AVG 9.0 with free identity protection

AVG Technologies announced that its family of free and paid internet security products, AVG 9.0, would be generally available to the market in October 2009. Boosted by enhancements in speed and levels of protection, AVG 9.0 is also easier to use and improves end user experience.

AVG 9.0 features the integration between the Resident Shield, firewall, and identity protection modules. This enables the modules to share malware information with each other, increasing AVG’s ability to detect and remove most malicious types of malware, rootkits, and ID Theft threats, for which signatures have not yet been issued.

The firewall enhancements include a complete redesign to reduce intrusive firewall ASK dialogues by 50 percent. This also makes the firewall application significantly quieter and less intrusive, as its new trusted database of applications and application certificates allows the application, without user intervention, to see whether it is safe to allow communication of the application or if it should be blocked. Additionally, because the new firewall works behind the scenes with the behavioral detection technology in the AVG Identity Protection module, it can deliver one of the most accurate detection levels of new and unknown threats.

AVG 9.0 delivers improved anti-phishing detection through enhancements to its LinkScanner offering, which can now more accurately determine whether or not a web page is hosting a phishing attack. This is accomplished by allowing the software to apply more than 100 different potential threat indicators to a page. If the result is inconclusive, LinkScanner then makes a call to the cloud to check a multitude of phishing feeds plugged into the AVG research network to make a final determination regarding threat potential.

The Identity Theft Recovery Unit is a service that will provide AVG customers in the US who have been a victim of identity theft with support from a team of dedicated identity theft recovery experts to help resolve issues, free of charge.

Pricing for a one-year, one-seat license for AVG Anti-Virus 9.0 starts at $34.99 and a two-year, one-seat license for AVG Anti-Virus 9.0 starts at $51.99. AVG Free 9.0 will be available mid-October.