AVG AntiVirus Free offers precisely the same antivirus protection engine as Avast Free Antivirus, but lacks the impressive collection of bonus features that you get with Avast. When you disaggregate measures, you no longer are looking at the average or sum for the values in the rows in the data source. Instead, the view shows a mark for every row in the data source. Disaggregating data is a way to look at the entire surface area of the data. It's a quick way to understand the shape of your data and to identify outliers.
| Developer(s) | AVG Technologies |
|---|---|
| Stable release |
19.3.3084 (March 11, 2019; 20 months ago[1])
|
| Operating system | Windows XP and later, macOS, Android |
| Type | Antivirus software |
| License | Freemium |
| Website | avg.com |
AVG AntiVirus (previously known as AVG, an abbreviation of Anti-Virus Guard) is a line of antivirus software developed by AVG Technologies, a subsidiary of Avast.[3][4] It is available for Windows, macOS and Android.
History
The brand AVG comes from Grisoft's first product, Anti-Virus Guard, launched in 1992 in the Czech Republic. In 1997, the first AVG licenses were sold in Germany and the UK. AVG was introduced in the US in 1998.[5]
The AVG Free Edition helped raise awareness of the AVG product line.[6] In 2006, the AVG security package grew to include anti-spyware as AVG Technologies acquired ewido Networks, an anti-spyware group. AVG Technologies acquired Exploit Prevention Labs (XPL) in December 2007 and incorporated that company's LinkScanner safe search and surf technology into the AVG 8.0 security product range released in March 2008. In January 2009, AVG Technologies acquired Sana Security, a developer of identity theft prevention software. This software was incorporated into the AVG security product range in March 2009.
According to AVG Technologies, the company has more than 200 million active users worldwide, including more than 100 million who use their products and services on mobile devices.[7]
On 7 July 2016, Avast announced an agreement to acquire AVG for $1.3 billion.[8]
Platform support
AVG provides AVG AntiVirus Free for Windows, AVG AntiVirus for Mac for macOS and AVG AntiVirus for Android for Android devices. All are freemium products: They are free to download, install, update and use, but for technical support a premium plan must be purchased.
AVG stopped providing new features for Windows XP and Windows Vista in January 2019. New versions require Windows 7 or later; virus definitions are still provided for previous versions.[9]
Features
AVG features most of the common functions available in modern antivirus and Internet security programs, including periodic scans, scans of sent and received emails (including adding footers to the emails indicating this), the ability to repair some virus-infected files, and a quarantine area (virus vault) in which infected files are held.
LinkScanner
The patent pending LinkScanner technology acquired from Exploit Prevention Labs and built into most AVG products, provides real-time updated protection against exploits and drive-by downloads. LinkScanner includes: Search-Shield – a safe search component that places safety ratings next to each link in Google, Yahoo! and MSN search results; plus Active Surf-Shield – a safe surf component that scans the contents of a web site in real-time to ensure it's safe being opened.[10] Concerns regarding web analytics have made LinkScanner a controversial component (see 'LinkScanner concerns' below).
LinkScanner concerns
When AVG 8.0 was first released, its LinkScanner safe search feature was shown to cause an increase in traffic on websites that appear high in search engine results pages. Since LinkScanner disguises the scans as coming from an Internet Explorer 6 browser when it prescans each site listed in the search results, we site usage logs showed incorrect and overinflated site visitor statistics. The prescanning of every link in search results also caused websites to transfer more data than usual, resulting in higher bandwidth usage for web site operators and slow performance for users.[11] AVG initially said that site administrators would be able to filter the LinkScanner traffic out of their site statistics, leaving the problem of excess bandwidth usage still to be solved.[12] Pay-per-click advertising was not affected by the increase in traffic.[13]
AVG Online Shield
AVG Online Shield is a feature designed to check files and ensure that they are safe. AVG Online Shield also ensures the safety of exchanging files via instant messengers and VoIP clients.[14]
In response to complaints, AVG announced that as of 9 July 2008 'Search-Shield will no longer scan each search result online for new exploits, which was causing the spikes that webmasters addressed with us',[15] releasing a new build on that date that applies a local blacklist, then prefetches and scans only those links clicked on by the user.[16]
Controversy
How To Remove Avg Toolbar
As of 2014, there are numerous reports dating back to 2012 that the AVG SafeGuard Toolbar installs itself without the consent of the user, as a side effect of installing other applications. The toolbar program appears to cause significant RAM issues and can be considered an intrusive potentially unwanted program (PUP). Once installed, the AVG toolbar is virtually impossible to remove. The toolbar uninstaller does not function, instead re-installing the add-on if manually removed. Consequently, many discussions and blog posts have described complex procedures for removal of the AVG toolbar, each with very mixed results.[17][18][19][20][21][22]
In September 2015, AVG announced that it would start tracking users for profit, analyzing their data for sale to the advertising industry. This measure received criticism from consumers, the press and security industry, as many users intended to use the software in order to protect themselves from spyware and would not expect the functions of spyware to be 'hidden' in security software.[23]
In December 2015, the AVG Web TuneUp Google Chrome extension (automatically installed with AVG AntiVirus) was revealed to contain multiple critical security vulnerabilities.[24] Most notably, Chrome users' browsing history could be exposed to any website, cookies from any site the user has visited could be read by an attacker, and trivial cross-site scripting (XSS) issues could allow any website to execute arbitrary code (as another domain).
The XSS vulnerability allowed a user's mail from 'mail.google.com' to be read by any website, or financial information to be read from the user's online banking site. The AVG team fixed this by only allowing 'mysearch.avg.com' and 'webtuneup.avg.com' to execute these scripts. Despite this remediation, attackers could leverage any of these attacks if an XSS vulnerability was found on the AVG sites. As of April 2016, Web TuneUp was still not available for download from the AVG website.
Reception
AVG Antivirus Free 2012 was selected as PC Magazine Editors' Choice in the free antivirus category.[25] AVG AntiVirus Free 2015 received the Editor Choice badge of SoftChamp.[26]
See also
References
- ^'AVG Antivirus Free'. web site. 19 February 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
- ^'AVG AntiVirus 2019 for Android Security FREE'. Google Play Store. 19 February 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
- ^'Avast Closes Acquisition of AVG Technologies'. Business Wire. 30 September 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
- ^'FREE 2016: Developer: Avast Software s.r.o.'Google Play. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
- ^'AVG Technologies Celebrates 15 Years of Internet Security Success'. Avg.com. Archived from the original on 2 May 2009. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
- ^'GRISOFT viert 15 jaar van successen met internetbeveiliging | AVG Nederland'. Avg.com. 5 December 2006. Archived from the original on 2 May 2009. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
- ^'AVG Surpasses 200 Million Users Worldwide'. Now.avg.com. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
- ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 24 March 2017. Retrieved 28 April 2017.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^'AVG ends support for Windows XP & Windows Vista'. AVG Blogs. AVG Technologies. 31 October 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
- ^'Veelgestelde vragen | AVG Nederland'. Avg.com. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
- ^'AVG Disguises Fake Traffic As IE6'. Theregister.co.uk. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
- ^'AVG update disguises LinkScanner traffic as IE6'. Techspot.com. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
- ^'LinkScanner could be behind surge in web traffic'. virusbulletin.com. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
- ^'AVG security features'. AVG.com. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
- ^'AVG Responds to Fake Traffic Spikes'. Networkinstruments.wordpress.com. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
- ^'Grisoft modifies its free AVG product after complaints'. News.cnet.com. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
- ^''AVG Secure Search' is obviously a kind of malware that attaches itself to FF. Is Mozilla working on killing it?'. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
- ^'AVG Toolbar & Secure Search: How do I remove it from my browser & PC?'. ReviverSoft Blog. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
- ^'How to remove Nation Toolbar — Search.nation.com redirect (Removal) - Tech & Internet Security — News & Guides'. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
- ^'How to Remove AVG SafeGuard Toolbar and AVG Secure Search'. Archived from the original on 9 January 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
- ^Completely Remove AVG safeguard toolbar
- ^Emil Protalinski. 'AVG Security Toolbar is the worst foistware I've ever seen'. ZDNet. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
- ^Beuth, Patrick. 'Antivirensoftware benimmt sich künftig wie Spyware'. ZEIT ONLINE. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
- ^'Issue 675: AVG: 'Web TuneUP' extension multiple critical vulnerabilities'. 15 December 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
- ^Rubenking, Neil J. 'AVG Anti-Virus Free 2012 Review & Rating'. PCMag.com. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
- ^'Download AVG AntiVirus Free'. SoftChamp.com. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
External links
Nation Search virus removal instructions
What is Nation Search?
