2017"/> According to <i>PC Pro</i>, the software does not "nag" users about upgrading.<ref name="pcpro2015">{{cite news|title=Avast Free Antivirus|newspaper=PC Pro|date=April 2015|page=89}}</ref><ref name="PCMAG 2017 VPN"/> About 3% of Avast's users pay for a premium version (10% in the US).<ref name="USA TODAY 2013"/>
===2001–2015: Avast Free Antivirus and global growth===
[[File:Avast Software logo.svg|thumb|Avast Software logo used until 2016]]
ALWIL partnered with SanDisk in 2005, leading to language localization for all of SanDisk’s markets. In 2006, Avast reached 10 million users by the beginning and ended the year with 20 million; it also swept the SC Awards categories of Best Antivirus,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://windowsable.com/top-5-antivirus-programs-for-windows-10/|title=Best Antivirus for Windows 10|work=windowsable.com}}</ref> Anti-Malware (European) and Readers’ Choice (USA). The following year, ALWIL Software became a joint-stock company, and the number of registered Avast users reached 40 million, despite the company having just 38 employees. By 2009, there were more than 100 million users <ref>Avast, Official Newsletter. [https://blog.avast.com/2009/12/10/100-million-users/ "100 million users"], Stackler, 10 December 2009. Retrieved on 26 May 2015.</ref> and 100 employees; Vincent Steckler, formerly of Symantec, also joined ALWIL as CEO that year.{{citation needed|date=July 2017}}
ALWIL Software changed its legal name to AVAST Software in 2010, and [[Summit Partners]] invested $100 million for a minority share of the company.<ref>Wauters, Robin. [https://techcrunch.com/2010/08/23/summit-partners-avast-software/], ''[[TechCrunch]]'', 23 August 2010 Retrieved on 23 March 2015.</ref> Over the next two years, Avast launched its Business Protection line and Avast Free Mobile Security, which became the best-rated security app on Google Play. In 2012, Avast Free Antivirus became the most-downloaded software on Download.com.


The Avast business product family includes features for endpoint protection, Wi-Fi security, antivirus, identity protection, password management, and data protection.<ref name="Kuranda 2017"/> For example, the desktop product will look for vulnerabilities in the wi-fi network and run applications suspect of having malicious hardware in an isolated sandbox.<ref name="Williams 2017"/> The Avast Business Managed Workplace monitors and manages desktops, and assesses on-site security protocols.<ref name="Kuranda 2017"/> The company also sells management software for IT administrators to deploy and manage Avast installations.<ref name="Kuranda 2017"/>
As of 2013, more than 200 million PCs, Macs and Android device users were protected with Avast programs. AVAST Software acquired the German company Secure.Me<ref>Fiegerman, Seth. [http://mashable.com/2013/05/02/avast-acquires-secure-me/ "Avast Buys Secure.me to Boost Security on Facebook"], ''[[Mashable]]'', 2 May 2013. Retrieved on 23 March 2013.</ref> and the U.S.-based start-up Jumpshot<ref>Calnan, Christopher. [http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/techflash/2013/09/software-maker-jumpshot-acquired.html "Software maker Jumpshot acquired by Czech company"], ''[[Austin Business Journal]]'', Austin, 24 September 2013. Retrieved on 23 March 2015.</ref> that same year and was awarded "Best Employer 2013" for the Czech Republic in the category of large companies.<ref>[https://ceplb03.hewitt.com/bestemployers/europe/czechrepublic/pages/results2013.htm "Best Employers Czech Republic 2013"], ''[[Aon Hewitt]]'', Prague, 14 November 2013. Retrieved on 23 March 2015.</ref> This was also the year that the Avast 2014 series, Avast SecureLine VPN, and Avast GrimeFighter were launched. In February 2014, [[CVC Capital Partners]] signed a binding agreement for a large-scale investment in Avast. Valuing the company at $1 billion, the investment was set to position CVC alongside Summit Partners and founders Baudiš and Kučera as Avast's shareholders.<ref>Board, Laura. [http://www.thestreet.com/story/12310612/1/cvc-capital-partners-takes-slice-of-avast.html "CVC Capital Partners Takes Slice Of Avast"], ''The Street'', New York, 5 February 2014. Retrieved on 23 March 2015.</ref>


