Free AVG Main Screen

Free AVG has been around for a while.  It still seems to be the most popular free antivirus out there.  Just do a quick Google search “free antivirus” to prove this theory.  Version 8.5 brings a completely new interface update to the previous version 7.0 AVG software.

Link Scanner Plugin

AVG’s main big update is the inclusion of the link scanner which is an add on to either Internet Explorer or Firefox.  However, I question the necessity of the Link Scanner utility because Internet Explorer 7.0+ and Firefox 3.0+ already include built-in phishing security. The built-in browser protection is based on lists that are downloaded rather than sending each  individual URL.  However, with the link scanner every website you visit is submitted to AVG and then checked for malware.  So, while the tool bar may provide extra security you also need to be concerned about the potential privacy implications.   If the later is not  too much of a concern, consider installing the toolbar. I consider my privacy pretty important so I used the “Tools” > “Add ons” in Firefox to remove the toolbar.  In Internet Explorer 7.0 and 8.0 use the “Tools” > “Manage Add ons” to delete the Link Scanner.
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