For 2017 AVG released a major update to its antivirus software. This last option will lock you out of the software entirely unless you know the password.īack in 2016, Avast acquired AVG software for over 1 billion dollars so it now also owns AVG Antivirus and Internet Security as well.
The additional areas are update control and general program access. Program settings, protection control, protection settings, scan control, scan settings, virus chest control, and backup/restore settings are selected by default when you check the option to apply password protection. There are several different parts of Avast that can be protected. This may be a legitimate action, but could also be the result of a malware attack.Ĭancel or enter the wrong password and you will be locked out of the areas selected for protection. The authorization window will darken the rest of the screen and show just the password dialog.Īn attempt has been made to enter a protected area of Avast. This is done by setting a password to protect the required areas of the program, then anyone else trying to access a protected area is greeted with a password authorization dialog. Avast Antivirus and Internet Security is one such range of software that has this ability and has been able to restrict unauthorized users from changing its settings for some years. While generally a good thing, it can also lead to issues if there’s a problem with the password stored by the software. They cannot inadvertently leave the computer more vulnerable by disabling real-time protection or altering other configuration options which could weaken security. It’s especially useful if the computer is used by children or less experienced users. This is to stop unauthorized users from tampering with the settings of the program or disabling its functions. Many commercial or free antivirus and internet security applications will offer some sort of built in protection.