⚫
===Reception===
In July 2014, Avast released data about a study carried out on 20 used Android smartphones in regards to data security, during which it was discovered that Android's factory reset functionality did not delete all of the data from used phones; Avast found that it was able to retrieve 40,000 photos from used smartphones; news of this discovery made international headlines.<ref>Tufnell, Nicholas. [http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-28264446 "Naked selfies extracted from 'factory reset' phones"], ''[[BBC]]'', London, 11 July 2014. Retrieved on 23 March 2015.</ref> Avast then created a product called Avast Anti-Theft, which is able to wipe and overwrite all data from a phone.
<i>PC Magazine</i> gave the Avast free antivirus software an overall score of 8.8 out of 10 and gave AVG a score of 8.4.<ref name="PCMagReview"/> The review said Avast gets good lab test results overall and has many features, but its password manager is a bit limited.<ref name="PCMagReview"/> In tests by the [[AV-Test]] Institute, Avast 2017 received six out of six points for protection and usability, and 3.5 points for performance.<ref name="PCMagReview"/> A review in Tom's Guide said the free Avast antivirus product has "good malware protection" and has a small footprint on the system.<ref name="Nadel 2017"/> The review said Avast has a competitive set of features for a free antivirus product, but the scans are slow and it pushes users to install the Google Chrome browser.<ref name="Nadel 2017"/>
That same month, Avast acquired a Czech-based mobile app company called Inmite, which has developed apps for mobile banking, mobile television, several applications for [[Google Glass]], and a car-buying app for [[Škoda Auto]].<ref>By Ruth Reader, Venture Beat. "[https://venturebeat.com/2014/07/24/avast-acquires-czech-mobile-dev-shop-inmite/ Malware buster Avast buys up mobile app maker in move to be mobile friendly]." 24 July 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2014.</ref>


The Avast antivirus product for business users received 4 out of 5 by TechRadar.<ref name="Williams 2017">{{cite web | last=Williams | first=Mike | title=Avast Business Antivirus review | website=TechRadar | date=September 28, 2017 | url=http://www.techradar.com/reviews/avast-business-antivirus | access-date=September 28, 2017}}</ref> The review said the software had good features, protection, configuration, and an "excellent interface," but took up too much hard drive space and didn't cover mobile devices.<ref name="Williams 2017"/> According to Tom's Guide, the mobile version is inexpensive and feature-laden, but some features are unreliable or do not work as expected.<ref name="Riley 2017">{{cite web | last=Riley | first=Sean | title=Avast Mobile Security: Erratic Performance | website=Tom's Guide | date=August 24, 2017 | url=https://www.tomsguide.com/us/avast-mobile-security-android,review-2098.html | access-date=October 6, 2017}}</ref> PC Magazine said the mobile version "has just about every security feature you could want" but was difficult to use.<ref name="PCMAG 2013">{{cite web | title=avast! Mobile Security & Antivirus (for Android) | website=PCMAG | date=June 27, 2013 | url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2421101,00.asp | access-date=October 6, 2017}}</ref>
In October 2014 it was claimed<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.howtogeek.com/199829/avast-antivirus-was-spying-on-you-with-adware-until-this-week/|title=Avast Antivirus Was Spying On You with Adware (Until This Week)|work=howtogeek.com}}</ref> that since around December 2013, Avast had included its own shopping recommendation system, SafePrice, in its Online Security browser extension and had enabled it by default. The claims were rebutted<ref>{{cite web|url=https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=157693.msg1140066#msg1140066|title=Avast Antivirus Was Spying On You with Adware (Until This Week)|work=avast.com}}</ref> point-by-point in an Avast Community forum post made by Ondrej Vlcek, Avast's Chief Operating Officer in response to the article.


