Avast Safe Zone Browser questions

[Jimmy9190]

I have been reading a lot lately about anti-virus and security software, trying to find the best one to use and get the best bang for the buck at the same time. I have been using the free version of Avast for a couple of weeks, in combination with MWB and SAS, and I had no trouble with any of it. I like the Avast interface and the streaming cloud update technology. They have a very good support system too with a great user forum for questions and problems.

Yesterday I removed the free Avast and downloaded their free 30 day trial version of Avast Internet Security. It has a lot more features than their basic free AV and spyware program. One of the features it has is called Safe Zone. It is a private and secure browser that is isolated from the rest of my internet system. It is kind of like a sandbox except that instead of keeping everything in a sandboxed browser inside the sandbox so it cannot harm my computer, the Safe Zone keeps everything else outside of its browser so that nothing else can get in, like key loggers and other spyware. In other words, it is a separate browser that is completely isolated from the rest of my system and it is said to be much more secure and is intended for use when doing online shopping, banking and bill paying. The browser looks a lot like Chrome, but Avast says it is a "specialized version of the Chromium browser". It is not possible to change the Safe Zone browser to any other browser. I tried that for nearly an hour.

I used the Safe Zone browser today and checked my bank account and it seems to me to be a very good idea and a very useful tool against online dirtbags and crooks. I am all for anything I can get to keep the dirtbags away from my computer, my identity and my money. What do you guys here think of the Safe Zone browser? Has anyone used it or does anyone believe it is bad or a bad tool/idea? Any input on the $30.00/year paid version of Avast Internet Security? I was tinkering with it yesterday and I like it the best of all of the AV suites I have researched. I really want to use and like Avast but I would appreciate any info you guys have on it. I trust your opinions and thoughts about computers much more than anything else I read online.

Thanks.

 

[bubbajoe_2112]

Avast did decent, not great, in the year end AV-Comparatives (4-month test period) Real World test which was just released:

AV-Comparatives year end real world test results

I've never used the sand box browser, so can't speak to that feature of Avast. If you are not going back to Norton, then if it was me, I'd spend my $$$ on Bitdefender or Kaspersky for overall protection.

 

[Jimmy9190]

I guess I have answered my own question. I tried the Safe Zone during the last few days and I like it a lot. It seems to me to be much better than the sandboxed banking and financial tools like they offer in other security suites. The Safe Zone browser itself really does not look much different than Chrome but I do like the idea of an isolated browser. I am no expert by any means but it seems to me that Safe Zone would be more secure than a regular online browser.

I read a lot of reviews and I still like Avast the best. All of the free and paid suites have their good and bad points, some do better than others in one or the other review category, but no one program catches every single virus or piece of malware out there. I guess everybody has their preferences but for the price, ease of use and the features Avast is the best choice for me and how I use the internet. I will probably just buy the one year paid Avast Internet Security 7 suite and be done with it.