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User:Empey at Avast/avg software

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AVG
Developer(s)AVG Technologies
Stable release
19.4
Operating systemWindows XP and later, macOS, Android
TypeAntivirus software
LicenseFreemium
Websitewww.avg.com

AVG Software is a brand of software products produced by AVG Technologies, a subsidiary of Avast. It spans a variety of IT security, system performance, utility, and privacy software for desktops and mobile devices. It started as a simple antivirus program intended to remove a specific virus. Over time, the brand expanded to identity theft, spyware, do not track tools, and other utilities. It is best-known for IT security software.

History

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Early history

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The first piece of AVG (initially called Grisoft) software was developed in 1989 as a basic program that removed a specific virus from the user's PC.[1] Users sent other viruses to the founder and the program expanded.[1] Grisoft first transitioned to a freeware model in 1999.[2] By 2002, version 6.0 of AVG's antivirus product was in distribution.[3] PC Magazine said even the free version of 6.0 wasn't worth it.[3] However, by 2004 the software's performance at correctly identifying malicious software in lab tests had improved.[4]

Version 7.5 of AVG AntiVirus, released in October 2006, was the first version that was marketed directly to consumers, rather than PC manufacturers.[5] It was also the first to consolidate AVG's cybersecurity products into a single software suite and user interface.[6] This trend continued with better integration across AVG's features in version 8.[7] Version 9 was released in 2009.[7] It improved scan speeds and added identity theft protection features.[7]

Expansion through Acquisition

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Many of the features and software products under the AVG brand were acquired from other companies. AVG bought spyware software from Ewido Networks in 2006,[8] browser security products from Exploit Prevention Labs in 2007,[9] and software behavioral analysis software from Sana Security in 2009.[10]

AVG acquired mobile security technology from DroidSecurity in 2011[11] and from Location Labs in 2014.[12] AVG also made acquisitions for parental control software[13] and remote monitoring.[14] It acquired privacy software from Privacy Choice in 2013,[15] followed by the HideMyAss! VPN and privacy tool from Privax in 2015.[16]

In July 2016, Avast acquired AVG for $1.3 billion.[17][18] The new combined incorporated software from both companies into their products.[19][20] Later, Avast acquired utility software programs like MyRoll.[21]

Early 2000s

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LinkScanner is a component of the AVG AntiVirus suite that scans links on a web page for malicious software before the user visits them.[22] Initially, it created dramatic spikes in traffic data for webmasters, because LinkScanner clicked on links under the guise of being a real user.[23] AVG responded by reworking the software to rely on a blacklist of links and checking URLs against the database without clicking them.[24]

In 2012, AVG published a "do not track" extension for internet browsers that prevents websites from using cookies to collect personal information from the user.[25] This was followed by a "do not track" app for mobile phones that prevents location-tracking.[26] In 2015, Crumble for Chrome added a Do Not Track tool that prevents cookies and other tracking software based on their behavior, rather than a blacklist.[27]

In 2013, AVG released a utility for mobile devices that manages power settings and computing tasks to conserve energy.[28] That year, the first AVG AntiVirus product for macs was released[29] and the user interface of the PC version was reworked to give it a similar look and feel as Windows 8.[30] In 2015, AVG AntiVirus 2015 was published.[31] According to Tom's Guide, it missed malware caught by competing products, but got most of it and used less computing resources.[31]

In 2015, a security vulnerability was discovered in AVG's Web Tuneup Google Chrome plug-in, which is installed automatically with AVG Antivirus unless the user opts out.[32] The vulnerability was fixed with a patch.[33] It is unknown whether any private user data, such as browsing histories, was compromised before the vulnerability was patched.[32][33]

Recent history

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In January 2017, Avast released new versions of AVG TuneUp, AntiVirus, and Internet Security that integrates the AVG and Avast product lines, following the acquisition of AVG by Avast the prior year.[34] It also released new software products for businesses that incorporate the technology of both companies.[35]

Software

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AVG develops and markets software for IT security, privacy, performance optimization, and other utility services on desktop computers and mobile devices.[36] It is one of the largest brands of cybersecurity software.[37]

AVG is best-known for its antivirus product.[38] AVG AntiVirus is a freeware program[38] that relies heavily on heuristic analysis to determine if a program's code is behaving like malicious software.[39][40] It scans a computer's documents, programs, and emails for suspicious behavior,[41] then rates each file's risk based on its behavior and alerts the user of files with a high rating.[40] AVG Antivirus has features intended to protect the user's PC from malware, phishing, and viruses.[42] It also has firewall, identity protection, anti-ransomware, anti-spam, and webcam control features for paid users.[42][43][44]