AVG has generally performed well in lab tests.<ref name="PCMAG 2017 AVG">{{cite web | title=AVG AntiVirus Free (2017) | website=PCMAG | date=January 13, 2017 | url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2471768,00.asp | accessdate=August 10, 2017}}</ref> AV-Test Institute gave AVG six out of six points for usablity, 5.5 points for protection and 5.5 points for performance.<ref name="PCMAG 2017 AVG"/> However, AVG scored 81.05 in Virus Bulletin's lab tests, which is slightly below average.<ref name="PCMAG 2017 AVG"/> The software is "very good" at detecting malware, but "disappointing" in antiphishing screening.<ref name="PCMAG 2017 AVG"/> A review in Tom's Hardware gave the AVG software seven out of ten stars.<ref name="Nadel 2017">{{cite web | last=Nadel | first=Brian | title=AVG AntiVirus Free: Nearly the Best | website=Tom's Guide | date=August 3, 2017 | url=https://www.tomsguide.com/us/avg-free-antivirus,review-2206.html | access-date=August 10, 2017}}</ref> It said the software has a small footprint and has good malware protection, but does not have a quick scan option and not many additional features.<ref name="Nadel 2017"/>
===2016–present: Investments and expansion===
Avast announced on 7 July 2016, that it had reached an agreement to purchase [[AVG Technologies]] for $1.3 billion.<ref name="bloomberg 2016-07-07">{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-07/avast-to-buy-avg-for-1-3-billion-adding-security-software|title=Avast to Buy AVG for $1.3 Billion to Add Security Software}}</ref> In September 2016, Avast acquired a majority stake of AVG and both operate as a single company since 3 October 2016. The company continues to offer both the AVG and Avast branded products for the foreseeable future.<ref name="BW September 30, 2016"/> Following the acquisition, Avast had 400 million users and 40 percent of the consumer computer market outside China. According to [[Reuters]], Avast would [[Listing (finance)|de-list]] AVG shares and offer its own shares in the future.<ref name="Reuters September 30, 2016"/> In July 2017, the company acquired [[Piriform (company)|Piriform]], the developer of [[CCleaner]].<ref name="VentureBeat 19 July 2017"/>

⚫
== Products ==
{{Main|Avast Antivirus|Avast SecureLine}}
Avast provides IT security products for desktops and servers, as well as VPN software, hard-drive cleanup tools and a passwords manager for browsers.<ref>{{cite web | title=Avast | publisher=Avast | date=June 16, 2017 | url=https://www.avast.com/index | access-date=June 16, 2017}}</ref> The Avast antivirus product includes a password manager, browser security, and network security features.<ref name="Avast">{{cite web | last=Rubenking | first=Neil J. | title=Avast Free Antivirus 2017 | work=PC Magazine | date=February 23, 2017 | url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2471522,00.asp | access-date=June 16, 2017}}</ref> As of 2017, the Avast and AVG (acquired in 2016) antivirus products are expected to be kept separate.<ref name="Avast"/> The AVG antivirus product has four main components: antivirus, PC tuneup, VPN, and Web Tuneup.<ref name="AVG">{{cite web | last=Rubenking | first=Neil J. | title=AVG AntiVirus Free (2017) | work=PC Magazine | date=January 13, 2017 | url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2471768,00.asp | access-date=June 16, 2017}}</ref>

⚫
== Reception ==
* Avast Free Antivirus 2017 is PCMag.com's Editor's Choice for free antivirus protection.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0%2c2817%2c2471522%2c00.asp|title=Avast Free Antivirus 2017|date=23 February 2017|access-date=13 July 2017}}</ref>
* Avast Free Antivirus 2016 received the highest rating for malware detection accuracy from SE Labs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.selabs.uk/download/consumers/january-march-2016-consumer.pdf|title=Home Anti-Malware Protection January - March 2016|publisher=SE Labs|accessdate=13 June 2016}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
{{Portal|Computer security}}
{{Portal|Computer security}}
* [[Internet Security]]
* [[Antivirus software]]
* [[Comparison of antivirus software]]
* [[Comparison of antivirus software]]
* [[Comparison of firewalls]]
* [[Comparison of firewalls]]
* [[Comparison of computer viruses]]