The Nation Search (search.nation.com or avg.nation.com) browser hijacker installs together with free software and modifies users' Internet browser (Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox) settings by changing the homepage and default search engine. This browser toolbar is developed by InfoSpace and promoted using a deceptive software marketing method called 'bundling'. Many computer users refer to Nation toolbar as a virus or malware. These negative associations are made since many Internet users feel that this browser add-on was installed on their computers without their consent. Technically, Nation toolbar is not a virus or malware, however, it is categorized as adware or a potentially unwanted application.
Recent research shows that this toolbar is bundled with AVG Free Antivirus 2014 (a legitimate antivirus program). Computer users who do not pay close enough attention to the installation steps of this free software, inadvertently install Nation toolbar, thus causing unwanted browser redirects to avg.nation.com Note that the search.nation.com and avg.nation.com websites use an Internet search engine, which can be used to find information on the Internet; although these websites appear to return legitimate search results, the results pages are crowded with dubious sponsored results. Clicking on these can lead to installation of additional adware or even malware.
Nation Search toolbar is similar to other potentially unwanted browser add-ons distributed using free. software downloads (via download clients and installers). Examples include Babylon toolbar, Delta Search Toolbar, SearchGol toolbar, and many others. This toolbar is known to cause browser redirects to search.nation.com, avg.nation.com, and isearch.nation.com The best way to avoid installation of such potentially unwanted browser plugins (which add no significant functionality and cause redirect issues), is to pay close attention when downloading and installing free software. Internet users should be aware that, today, the majority of free. software download websites use download clients and installers to monetize their free services. Download clients offer (some in a very deceptive way) installation of additional (promoted) free browser add-ons together with the chosen freeware. If your download is managed by a download client, decline any offers to install additional browser extensions. When installing freeware, choose the 'Custom' or 'Advanced' installation options. This will reveal any hidden options that you may decline. To remove Nation toolbar from your system, use removal instructions provided.
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Quick menu:
- STEP 1. Uninstall Nation toolbar application using Control Panel.
- STEP 2. Remove search.nation.com redirect from Internet Explorer.
- STEP 3. Remove search.nation.com browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove search.nation.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
- STEP 5. Remove search.nation.com redirect from Safari.
- STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.
Nation search virus removal:
Windows 7 users:
Click Start (Windows Logo at the bottom left corner of your desktop), choose Control Panel. Locate Programs and click Uninstall a program.
Windows XP users:
Click Start, choose Settings and click Control Panel. Locate and click Add or Remove Programs.
Windows 10 and Windows 8 users:
Right-click in the lower left corner of the screen, in the Quick Access Menu select Control Panel. In the opened window choose Programs and Features.
Mac OSX users:
Click Finder, in the opened screen select Applications. Drag the app from the Applications folder to the Trash (located in your Dock), then right click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.
In the uninstall programs window: look for 'Nation toolbar' (AVG Nation toolbar) select this entry and click 'Uninstall' or 'Remove'.
After uninstalling potentially unwanted programs (which cause browser redirects to the search.nation.com or avg.nation.com websites), scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software. Remove all entries that this program detects to ensure your PC is clean from any possible spyware and malware infections.
Malwarebytes checks if your computer is infected with malware. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Malwarebytes. 14 days free trial available.
Search.nation.com homepage and default search engine removal from browsers:
Video showing how to remove potentially unwanted browser add-ons:
Avg Toolbar Download
Remove malicious add-ons from Internet Explorer:
Click on the 'gear' icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer) select 'Manage Add-ons'. Look for 'Nation toolbar' (AVG Nation toolbar), select these entries and click 'Remove'.
Change homepage:
To change your homepage from search.nation.com (or avg.nation.com) to your preferred domain, click on the 'gear' icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer) select 'Internet Options', in the opened window remove search.nation.com (or avg.nation.com) and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you launch Internet Explorer.
Change default search engine:
Click on the 'gear' icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer) select 'Manage Add-ons'. In the opened window select 'Search Providers', set 'Google', 'Bing' or any other preferred search engine as your default and remove 'Nation Search' (AVG Nation Search).
