Avira Protection Cloud or APC for short is a cloud based antivirus scanner released by Avira, a company famous for their AV software, which has now started combining malware scanning and cloud based antivirus protection in order to increase the effectiveness of antivirus detection, which is a known trait of cloud antimalware software. Avira Protection Cloud is a very small application, and it’s very light on the computer resources, best of all it’s free and it will not interfere with the existing AV security software that you have installed on your computer.
There are many advantages to using cloud based antimalware software, main one being that you are always scanning with a up to date virus definitions, because definitions on the cloud are synced with the scanner at all times, it’s a real time scanner. Normally when scanning the computer you will gonna have to update your AV beforehand, which is easy to forget, but not with Avira Protection Cloud. Other advantages of using APC would be:
- Faster scanning results
- Less computer resources used
- Cloud holds the collection of scanned files, easier management
- Up to date malware scanning all the time
Scanning with the help of APC is not very intrusive, scanner is very small and it’s just that, a scanner, it’s not the entire Avira Security set of tools, which is a good thing and a bad thing. Good because since APC can work alongside other security software easily and bad because you don’t get real time AV protection, but you’ll probably have other security programs installed to compensate for what’s missing.
Similar software: Anvi Smart Defender, Kingsoft Antivirus Software, Win MHR Free.
Free Avira Cloud scanner – Avira Protection Cloud
The whole idea behind APC is that users contribute to detection of antivirus software and basically anyone who decided to scan their computer with the help of APC will add to its knowledge. Each file and document which is scanned with the help of the Protection Cloud will have its fingerprints left inside the cloud and detection information is also stored there. Right after installing the APC application it will start and what you see on the first image above is what waits for you. Clicking on the Cloud Scan button will start the scanning:
and what’s happening during the scan is that the previously mentioned fingerprints of the files on your computer are checked with the fingerprints of files online, which are saved in the cloud. If they match the file is detected and you will be given an option for getting rid of infection.
Conclusion
Avira Protection Cloud is a great way for all those who are interested in a little bit more security to scan their computer for any pests and infections that might have found their way of your computer. Application is completely free, and you should tell about it to your friends and family, have them use it in order to improve the knowledge of the Avira Protection Cloud. For scanning, internet connection is needed, which might be problematic for some who either don’t have internet access or it’s very limited. If you’re not one of them, download APC for free and see how clean your computer really is.
