SecurityBrief Australia - Technology news for CISOs & cybersecurity decision-makers
Story image
Avast One extends protection with Online Safety Score
Tue, 9th Aug 2022
FYI, this story is more than a year old

Avast One, the digital protection service from Avast, has extended its cross-platform support by adding its Online Safety Score feature to both the Mac and iOS platforms of Avast One.

Previously available on Windows and Android, Online Safety Score helps people take control of their online safety by providing a simple score with regular feedback and tips on how to improve it further.

Network Inspector, formally known as WiFi Inspector in Avast Free Antivirus, has also been added to the Mac platform so that networks and devices can be scanned for vulnerabilities.

The update follows Avast One's recognition by AV-Test as a Top Product in the industry, achieving full points in malware protection, performance and usability.

Earlier this year, Avast bolstered the free and premium versions of Avast One with new and innovative privacy and scam prevention features across all major platforms, including Email Guardian, Private Mode, Scam Protection for mobile, and a Smart VPN which launches automatically for activities such as online banking.

In this latest update, Avast has enhanced its cross-platform support further with Online Safety Score and Network Inspector which provide more guidance and user control over online safety for greater peace of mind no matter the device used, according to the company.

Premium customers can utilise Avast One's protection and performance capabilities for up to 30 computers and mobile phones across PC, Mac, Android and iOS, ensuring families and their devices stay private and secure, the company states.

Last year, Avast's Digital Citizenship study of more than 16,000 people found that despite the internets increasing importance day-to-day, heightened online safety and privacy concerns are stopping people from fully engaging in online activities.

With this in mind, Avast has added to the protection capabilities of Avast One across all platforms, to provide online citizens with greater control and confidence at a time of rising online scams, fraud, and other malicious activity.

Vita Santrucek, chief product officer at Avast, said in a blog post, “Across the world, safe and free access to digital services is increasingly becoming an everyday requirement. Yet our Avast Digital Citizenship Report found that two out of three people decided not to do something online because of security and privacy concerns.

"It's a wake-up call for us that many people do not feel confident about using critical online services and are abandoning decisions to shop, bank, or register new accounts because of concerns about security, privacy and identity. We understand that effective protection means protection on our customers' terms, and with Avast One we've made sure it's available on every major platform, wherever and whenever it's needed.

In addition to Online Safety Score, the features available in the latest update of Avast One include:

Network Inspector: To automatically scan networks and connected devices for vulnerabilities, and offer recommendations to improve device security when connected to public networks, as well as tips to strengthen the protection of home networks so that intruders are unable to access them and obtain personal data.

App lock: To lock sensitive apps and photos with a PIN, pattern, or fingerprint that's different to the authentication used to unlock a phone, providing the user with an additional layer of protection.