Avast Premium Security

About this release

Avast Premium Security is the complete version of a package most people have only seen in its cut down form. The core scanning engine is the same, but the premium build adds the firewall, the ransomware shield, the sandbox, network inspection, remote access protection and the tools that deal with fake sites and intercepted connections, which is the half that actually matters once a machine is doing more than browsing.

Protection runs in layers rather than as a single scanner. File, behaviour, web and mail shields watch different routes in, the behaviour layer catches things that no signature knows about yet by what they try to do, and the ransomware shield locks the folders that hold documents and photos so that nothing unapproved can write to them. Anything suspicious can be opened in the sandbox first, where it runs isolated from the real system.

The network side scans the local network for open ports, weak router settings, default credentials and devices that should not be there, and reports them in plain language rather than as a list of port numbers. Remote access protection blocks the connection routes that get abused to take over a machine, which is the single most common way a home user loses one.

Day to day it is quiet. Scans schedule themselves, updates are incremental, gaming and presentation modes suppress notifications, and the interface stays out of the way until something needs a decision. The scan scheduler, exclusion lists and shield sensitivity are all adjustable for people who want to tune it rather than accept the defaults.

What it does

Layered shields

File, behaviour, web and mail protection running as separate layers rather than one scanner.

Firewall

Full inbound and outbound control with per application rules and separate profiles for trusted and public networks.

Ransomware shield

Document and photo folders locked so only approved applications can write to them.

Sandbox

Run anything questionable in isolation from the real system before deciding to trust it.

Network inspector

Scans the local network for open ports, weak settings and unexpected devices, reported in plain language.

Remote access protection

Blocks the connection routes most often abused to take control of a machine.

Changed in this version

• Lower memory use during full scans.
• Behaviour engine updated with better detection of script based threats.
• Firewall rule editor reworked to be readable without networking knowledge.
• Network inspector adds checks for recent router weaknesses.
• Fewer notification interruptions during full screen applications.
• Faster startup impact on machines with slower storage.

System requirements

Install order

1. Remove any other resident protection first, as two will conflict.
2. Unpack the archive and run the installer.
3. Restart when prompted so the shields and firewall driver load.
4. Run a first full scan overnight, then let the schedule take over.

Worth knowing before you start

File details