Avast! is perhaps the most popular and trusted, free antivirus computer program available, with more than 219 million users world-wide, which is more than any other security provider. They are dedicated to being the best at saving the world’s computers.

Avast! is based in Praque, Czech Repulic, and was started by Eduard Kucera and Pavel Baudis in 1988. As a result of an unpleasant encounter with the Vienna Virus, Kucera and Baudis set out on a quest to create a better antivirus program. The result: an award-winning antivirus program with global popularity.

Over the past 25 years, avast! has received numerous awards and accolades. Most recently, they have been ranked as the most-downloaded product on several major global software portals, received a 5-star Excellent rating from Softpedia, were awarded the VB100 Award from the independent testing firm Virus Bulletin, and received the “Advanced+” rating from independent testing firm AV-Companies. They were also named as Czech Republic’s best company to work for in 2013.

Avast! 2014 has several options for personal use. The hugely popular avast! Free Antivirus protects computers from malware and viruses. Avast! also offers paid upgrades in addition to the free antivirus:

•avast! Pro Antivirus has the added protection for secure payments and banking
•avast! Internet Security protects online banking, has a silent firewall, and an anti-spam feature to protect users from phishing and scam emails
• avast! Premier includes all of the previously mentioned features plus includes a data shredder for military-grade permanent data erasure, an automatic software updater for your other programs, and even allows you to securely access your computer over the internet from anywhere.

New releases include avast! 2014, SecureLine, and GrimeFighter. Avast! 2014 is the latest and greatest version of the antivirus program which is available in more than 40 languages, and streams hundreds of micro-updates daily to ensure you have the best protection possible. The avast! SecureLine VPN protects user activity done over WiFi. It encrypts browsing and communications, making you invisible to anyone trying to spy on your internet activity. Lastly, the avast! GrimeFighter program is the first PC cleaner to detect and remove files that can’t be found with Windows running.

In addition to personal computer security, avast! is also available for businesses and for Android phones and tablets. Avast! Mobile Security and Anti-Theft protects against malware attacks, has a built in feature to locate your device if it is ever lost or stolen, and allows you to thoroughly wipe or delete the contents of your SD card for security.

To learn more about avast! be sure to visit their website, like them on Facebook, follow their blog, watch informational videos on YouTube, or keep up with the latest via their Twitter feed.

Join us in congratulating avast! on their 25th anniversary!