Marks 500,000 LinkScanner Downloads Since Launch; Prevents Bad Guys from Forming New Botnets\u00a0<\/p>\n
Melbourne, Tuesday 12 August 2009 – AVG (AU\/NZ) Pty Ltd, the Australian, New Zealand and South Pacific distributor of the world\u2019s most frequently downloaded free anti-virus software, today announced the half-millionth download of AVG LinkScanner\u00ae software, a free product that protects consumers against web-based security threats and prevents their computers from being recruited for botnets like the ones that brought down Twitter and Facebook last week.<\/p>\n
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AVG LinkScanner Free Edition 8.5 for Windows is designed specifically to protect against Trojans, spyware, rootkits and other malware that tries to steal your private information via compromised web pages, where the bulk of computer infections are happening today. This includes backdoors that are created by infections that allow botnets the ability to access a computer.<\/p>\n
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LinkScanner provides an additional, invisible layer of protection that lets you search and surf the Web safely. Moreover, this protection is provided in real-time, which is the only way consumers can stay protected against transient threats \u2014 60 percent of which last less than a day before moving on to another site \u2014 that occur even on well known and trusted websites.<\/p>\n
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\u201cA few years ago we had the bad guys almost beaten by blocking their attacks with firewalls, email scanning engines and some simple heuristics. But then they created ways to exploit the websites that we all visit with a trusted browser,\u201d said Lloyd Borrett, AVG (AU\/NZ) Marketing Manager.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe cyber criminals have become so good at it that even a trained eye can\u2019t tell when a web page might be harvesting your private information or dropping some attack code onto your computer. That changed the game. AVG LinkScanner was created specifically to spot web-borne malware and alert computer users to hostile web pages. In real-time.\u201d<\/p>\n
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In keeping with AVG\u2019s promise to keep the Internet safe for all, AVG offers LinkScanner free for home use. AVG also lets LinkScanner work alongside most existing security software already present on consumers\u2019 computers. This includes competitors\u2019 software.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe\u2019re doing our part to stop the spread of cyberthreats; 500,000 customers protected by LinkScanner means that roughly eleven new botnets won\u2019t be formed,\u201d continued Borrett. \u201cSo, LinkScanner customers, go ahead and click where you want \u2014 we\u2019ll keep you and the Internet safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Where to Download<\/p>\n
AVG LinkScanner Free Edition 8.5 for Windows can be can be downloaded free as a stand-alone product from http:\/\/www.avgfree.com.au<\/a>. LinkScanner is also included as part of many of AVG\u2019s home security products http:\/\/www.avg.com.au\/index.cfm?section=avg&action=home_and_office_security<\/a> and business security products http:\/\/www.avg.com.au\/index.cfm?section=avg&action=business_and_enterprise_security<\/a>. It is also included with AVG Free, which is AVG\u2019s free basic anti-virus solution for home users.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Support is available through a free online forum hosted by AVG at http:\/\/freeforum.avg.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Follow Us:<\/p>\n \u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 For security news analysis, subscribe to Roger Thompson\u2019s blog at http:\/\/thompson.blog.avg.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n \u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 For breaking news, follow AVG on Twitter @officialAVGnews.com<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n About AVG Technologies – www.avg.com<\/a> \u00a0<\/p>\n
\nAVG is a global security software maker protecting more than 80 million consumers and small businesses in 167 countries from the ever-growing incidence of web threats, viruses, spam, cyber-scams and hackers on the Internet. AVG has nearly two decades of experience in combating cyber crime and one of the most advanced laboratories for detecting, pre-empting and combating Web-borne threats from around the world. Its free, downloadable software allows novice users to have basic anti-virus protection and then easily upgrade to greater levels of safety and defense when they are ready.<\/p>\n