AVAST Software announced the release of avast! Free version 6.0, an antivirus solution that's totally free for non-commercial use. This edition includes a protective layer called Script Shield that was previously available only in the Pro edition. It also adds two new features called WebRep and AutoSandbox.

Script Shield adds to the products basic Web protection by actively scanning scripts found on Web pages and blocking those found to be malicious. It's a small but significant addition to real-time protection. Vince Steckler, AVAST's CEO, noted that simple signature-based detection is a black-and-white proposition; either a file is recognized as bad or not. AutoSandbox offers a third choice for files that manifest suspicious behavior but don't match a known signature. When avast! detects a suspicious file it gives the user a chance to run it in the sandbox, meaning it can't do any permanent damage.

AVAST's CTO, Ondrej Vlcek, further explained, "If the item is dangerous, the virtual computer is shut down and the user's real machine remains safe. And, if the item is safe, there is no hassle from a false positive." The product can use more aggressive heuristic detection because a false positive (detecting a valid file as malicious) does not kill the file.

The Web reputation feature draws on the knowledge of avast!'s 120 million active users to both identify bad Web sites and categorize Web sites of all kinds. A browser toolbar offers instant access to existing reputation information for the current site and also lets users quickly add their own impressions. WebRep also draws on the company's database of known malicious sites, and marks up search results to help users avoid visiting a dangerous site.

Steckler noted that the free product is AVAST Software's flagship. It's the one they submit for testing to the independent labs, and it consistently scores well. The 6.0 Pro edition adds a new feature called SafeZone, which allows fully protected browsing even on a system with active keyloggers or other malware. Avast! Internet Security 6.0 includes all features of the Pro edition as well as firewall and antispam. PCMag will post reviews of these products once our evaluations are complete.

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