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.nation.com redirect, reset your Internet Explorer settings to default.
Windows XP users: Click Start, click Run, in the opened window type inetcpl.cpl In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.
Windows Vista and Windows 7 users: Click the Windows logo, in the start search box type inetcpl.cpl and click enter. In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.
Windows 8 users: Open Internet Explorer and click the gear icon. Select Internet Options.
In the opened window, select the Advanced tab.
Click the Reset button.
Confirm that you wish to reset Internet Explorer settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) select 'Tools' and click on 'Extensions'. Locate 'Nation.com - Advanced Search', select it and click on the trash can icon.
Change homepage:
Change Google Chrome homepage from search.nation.com to you preferred domain - Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) select 'Settings'. In the 'On startup' section click 'set pages', hover your mouse over search.nation.com and click the x symbol. Now you can add your preferred website as your homepage.
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.nation.com redirect, reset your Google Chrome browser settings. Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select Settings. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen. Click the Advanced… link.
After scrolling to the bottom of the screen, click the Reset (Restore settings to their original defaults) button.
In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Google Chrome settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
Remove malicious plugins from Mozilla Firefox:
Click on the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window) select 'Add-ons'. Click on 'Extensions' and remove 'Nationtoolbar'.
Change homepage:
To reset your homepage, click on the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window) then select 'Options', in the opened window remove search.nation.com and enter your preferred domain.
Change default search engine:
In the URL address bar, type about:config and press Enter.
Click 'I'll be careful, I promise!'.
In the search filter at the top, type: 'nation'
Right-click on the found preferences and select 'Reset' to restore default values.
Optional method:
Computer users who have problems with search.nation.com redirect removal can reset their Mozilla Firefox settings.
Open Mozilla Firefox, at the top right corner of the main window, click the Firefox menu, in the opened menu, click Help.
Select Troubleshooting Information.
In the opened window, click the Refresh Firefox button.
In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Mozilla Firefox settings to default by clicking the Refresh Firefox button.
Remove malicious extensions from Safari:
Make sure your Safari browser is active and click Safari menu, then select Preferences...
In the preferences window select the Extensions tab. Look for any recently installed suspicious extensions and uninstall them.
Avg Toolbar Free
In the preferences window select General tab and make sure that your homepage is set to a preferred URL, if its altered by a browser hijacker - change it.
In the preferences window select Search tab and make sure that your preferred Internet search engine is selected.
Optional method:
What Is Avg Nation Toolbar Extension
Make sure your Safari browser is active and click on Safari menu. From the drop down menu select Clear History and Website Data...
In the opened window select all history and click the Clear History button.
Remove malicious extensions from Microsoft Edge:
Click the Edge menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select 'Extensions'. Locate any recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons, and remove them.
Change your homepage and new tab settings:
Click the Edge menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select 'Settings'. In the 'On startup' section look for the name of the browser hijacker and click 'Disable'.
Change your default Internet search engine:
To change your default search engine in Microsoft Edge: Click the Edge menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select 'Privacy and services', scroll to bottom of the page and select 'Address bar'. In the 'Search engines used in address bar' section look for the name of the unwanted Internet search engine, when located click the 'Disable' button near it. Alternatively you can click on 'Manage search engines', in the opened menu look for unwanted Internet search engine. Click on the puzzle icon near it and select 'Disable'.
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.nation.com redirect, reset your Microsoft Edge browser settings. Click the Edge menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge) and select Settings.
In the opened settings menu select Reset settings.
Select Restore settings to their default values. In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Microsoft Edge settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
- If this did not help, follow these alternative instructions explaining how to reset the Microsoft Edge browser.
Summary:
A browser hijacker is a type of adware infection that modifies Internet browser settings by assigning the homepage and default Internet search engine settings to some other (unwanted) website URL. Commonly, this type of adware infiltrates operating systems through free. software downloads. If your download is managed by a download client, ensure that you decline offers to install advertised toolbars or applications that seek to change your homepage and default Internet search engine settings.
Removal assistance:
If you are experiencing problems while trying to remove search.nation.com redirect from your Internet browsers, please ask for assistance in our malware support forum.
Post a comment:
If you have additional information on search.nation.com redirect or it's removal please share your knowledge in the comments section below.
finally i removed Nation Search browser jacker from my browser ;) ty