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist|30em|refs=
{{Reflist}}
<ref name="BW September 30, 2016">[http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160930005293/en/Avast-Closes-Acquisition-AVG-Technologies Avast Closes Acquisition of AVG Technologies]. [[Business Wire]]. Published on 30 September 2016.</ref>
<ref name="Reuters September 30, 2016">[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-avast-avg-tech-ceo-idUSKCN1201R2?type=companyNews Avast not done with deal-making after AVG buy, but no rush]. [[Reuters]]. Published on 30 September 2016.</ref>
}}


==External links==
==External links==
* [https://www.avast.com/ Official website]
* {{official}}


{{Antivirus software}}
{{Antivirus software}}

Revision as of 04:31, 5 January 2018

"Avast" redirects here. For other uses, see Avast (disambiguation).
Avast
FormerlyAlwil Software
Company typePrivate
IndustryInternet security
Founded1988; 36 years ago (1988)
Founders
  • Pavel Baudiš
  • Eduard Kučera
Headquarters
Prague
,
Czech Republic
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Vincent Steckler (CEO)
ProductsSecurity software
RevenueUS $714 million[1] (2016)
US $353 million[1] (2016)
4,482,705,000 Czech koruna (2021) Edit this on Wikidata
Total assets36,225,912,000 Czech koruna (2021) Edit this on Wikidata
Number of employees
1000+[2] (2017)
ParentAvast Edit this on Wikidata
SubsidiariesAVG Technologies
Piriform
Websiteavast.com

Avast is a private company headquartered in Prague, Czech Republic. It provides cybersecurity software and services. Avast's software has about 400 million users.[3][4] The company has more than 1,000 employees,[2] with about 650 at its headquarters in the Czech Republic.[5] Avast was founded by Pavel Baudiš and Eduard Kučera in 1988 as a cooperative and has been a private company since 2010. In July 2016, Avast acquired competitor AVG for $1.3 billion.

Corporate history

Avast was founded by Eduard Kucera and Pavel Baudis in 1988.[6] The founder met each other at the Research Institute for Mathematical Machines in Czechoslovakia.[6] The founders weren't allowed to study physics without joining the communist party, which they did not want to do, so they were studying math and computer science instead.[6] At the Institute, Pavel Baudiš discovered the Viennavirus on a floppy disk and developed the first program to remove it.[6][7][8] Afterwards he asked Eduard Kucera to join him in cofounding Avast as a cooperative.[7] The cooperative was originally called Alwil and only the software was named Avast.[9]

The cooperative was changed to a joint partnership in 1991, two years after the velvet revolution[10] caused a regime change in Czechoslovakia. The new regime severed ties with the Soviet Union and allowed more capitalist organizations.[7][9] A few years later in 1995, Avast employee Ondřej Vlček wrote the first antivirus program for the Windows 95 operating system.[7] In the 1990s security researchers at the Virus Bulletin, an IT security testing organization, gave the Avast an award in every category tested, increasing the popularity of the software.[7] However, by the late 1990s, the company was struggling financially.[6] Alwil rebuffed acquisition offers by McAfee, who was licensing the Avast antivirus engine.[6]

By 2001, Alwil was facing financial difficulties, when it converted to a freemium model, offering base Avast at no cost.[7] As a result of the freemium model, the number of users of the software grew to one million by 2004[7] and 20 million by 2006.[9] Former Symantec executive Vince Steckler was appointed CEO of Avast in 2009.[11] In 2010, Alwil changed its name to Avast, adopting the name of the software[9] and raised $100 million in venture capital investments.[12] The following December, Avast filed for an initial public offering, but withdrew its application the following July, citing changes in market conditions.[13] In 2012, Avast fired its outsourced tech support service iYogi, after it was discovered that iYogi was using misleading sales tactics to persuade customers to buy unnecessary services.[14] By 2013 the Avast had 200 million users in 38 countries and had been translated into 43 languages.[6] At the time, the company had 350 employees.[15]

