AVG Internet Security 8.0 - Review [Updated 3-30-08]

AVG 8.0 was released recently with a new user interface, real-time web protection that incorporates Exploit Prevention Labs "LinkScanner" technology, "Safe Search" protection, and a revamped scanning engine among other features.

So far my impressions of this new version are generally 'Pro', although there are  some 'Cons' to include in my review. (See my UPDATE[s] below)

I like the redesigned interface. It's fairly intuitive and easy to navigate. The installation was fairly simple, and the included Help section is good although I'd like to see in this application (and all others) is a feature that provides information/tips when you hover your mouse over a setting explaining what it does (like when you put the cursor over one of the links in this blog). This is an extremely useful feature for new users. All too often software has settings that aren't even explained in the accompanying 'Help' documentation. An option to turn this feature off (for experienced users) should be available also.

The addition of LinkScanner technology is something I've been waiting for, and adds real value to this Internet Security Suite. As the name implies it scans 'links', both in search results from Google, Yahoo!, and MSN. It's also part of the "Active Surf Shield" that monitors web connections in real-time for malicious content and stops it when found, before it gets to your browser.

One of the things I don't like so much is the AVG Toolbar that's installed on your browser. I'm not a big fan of 'toolbars' in general mainly because they reduce the size of the viewing area of the browser. You can easily hide it though by clicking on the main toolbar button [View] -> Toolbars -> "AVG Security Toolbar" and [un]checking it. The other issue is the association with Yahoo! [search] and having their logo visible inside the search box. AVG is catching some flack in various tech forums for this association. But as I said, if you don't want the toolbar visible all you have to do is 'hide' it. The Safe Search function works regardless.

Another issue is for some older, slower systems, I'm not sure how much of the system resources it will consume. On a new system it shouldn't be an issue, and most of the various 'System Suites' out there use *around* the same amount. As far as browsing speed being affected by the real-time scanning for malicious content, I haven't noticed any. Again, on older and slower systems you will notice it more, but the real-time scanning is fast, especially when you think about all it's doing.

Either way, this feature has become one of the most important ingredients in protecting you while you're on the Internet.

This quote says it well:
"The rapid rise of web exploits threatens to undermine the very fabric of Internet trust," said Roger Thompson AVG Chief Research Officer. "Five years ago, if you visited web sites for pornography or illegal file sharing, you expected to run across adware and spyware, but you seldom had reason to fear legitimate web sites.

Today, the situation has changed. Google, Facebook and MySpace - some of the Internet's most popular and trusted destinations - are increasingly the unwitting distributors of drive-by downloads,"

One of the problems with security solutions like 'Blacklisting' is the transient nature of some of the threats. You can't put major web sites on a blacklist unless the company that does so (like Google) monitors the site closely and removes the site from the blacklist as soon as the threat is gone.

The problem is illustrated in this incident Roger Thompson noted on his blog having to do with Google Search presenting users with a notice for the St Kilda Football Club website: "This site may harm your computer".

"The reason that they're doing it is that, probably, at some point the website was hacked and was infecting people, but ... GOOGLE-GUYS! IT'S CLEAN NOW! TAKE THE BLOCK OFF, PLEASE! (I feel like saying "Mr Google! Tear down this wall!", but I wouldn't be so bold)."

"This happens quite a bit, and I must admit that I'm surprised that no one has accused Google of damaging their brand. "

This and other kinds of 'hit and run' threats are becoming common as ISPs block malicious web sites that are thrown up quickly by criminals knowing that the site will be blocked or removed relatively quickly. They just move on and put up another, then another, etc.. The malware they put on the sites to infect PCs can change just as fast. They know that anti-virus companies develop 'signatures' (like a fingerprint of the malware) for each new variation that comes out, so they have a way to [slightly] change it each time they infect (or attempt to) a PC so that it can't be detected that way. Detecting the malware by other means that don't rely on 'signatures' is essential. Most if not all good security software attempts to do this in varying ways and with varying success. The 'real-time scanning' that AVG/LinkScanner uses does an excellent job in identifying many of the new and varied threats.

I'm still evaluating AVG 8.0, and it's 'learning' the programs I use as time goes by, and lets me customize how I want them to connect, communicate, and interact with my system and the web.

Speaking of 'training', I'd like to have AVG develop an easier method of adding email addresses to the "Whitelist'. As it is now, I have to go into "Advanced Settings", go into the Spam section, click "edit" for the Whitelist, and copy addresses into it. If you have (or create) a plain text list of all the email addresses you want to include from your address book you can put them in all at once. That takes a bit of time and effort, and other companies' spam products allow you to 'import' your present address book contents into the whitelist with just a few clicks. At least AVG integrates with the Mozilla Thunderbird email client. I've used other security suites that would only work with Microsoft's email clients "Outlook" and "Outlook Express".

I'm also checking AVG 8.0 out on an older PC with around 600 MB of RAM and an Athlon 1.3 Ghz processor. That PC is well maintained and has a 'normal' number of additional programs running on it, so it should give me a general idea of how it affects system speed.
I'm not doing this full-time, so it will take a little time to evaluate. Plus it's admittedly a 'drag' to use the older PC after getting used to the new one. Everything seems to take sooo looong to do! Yes, I've been spoiled, and my level of patience wasn't very high before either.

[UPDATE ^]: There wasn't any noticeable negative effect on the [above] system.

Bottom line (so far*), I plan to keep AVG Internet Security 8.0 on my system (*see UPDATE below). Along with the other security software I use, being vigilant to what's happening on my system, and careful about where I go, what I download, and what links I click on, I should be able to [continue] having a malware-free PC that's fast and relatively trouble-free.

On my blog "Inside Tom's Brain" I have a list containing much of the software that I use regularly, and links to the corresponding web sites. Keeping your PC maintained by regularly cleaning the registry, limiting what programs start and run when you start your PC, and keeping your system 'defragmented', all are important in keeping your system from slowing down over time. Having enough memory is also important.
Knowing how your system operates and how to maintain it and keep it secure is, as they say, PRICELESS.

More information about AVG 8.0 (including the price) is available on their web site.
Though AVG offers a free anti-virus product that's used by millions of people, the new features aren't available in that version.

[UPDATE ^]: For a free Antivirus solution, Avast! antivirus Home Edition is a much better product. Go to both web sites and compare features, there IS no comparison.. I've used Avast! in the past and have no problems recommending it for those looking for a free AV product, although at $39, ESET NOD32 Antivirus is well worth it [to me].

At this point I can safely recommend this product (but I won't*), but I will be watching to see how it does in the various AV tests done by the top AV and Firewall testing organizations every year. I expect to see an improvement in the AVG Firewall (Leak Test) results over past versions as they were very poor.

*[UPDATE ^]: After the latest round of Firewall (and other) testing, the AVG firewall is still sorely lacking. Enough so that I'm going to uninstall AVG 8.0, opting instead for a separate antivirus and firewall. I've installed ESET's NOD32 AntiVirus and will be going with either the Online Armor firewall or the Comodo firewall. All these products are among the top of the class in past and current tests.

Note: I've gone and reinstalled LinkScanner Pro for it's system and surfing protections. So far it's coexisting well with the NOD32 Antivirus "ThreatSense" proactive protection which does similar work when I'm browsing, but doesn't have the visual (color-coded) safety verification of search results when using Google, Yahoo!, and Windows Live Search.

That's all for now, but in the coming weeks I'm going to talk about helpful web sites that people use to assist them in their daily lives. If you have some favorites you'd like to recommend, send them to me, or leave them in the comments section.