Avast also develops software for data backup, parental controls, and other services.[45][38] AVG produces a variety of other computer optimization and utility software products, like AVG PC TuneUp.[37][12]

A majority of AVG's revenues come from free users upgrading to paid versions.[45] The rest comes from advertisements displayed to free users,[45] collecting and selling user information to advertisers,[46] and automatically installing browser toolbars when users do not opt-out during the installation process.[47]

Reception

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AV-TEST gave AVG Antivirus 17.5 points out of 18 points in a three-part review of protection, performance, and usability.[42] PC Magazine gave AVG AntiVirus four out of five stars.[42] The magazine said AVG performed well at detecting malicious software in lab tests, but scans took longer than expected.[42] It also noted that AVG provides unlimited licenses for all of the devices in a household.[42] PC World said AVG Internet Security was a "decent security suite that gives adequate protection and adds little weight to your system."[48] In their lab tests, AVG detected 98-99 percent of malicious software, compared to 100 percent of some competitors.[48] However, it consumed less computing power and was easy-to-use.[48] A 2017 review of the AntiVirus product by the same magazine provided similar pros and cons, but said some aspects of the user interface were not intuitive.[49]

PC World said the AVG spyware program found more adware and spyware than competitors, but it also had a high rate of false positives.[8] AVG's now-discontinued[42] secure-search browser toolbar was unpopular. The toolbar was installed automatically unless the user opted-out and was difficult to un-install.[50] Some writers referred to it as malware or foistware.[50]

