11-20-2017 , 08:03 PM
http://news.softpedia.com/news/ccleaner-...8633.shtml CCleaner Now Offering Avast Free Antivirus in Typical Adware Push
Avast Free Antivirus integrated into CCleaner installer
Nov 20, 2017 11:42 GMT · By Bogdan Popa · Share:
Security vendor Avast purchased Piriform earlier this year, and it was obviously just a matter of time until the company started offering bundles or adding some sort of interoperability between its existing products and the newly-acquired solutions.
And today, it looks like this is exactly what’s happening with secure cleaning app CCleaner, which has started offering Avast Free Antivirus bundled into its installer.
CCleaner had some rough weeks earlier this year when it was discovered that the application was infected with malware, thus compromising a significant number of computers across the world, with users unknowingly downloading the infected update.
But by mixing CCleaner and the free antivirus, Avast could offer a duo that adds a whole new layer of security on Windows computers, though at first glance, this layer isn’t offered in the most convenient way.
Adware-like approach
Avast decided to integrate the Avast Free Antivirus in the CCleaner installer, making everything look like a traditional adware push that typically comes down to tricking users into downloading software they don’t need when deploying other applications.
The option to install the Avast Free Antivirus is checked by default, and this is actually the bigger problem. Such software should be offered as opt-in, letting users decide should they want to install the antivirus, but by enabling the option by default, unsuspecting users who are in a rush could deploy it as well.
On the good side, Avast Free Antivirus is one of the most advanced freeware security products right now, so even if some users end up installing it by mistake, it could actually be a helpful addition to their security software arsenal.
As gHacks notes, users who don’t want to deal with adware can still download the portable version of CCleaner which doesn’t include such offers, providing instead a completely clean archive that only includes the secure cleaning application and nothing more. :( :dodgy:
Avast Free Antivirus integrated into CCleaner installer
Nov 20, 2017 11:42 GMT · By Bogdan Popa · Share:
Security vendor Avast purchased Piriform earlier this year, and it was obviously just a matter of time until the company started offering bundles or adding some sort of interoperability between its existing products and the newly-acquired solutions.
And today, it looks like this is exactly what’s happening with secure cleaning app CCleaner, which has started offering Avast Free Antivirus bundled into its installer.
CCleaner had some rough weeks earlier this year when it was discovered that the application was infected with malware, thus compromising a significant number of computers across the world, with users unknowingly downloading the infected update.
But by mixing CCleaner and the free antivirus, Avast could offer a duo that adds a whole new layer of security on Windows computers, though at first glance, this layer isn’t offered in the most convenient way.
Adware-like approach
Avast decided to integrate the Avast Free Antivirus in the CCleaner installer, making everything look like a traditional adware push that typically comes down to tricking users into downloading software they don’t need when deploying other applications.
The option to install the Avast Free Antivirus is checked by default, and this is actually the bigger problem. Such software should be offered as opt-in, letting users decide should they want to install the antivirus, but by enabling the option by default, unsuspecting users who are in a rush could deploy it as well.
On the good side, Avast Free Antivirus is one of the most advanced freeware security products right now, so even if some users end up installing it by mistake, it could actually be a helpful addition to their security software arsenal.
As gHacks notes, users who don’t want to deal with adware can still download the portable version of CCleaner which doesn’t include such offers, providing instead a completely clean archive that only includes the secure cleaning application and nothing more. :( :dodgy:
