Avast Premium Security
Version 26.7.11086 · Avast Software s.r.o. · Windows 7 / 8 / 10 / 11 · ranked #99 in the library
A full protection suite covering file and behaviour scanning, network monitoring, ransomware shielding for named folders and a sandbox for running something you are not sure about.
Read the installation section below before you start. The order of the steps matters on this release.
About this release
Overview
The premium tier is the complete product rather than the file scanner alone. Alongside real time file, web, mail and behaviour shields you get the firewall, the ransomware shield that locks named folders against unrecognised processes, the sandbox for running an unknown executable in isolation, webcam protection, a data shredder for permanent deletion and a scanner for outdated software on the machine.
Detection runs from several directions at once. A signature layer handles known families, a behaviour layer watches what a process actually does at runtime rather than what it looks like, and a network inspection layer flags weak router configuration and devices on the local segment that should not be there. Scans can be scheduled, run on demand against a folder, or run from a boot environment before the system is fully up for anything that is entrenched.
The suite is heavier than the free edition, so the settings that matter are the ones controlling when it works. Scheduled deep scans set for a time the machine is idle, the gaming mode that suspends notifications and background work, exclusion lists for development folders that would otherwise be scanned constantly, and per-shield sensitivity settings. Configured properly it stays out of the way and only speaks up when something happens.
What it does
Feature breakdown
Layered real time shields
File system, web, mail and behaviour shields running together, with the behaviour layer judging processes by what they do rather than by what they match.
Ransomware shield
Nominate folders that only approved applications may write to, so an unrecognised process encrypting documents is stopped at the first file.
Firewall and network inspector
Per-application inbound and outbound rules, plus a sweep of the local network that flags weak router settings and unexpected devices.
Sandbox
Run a suspicious executable in an isolated environment where it can see nothing real, then discard the whole session afterwards.
Webcam and sensitive data protection
Block applications from opening the camera without permission and flag documents containing personal data sitting unprotected on disk.
Boot time scan and rescue media
Scan before the system fully starts, for anything that hides itself once the desktop is up, plus creation of bootable rescue media.
Changed in this build
Version 26.7.11086
- Behaviour engine updated with lower false positive rates on developer tooling and build scripts.
- Firewall rule editor rebuilt with searchable rules and per-application grouping.
- Reduced idle memory footprint of the background service.
- Network inspector now reports on devices appearing and disappearing over time rather than a single snapshot.
- Faster full system scan through better caching of previously verified files.
Installation
Follow these in order
- Remove any other security suite completely first. Two real time scanners on one machine fight and slow everything down.
- Disconnect from the network.
- Extract the archive.
- Run the offline installer as administrator and let it complete.
- Apply the included licence component before the first launch of the interface.
- Reboot, open the interface and confirm the subscription panel shows the premium tier.
Release notes
From whoever packed it
- Do not let it update itself from within the interface. Definition updates are fine, program updates are not.
- Add your development and build folders to the exclusion list or compilation will crawl.
- The sandbox needs virtualisation enabled in firmware. If it refuses to start, that is where to look.
System requirements
Minimum and recommended
| Operating system | Windows 7 service pack 1 through Windows 11, 32-bit or 64-bit |
|---|---|
| Processor | Any modern x86 or x64 processor, 1 GHz or faster |
| Memory | 2 GB minimum, 4 GB recommended |
| Graphics | No specific requirement, 1024 by 768 minimum resolution |
| Storage | 2.5 GB of free space for the suite and its definition data |
Questions about this release
Answered before you ask
- Do definitions still update?
- Yes, definition updates work normally and are separate from the program update path.
- Can I turn off the parts I do not want?
- Yes, every shield and component can be disabled individually from the protection settings.
- Does it conflict with the built in Windows protection?
- It disables the built in real time scanner automatically on install, which is the correct behaviour.
Download
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