References

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  1. ^ a b Rocks, David (August 31, 1998). "Czech Detection: Grisoft targets the U.S. antivirus-software market, but will the two California titans even notice?". The Wall Street Journal.
  2. ^ Cienski, Jan (September 7, 2017). "Anti-virus makers spring from an unexpected source". Financial Times. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Seltzer, Larry (June 11, 2002). "Tenth Annual Utility Guide: Personal Antivirus". PC Magazine.
  4. ^ Spanbauer, Scott (January 2004). "Free Antivirus: Finally Ready for Prime Time". PC World.
  5. ^ "Grisoft Updates Security Lineup To v. 7.5". TechWeb. October 3, 2006.
  6. ^ Ohlhorst, Frank (October 16, 2006). "Suite Antivirus Technology -- Latest release from Grisoft proves better detection than some competitors". CRN.
  7. ^ a b c Rosenblatt, Seth (October 5, 2009). "AVG: Version 9 faster, includes ID protection service". Download.com. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  8. ^ a b Naraine, Ryan (August 21, 2007). "Grisoft AVG Anti-Spyware 7.5". PCWorld. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  9. ^ Rossi, Sandra (December 20, 2018). "Grisoft to acquire Exploit Prevention Labs for undisclosed sum". Computerworld. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  10. ^ Rubenking, Neil (January 13, 2009). "AVG Buys Sana's Behavior-Based Security Tech". PCMAG. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  11. ^ "AVG Acquires Mobile Security Startup DroidSecurity For Up To $9.4 Million". TechCrunch. November 10, 2010. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  12. ^ a b Stynes, Tess (September 3, 2014). "AVG Technologies to Buy Location Labs". WSJ. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  13. ^ "AVG Acquires 'Online Family Protection' Software Maker Bsecure". TechCrunch. November 1, 2011. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  14. ^ "AVG acquires LPI Level Platforms, providing more cloud services to SMBs". IT Business. June 12, 2013. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  15. ^ Ludwig, Sean (May 21, 2013). "AVG buys web privacy firm PrivacyChoice & its smart Privacyfix dashboard". VentureBeat. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
  16. ^ Osborne, Charlie (May 6, 2015). "AVG acquires desktop, mobile VPN firm Privax". ZDNet. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  17. ^ McMillan, Robert (July 7, 2016). "Avast Software to Buy AVG Technologies for $1.3 Billion". WSJ. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  18. ^ Lomas, Natasha (July 7, 2016). "Avast acquires antivirus maker AVG for $1.3BN to gain scale and dive into IoT security". TechCrunch. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  19. ^ "AVG stellt neueste Versionen seiner Sicherheits- und TuneUp-Suiten vor". ZDNet.de (in German). January 10, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  20. ^ Kuranda, Sarah (September 6, 2017). "Avast Launches New Business Portfolio And Partner Program, Combining Its Channel Forces With AVG". CRN. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  21. ^ Sawers, Paul (November 12, 2015). "AVG acquires Israeli photo-management startup MyRoll, plans to integrate the technologies". VentureBeat. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  22. ^ Mills, Elinor (March 2, 2009). "New antivirus software looks at behaviors, not signatures". CNET. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  23. ^ Metz, Cade (June 26, 2008). "AVG disguises fake traffic as IE6". The Register. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  24. ^ Vamosi, Robert (October 6, 2008). "Grisoft modifies its free AVG product after complaints". CNET. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  25. ^ Paul, Ian (March 27, 2012). "Security Firm AVG Releases Do-Not-Track Feature for Windows". PCWorld. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  26. ^ Olson, Parmy (December 9, 2013). "Security Firm AVG Launches First Service To Block Mobile Location Tracking". Forbes. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
  27. ^ "AVG's Crumble extension simplifies online privacy". PCWorld. June 16, 2015. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  28. ^ Kirk, Jeremy (April 16, 2013). "AVG releases free 'TuneUp' application for Android devices". PCWorld. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
  29. ^ Ohannessian, Kevin (December 12, 2013). "Free AVG AntiVirus Comes to Apple Macs". Tom's Guide. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
  30. ^ Purewal, Sarah Jacobsson (January 28, 2013). "AVG Internet Security 2013 Review: Adequate antivirus program gets a makeover". PCWorld. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
  31. ^ a b Scharr, Jill (December 23, 2014). "AVG AntiVirus 2015 Review: Light and Fast Protection". Tom's Guide. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
  32. ^ a b Gallagher, Sean (December 30, 2015). "Google slams AVG for exposing Chrome user data with "security" plugin". Ars Technica. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
  33. ^ a b Sherr, Ian (December 30, 2015). "Did AVG leave your personal data exposed?". CNET. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
  34. ^ "AVG stellt neueste Versionen seiner Sicherheits- und TuneUp-Suiten vor". ZDNet.de (in German). January 10, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  35. ^ Kuranda, Sarah (September 6, 2017). "Avast Launches New Business Portfolio And Partner Program, Combining Its Channel Forces With AVG". CRN. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  36. ^ "Compare All AVG Products - Find the Perfect Software". AVG.com. January 4, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  37. ^ a b Sawers, Paul (July 7, 2016). "Avast acquires rival AVG for $1.3 billion to create a security software giant". VentureBeat. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  38. ^ a b c "AVG Maker Grisoft Launches Anti-Spyware". TechWeb. June 19, 2006.
  39. ^ Rocks, David (August 31, 1998). "Czech Detection: Grisoft targets the U.S. antivirus-software market, but will the two California titans even notice?". The Wall Street Journal.
  40. ^ a b "Grisoft Adds Partners -- The Czech vendor targets U.S. VARs with antivirus offering". VARBusiness. August 21, 2006.
  41. ^ "Antiviry: AVG 6.0". iDNES.cz (in Czech). January 22, 2002. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  42. ^ a b c d e f g Rubenking, Neil (October 22, 2018). "AVG AntiVirus Free". PCMAG. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  43. ^ "AVG Internet Security - Unlimited". PCMAG. December 4, 2018. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  44. ^ Plus, PC (February 12, 2011). "AVG Internet Security 2011". TechRadar. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  45. ^ a b c "'Freemium' Model Works Well For AVG Technologies". Investor's Business Daily. August 5, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
  46. ^ Beuth, Patrick (September 22, 2015). "AVG: Antivirensoftware benimmt sich künftig wie Spyware". ZEIT ONLINE (in German). Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  47. ^ Larkin, Erik (August 24, 2009). "Can You Trust Free Antivirus Software?". PCWorld. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  48. ^ a b c Purewal, Sarah Jacobsson (January 30, 2014). "AVG Internet Security 2014 review: a decent, lightweight antivirus suite". PCWorld. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
  49. ^ Paul, Ian (October 17, 2017). "AVG Internet Security Review: A premium antivirus suite that you can put on all your household PCs". PCWorld. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  50. ^ a b Edwards, Jim (April 17, 2013). "Google Is Offloading Its Most Disliked Partners Onto Yahoo". Business Insider. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
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