Lavasoft

{{Update section|date=March 2018}}

{{Infobox software

| name = Adaware antivirus

| logo =

| screenshot =

| caption =

| author =

| developer = Adaware

| programming language = C++, Visual Basic .NET

| released = {{Start date and age|1999}}

| latest release version = 12.4.930.11587{{cite web|url=https://www.adaware.com/antivirus/release-notes|title=Release notes - Adaware|publisher=adaware.com|access-date=2021-04-10}}

| latest release date = {{Start date and age|2018|06|27}}

| latest preview version =

| latest preview date =

| operating system = Microsoft Windows

| platform =

| language = Multilingual{{cite web | title = Ad-Aware Free Tech Specs - Lavasoft | publisher = Lavasoft | url = http://www.lavasoft.com/products/ad_aware_free.php?t=techspecs | access-date = November 9, 2007 }}

| genre = Antivirus software, Adware, Spyware

| license = Proprietary, Freeware

| website = {{URL|https://www.adaware.com/}}

}}

An anti-spyware and anti-virus software program, Adaware Antivirus, according to its developer, supposedly detects and removes malware, spyware and adware, computer viruses, dialers, Trojans, bots, rootkits, data miners,{{citation needed|date=February 2012}} parasites, browser hijackers and tracking components.{{cite web|url=http://www.lavasoft.com/support/supportcenter/manuals/ad_aware/ad_aware_manual.pdf|title=Ad-Aware User Manual|publisher=Lavasoft.com|access-date=November 21, 2014}}

In the 2008 Edition, Lavasoft bundled Ad-Aware Pro and Plus for the first time with an antivirus scanner,{{cite web|last=Hopkins |first=John A |url=http://download.cnet.com/Ad-Aware-2008/3000-8022_4-10844457.html |title=Ad-Aware 2008 7.1.0.8 - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com |publisher=Download.cnet.com |access-date=2010-11-09}} which used the Avira engine{{cite web|url=http://www.brighthub.com/computing/smb-security/reviews/26025.aspx?p=3 |title=Page 3 - Ad-Aware Pro Anniversary Edition Review: Computer Security Articles at |publisher=Brighthub.com |date=May 4, 2010 |access-date=2010-11-09}}

and this arrangement continued for a few years.{{cite web|url=http://www.brighthub.com/computing/smb-security/reviews/52810.aspx |title=Ad-Aware v8.1, Powered by People Anti-Malware Protection |publisher=Brighthub.com |date=July 19, 2010 |access-date=2010-11-09}} Starting with Ad-Aware version 10, the Bitdefender antivirus engine was used instead.{{cite web|url=http://lavasoft.com/products/compare.php |title=Ad-Aware Product Comparison |publisher=Lavasoft |date=January 22, 2014 |access-date=2014-01-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140122053525/http://lavasoft.com/products/compare.php |archive-date=January 22, 2014 }}{{cite web|url=https://news.yahoo.com/ad-aware-free-antivirus-review-235444575.html |title=Ad-Aware Free Antivirus+ Review |publisher=Yahoo! News |date=December 8, 2014 |access-date=2015-01-16}}{{cite web|url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2427056,00.asp |title=Ad-Aware Free Antivirus+ 11 |publisher=PC Magazine |access-date=2015-01-16}}

According to PC World Magazine, an older version of Ad-Aware, the Anniversary Edition, could locate only 83.6% of malware in a comparative test carried out by the security firm AV-TEST.{{cite web|url=http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,71309-order,2-c,antispywaretools/description.html |title=Editorial Review of Ad-Aware Pro |date=October 13, 2009 |access-date=2009-10-31 |publisher=PC World |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091124095030/http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid%2C71309-order%2C2-c%2Cantispywaretools/description.html |archive-date=November 24, 2009 |url-status=live }}

It ran no such tests on the newest version. Neil J. Rubenking of PCMag performed a lab test on version 8.3 and Ad-Aware scored 9.2 points, beating its previous best 9.1.{{cite news| url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2366085,00.asp | work=PC Magazine | first=Neil J. | last=Rubenking | title=Ad-Aware Pro Internet Security 8.3}}