In 2014, CVC Capital bought an interest in Avast for an undisclosed sum. The purchase valued Avast at $1 billion.[16][17] Later that year, Avast acquired mobile app developer Inmite in order to build Avast's mobile apps.[18] Additionally, in 2014 Avast's online support forum was compromised, exposing 400,000 names, passwords, and email addresses.[19][20] By 2015, Avast had the largest share of the market for antivirus software.[13] In July 2016, Avast reached an agreement to buy AVG for $1.3 billion.[21] AVG was a large IT security company that sold software for desktops and mobile devices.[22] In July 2017, Avast acquired UK-based Piriform for an undisclosed sum. Piriform was the developer of CCleaner.[4] Shortly afterwards it was disclosed that someone may have created a malicous version of CCleaner with a backdoor for hackers.[23]

Products

Avast develops and markets business and consumer IT security products for servers, desktops, and mobile devices.[24] The company sells both the Avast product line and the acquired AVG-branded products.[25] As of late 2017, the company had merged the AVG and Avast business product lines and were working to integrate corporate departments from both companies.[26] Additionally, Avast has developed utility software products to improve battery life on mobile devices, cleanup unnecessary files on a hard drive, find secure wireless networks[27] or create a VPN connection to the internet.[28]

Avast and AVG consumer security software is sold on a freemium model, where basic security features are free, but more advanced features require purchasing a premium version.[25] The free version is also supported by ads.[29] Additionally, all Avast users provide data about their PC or mobile device to Avast, which is used to identify new security threats.[6] Antivirus scanning, browser cleanup, a secure browser, password management, and network security features are provided for free, while firewall, anti-spam, and online banking features have to be purchased.[30][31] According to PC Pro, the software does not "nag" users about upgrading.[30][28] About 3% of Avast's users pay for a premium version (10% in the US).[6]

The Avast business product family includes features for endpoint protection, Wi-Fi security, antivirus, identity protection, password management, and data protection.[26] For example, the desktop product will look for vulnerabilities in the wi-fi network and run applications suspect of having malicious hardware in an isolated sandbox.[32] The Avast Business Managed Workplace monitors and manages desktops, and assesses on-site security protocols.[26] The company also sells management software for IT administrators to deploy and manage Avast installations.[26]

Reception

PC Magazine gave the Avast free antivirus software an overall score of 8.8 out of 10 and gave AVG a score of 8.4.[25] The review said Avast gets good lab test results overall and has many features, but its password manager is a bit limited.[25] In tests by the AV-Test Institute, Avast 2017 received six out of six points for protection and usability, and 3.5 points for performance.[25] A review in Tom's Guide said the free Avast antivirus product has "good malware protection" and has a small footprint on the system.[31] The review said Avast has a competitive set of features for a free antivirus product, but the scans are slow and it pushes users to install the Google Chrome browser.[31]

The Avast antivirus product for business users received 4 out of 5 by TechRadar.[32] The review said the software had good features, protection, configuration, and an "excellent interface," but took up too much hard drive space and didn't cover mobile devices.[32] According to Tom's Guide, the mobile version is inexpensive and feature-laden, but some features are unreliable or do not work as expected.[33] PC Magazine said the mobile version "has just about every security feature you could want" but was difficult to use.[34]

