You are exposed to online attacks every time you perform a simple activity, like checking e-mail or worse, downloading a product.
In order to keep your computer up-to-date with the latest malicious threats, you need to get yourself a strong security technology.
Ad-Aware Free Internet Security is a small but very powerful security tool that provides you with protection against viruses, spyware, and malware.
Its user interface is very simple to follow, and the features are clearly established.
In the main menu you can view the status and statistics of Web Update, Scan System, and Ad-Watch Live!.
Performing a scan gives you three options: Smart Scan, Full Scan, and Profile Scan.
Smart Scan is a quick tool that browses your system, but only in the most critical parts of it (e.g. Windows system files), while Full Scan is a deep scan mode that looks into the entire local drives.
In Scan Settings you can configure Ad-Aware to scan in critical areas, running applications, Windows registry entries, ads, tracking cookies, rootkits, and executable files.
As soon as the software finds a virus or similar threat, you have the option of quarantining, removing, ignoring, or allowing it “to live”.
Scheduling scans is also possible. They can even be activated at Windows startup.
TrackSweep is another interesting feature that clears the traces you leave behind after going online. This includes cache, cookies, history, last typed URL, and tabs. It is available for Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, and Google Chrome.
When Ad-Aware is active, the available CPU is significantly reduced, but you are expected to stop doing any other activity during system scanning.
To sum things up, Ad-Aware Free Internet Security definitely provides a glimpse at the full version of the product, and anyone who is interested in the protection of their computer should try it at least once.
Limitations:
· Pop-up reminder notifying users about the paid version's advantages
What's New in This Release:
· Cached Scanning automatically skips the scanning of files that it determined safe in earlier scans, resulting in much faster scans. With the new scanning capabilities, a quick scan drops from four minutes to less than ten seconds on subsequent scans, and drops from two hours to between six and ten minutes on full scans
· Firewall technology automatically white-lists trusted programs, enabling users to upgrade to Ad-Aware without networking issues with programs already installed
· Real-Time Protection increases the reliability of the drivers and includes enhanced 64-bit support
· Web-Browsing Protection engine now updates several times a day
Users are advised to pay attention while installing this ad-supported application:
· Offers to change the homepage for web browsers installed in the system
· Offers to change the default search engine for web browsers installed in the system
· Offers to download or install software or components (such as browser toolbars) that the program does not require to fully function