In July 2013, Adaware Antivirus Free was listed as having been downloaded a total of 450 million times from the Lavasoft site, including over 387 million times from Download.com {{as of|2014|12|lc=on}}.{{cite web |url = http://download.cnet.com/Ad-Aware-Free-Antivirus/3000-8022_4-10045910.html|title = Ad-Aware Free |date = n.d. |access-date = July 12, 2013 }} According to OPSWAT, in January 2015, Ad-Aware had less than 1% of market share globally.{{Cite web|url=https://www.opswat.com/resources/reports/antivirus-and-compromised-device-january-2015|title=Antivirus Market Share Report January 2015 {{!}} OPSWAT|website=www.opswat.com|access-date=2017-01-03}} Paid versions of the product are being competed from low-cost or free products, such as Microsoft Security Essentials.

The company was acquired in January 2011, as Lavasoft, by the Solaria Fund, a private equity fund, front for Daniel Assouline and Michael Dadoun, key people of UpClick and Interactive Brands.{{cite web|url=http://www.scmagazineus.com/daniel-assouline/topic/13471/ |title=Daniel Assouline - SC Magazine |publisher=Scmagazineus.com |date=2011-08-05 |access-date=2012-07-14}} SC Magazine reported that Lavasoft had been acquired by the same entrepreneurs who have been accused of selling software that is available free to unwitting users under the guise of premium support,{{cite news|author=Danny Bradbury |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/feb/23/newmedia.technology |title=Money for nothing | Media |work=The Guardian |date= March 3, 2006|access-date=2012-05-25 |location=London}} including the free version of Lavasoft's security program prior to acquiring the company itself. Security consultant Dancho Danchev has documented this controversy.{{cite web|last=Danchev |first=Dancho |url=http://ddanchev.blogspot.com/2008/03/cybersquatting-security-vendors-for.html |title=Dancho Danchev's Blog - Mind Streams of Information Security Knowledge: Cybersquatting Security Vendors for Fraudulent Purposes |publisher=Ddanchev.blogspot.com |date=2008-03-20 |access-date=2012-05-25}}

Additionally, Danchev has reported in 2013 that Lavasoft was used to hide hard-to-uninstall programs into third-party software to trick the users in installing them, like in the K-Lite Codec Pack, and the Lavasoft Web Companion changed your browser without the user's permission. Although the company shields itself behind the complete legality{{huh|date=September 2019}} of bundled software and claims that their software is only used to fight malware, there are users who have branded their products as malware.{{cite web|last=Danchev |first=Dancho |url=http://forums.anvisoft.com/viewtopic-53-4717-0.html |title=How to Remove Securesearch.lavasoft.com Redirect Virus from your computer?(Removal Guide) |publisher=Frances |access-date=2013-04-23}}

In February 2015, it was reported by CERT Coordination Center, that a new security feature in Ad-Aware Web Companion was implemented with Komodia SSL Digestor, one of Komodia's public SDKs, the company behind the Superfish security incident in Lenovo machines.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/BLUU-9TWT2Y|title=Lavasoft Information for VU#529496|website=www.kb.cert.org|access-date=2018-03-17}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/zero-day-weekly-superfish-attacks-fbi-gameoverzeus-bounty-komodia-in-lavasoft/|title=Zero Day Weekly: Superfish attacks, FBI GameoverZeus bounty, Komodia in Lavasoft|last=Blue|first=Violet|work=ZDNet|access-date=2018-03-17|language=en}}{{cite web |url=http://heise.de/-2557619 |title=Gefährliche Adware: Mehr als ein Dutzend Anwendungen verbreiten Superfish-Zertifikat |trans-title=Dangerous Aware: More than a Dozen Applications spreading Superfish Certificate |work=Heise Security |date=February 24, 2015 |access-date=March 17, 2018}}

{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

• {{Official website|https://www.adaware.com/}}

Category:Computer security software companies

Category:Companies based in Montreal

Category:Software companies established in 1999

Category:Software companies of Canada

Category:1999 establishments in Quebec

Category:Antivirus software

Category:Windows security software