AVG has generally performed well in lab tests.[35] AV-Test Institute gave AVG six out of six points for usablity, 5.5 points for protection and 5.5 points for performance.[35] However, AVG scored 81.05 in Virus Bulletin's lab tests, which is slightly below average.[35] The software is "very good" at detecting malware, but "disappointing" in antiphishing screening.[35] A review in Tom's Hardware gave the AVG software seven out of ten stars.[31] It said the software has a small footprint and has good malware protection, but does not have a quick scan option and not many additional features.[31]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Record Revenue Puts Avast in Second Among Security Industry Leaders". Avast. 18 May 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b "More than just jobs, accelerate your career at Avast". Avast. 29 June 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  3. ^ Thubron, Rob (July 20, 2017). "Avast acquires Piriform, the maker of CCleaner and Speccy". TechSpot. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  4. ^ a b Sawers, Paul (19 July 2017). "Avast acquires Piriform, maker of popular system cleaning program CCleaner". VentureBeat. Retrieved 19 July 2017. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  5. ^ "Hodně místa, pěkný výhled a celý den jídlo zdarma. Avast se přestěhoval". iDNES.cz (in Czech). January 22, 2016. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Avast emerged from Communism to shine in security". USA TODAY. October 20, 2013. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g "Příběh superobchodu s antiviry: Avast koupí AVG ukázal um „zlatých českých ručiček" v IT". Blesk.cz (in Czech). Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  8. ^ "Interview with Avast's COO Ondřej Vlček". Download3K. November 19, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  9. ^ a b c d Wonder, Dan (June 17, 2013). "Who Makes Avast?". Chron.com. {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)
  10. ^ "Who We Are". Avast Foundation. August 8, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  11. ^ "Vince Steckler". The CEO Magazine. September 22, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  12. ^ "Security Czechs". The Economist. May 1, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  13. ^ a b Roy, Abhirup (October 29, 2015). "Avast worth 'upwards of $2 billion'; no IPO before 2017". Reuters. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  14. ^ Dunn, John E (March 16, 2012). "Avast suspends antivirus support company after mis-selling allegation". Network World. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  15. ^ "Avast becomes most valuable IT company in the CR". Prague Post. March 11, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  16. ^ Tan, Gillian; Cimilluca, Dana (January 30, 2014). "CVC Capital Near Deal to Invest in Antivirus Company Avast". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  17. ^ "Security Software Firm Avast Gets CVC Capital Investment, Now Valued At $1B". TechCrunch. February 5, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  18. ^ "Malware buster Avast buys up mobile app maker in move to be mobile friendly". VentureBeat. July 24, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  19. ^ Kirk, Jeremy (May 26, 2014). "Avast takes community forum offline after data breach". Network World. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  20. ^ Meyer, David (May 27, 2014). "Security company Avast suffers embarrassing forum hack". Gigaom. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  21. ^ "Security Software Firm Avast to Buy Rival AVG for $1.3 Billion in Cash". Fortune. July 7, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  22. ^ "Avast acquires rival AVG for $1.3 billion to create a security software giant". VentureBeat. July 7, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  23. ^ Olenick, Doug (September 19, 2017). "Avast CCleaner used to spread backdoor to two million plus users". SC Media UK. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  24. ^ "Download Free Antivirus for PC, Mac & Android". Avast. August 9, 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  25. ^ a b c d e Rubenking, Neil J. (February 23, 2017). "Avast Free Antivirus 2017". PC Magazine. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  26. ^ a b c d Kuranda, Sarah (September 6, 2017). "Avast Launches New Business Portfolio And Partner Program, Combining Its Channel Forces With AVG". CRN. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  27. ^ "Avast Main Page: For Home/For Business". Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  28. ^ a b "Avast SecureLine VPN". PCMAG. August 7, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  29. ^ Larkin, Erik (October 2009). "Can You Trust Free Antivirus Protection?". PC World. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  30. ^ a b "Avast Free Antivirus". PC Pro. April 2015. p. 89.
  31. ^ a b c d e Nadel, Brian (August 3, 2017). "AVG AntiVirus Free: Nearly the Best". Tom's Guide. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  32. ^ a b c Williams, Mike (September 28, 2017). "Avast Business Antivirus review". TechRadar. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  33. ^ Riley, Sean (August 24, 2017). "Avast Mobile Security: Erratic Performance". Tom's Guide. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  34. ^ "avast! Mobile Security & Antivirus (for Android)". PCMAG. June 27, 2013. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  35. ^ a b c d "AVG AntiVirus Free (2017)". PCMAG. January 13, 2017. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
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