Avast Launches Free Security Solution for Businesses

Security firm Avast announced on Monday the availability of a free offering designed to help small and medium businesses (SMBs) protect their networks against malicious attacks.

Avast for Business is a cross-platform solution that includes features such as essential antivirus protection, Web threat scanning and integrated browser protection, and a cloud management console. The solution also provides a robust reporting and alerting engine, Avast said.

Businesses that want more than just these basic features can acquire premium services such as Firewall, Sandbox, Anti-spam, SafeZone, and Datashredder. For servers, organizations can also add Exchange and Sharepoint protection. Customers can protect as many devices as they want, and they can activate or deactivate licenses at any time, the company noted.

The new product is currently available for Windows desktop, Windows server and Mac operating systems, but the company plans on launching a mobile solution as well. Avast says it also wants to introduce programs for managed service providers and the reseller channel later this year.

Avast believes the new solution is ideal for SMBs, especially ones with limited budgets and resources, because it can be installed, configured and managed even without the help of specialized IT staff.

“Since 2001 we’ve delivered great, free security products for home users,” said Vince Steckler, chief executive officer of Avast. “We believe the time is right to provide great security that is not only free, but also simple for SMBs to implement and manage. A small business may not view their customer database or online orders at the same level as data of an enterprise. Avast for Business addresses the problem of those businesses using consumer products and not being adequately protected; it gives those enterprises a business-class solution they can grow with.”