REDWOOD CITY, California, November 8, 2017 – Avast, the global leader in digital security products, today released its 2018 Security Pro and Cleanup Pro to address the latest security and performance concerns for Mac users. While the majority of malware attacks target Windows computers, cybercriminals’ interest in the Mac platform continues to grow with its expanded market share. To that end, in 2017, Avast blocked more than 250 million malware threats for Mac users.
According to Avast data, Mac users are encountering various malware-related threats, including but not limited to: Trojans, adware, blacklisted websites, potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) and ransomware. Avast Security Pro and Cleanup Pro provides real-time protection from these malware threats as well as router vulnerabilities. Additionally, Mac users can keep their machines running at peak performance, while deep-scanning macOS to delete what is no longer needed with the new Cleanup Pro.
Two key features include the Avast Security Pro’s Ransomware Shield and Wi-Fi Inspector. Ransomware Shield stops unknown ransomware variants from holding files hostage and any untrusted application from changing or deleting users’ protected photos and files. In addition, the Wi-Fi Inspector feature helps fortify networks by scanning for weak router passwords and vulnerabilities, as well as alerting users when a new device joins their network. Given that ransomware and router-based vulnerabilities are known threats for PCs, and will most likely increase for Mac users, Ransomware Shield and Wi-Fi Inspector will provide Macs comprehensive protection from these emerging threats.
“As Apple’s market share grows, so does the status of its products as a target for malicious hackers,” said Ondrej Vlcek, CTO, EVP & GM, Consumer at Avast. “Users should not take security for granted, regardless of what operating system they’re on. Our data clearly indicates that cyber threats are real for macOS and will continue to increase. The best time to protect yourself from a cyber threat is before it happens, and Mac users need to act now to get a solution that will secure their data and not compromise machine performance.”
With the new Avast Security Pro and Cleanup Pro, Mac users will be able to address the growing number of Mac network security threats while optimizing performance. Key security and performance features may be found below:
AVAST SECURITY PRO:
Ransomware Shield
Protects users from ransomware attacks by alerting them when programs attempt to make changes to files or settings.
Wi-Fi Inspector
Monitors users’ Wi-Fi, checking for vulnerabilities in routers and proactively warns when new devices attempt to join home networks.
Scheduled Scans
A feature designed to ensure user security scans occur at specific times. Users may continue to work uninterrupted while the scan runs in the background to ensure both protection and productivity.
AVAST CLEANUP PRO:
Disk Cleaner
Scans and finds leftover data, like application and browser caches or log files, and helps remove them to recover valuable disk space.
Duplicate Finder
Finds and eliminates duplicate files to save disk space and to ensure that users are left with the preferred version.
To enhance security and optimize machine performance, Mac users may purchase 2018 Avast Security Pro and Cleanup Pro for Mac, available at $59.99 each. Reviewer’s licenses are available. System requirements: macOS 10.9 (Maverick) or later with at least 500 MB of disk space. An Internet connection is also required for automatic security updates.
