Piriform Software
{{short description|Software company headquartered in London, England}}
{{more citations needed|date=September 2017}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Piriform Software Ltd.
| logo = PiriformLtd.png
| type = Subsidiary
| genre =
| foundation = {{Start date and age|df=yes|2005|09|15}}
| founders = {{ubl|Guy Saner|Lindsey Whelan}}
| location_city = London
| location_country = England
| locations =
| industry = Computer software
| products = CCleaner
Recuva
Defraggler
Speccy
CCleaner Cloud{{cite web| url= http://www.piriform.com/blog/2015/9/22/ccleaner-cloud-has-launched| title= Piriform Blog - CCleaner Cloud has Launched!| publisher= Piriform| date= 22 September 2015| accessdate= 22 September 2015| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160412173852/http://www.piriform.com/blog/2015/9/22/ccleaner-cloud-has-launched| archive-date= 12 April 2016| url-status= dead}}
CCleaner Browser
| services =
| revenue =
| operating_income =
| net_income =
| owner =
| num_employees =
| parent = Avast
| divisions =
| subsid =
| caption =
| homepage =
| footnotes =
}}
Piriform Software Ltd. is a British software company based in London, owned since 2017 by Avast which itself became part of Gen Digital in 2022. The company develops cleaning and optimisation tools for Microsoft Windows, macOS and Android operating systems, including CCleaner, CCleaner Browser, Defraggler, Recuva and Speccy.{{cite web | url = http://www.piriform.com/products | title = Piriform Product page | publisher = Piriform | access-date = 10 November 2007}}{{cite web | url = http://www.piriform.com/about | title = Piriform company Info page | publisher = Piriform | access-date = 10 November 2007}} On 22 September 2015, Piriform launched CCleaner Cloud, a tool to maintain computers remotely.{{cite web|author=|date=25 September 2015|title=A first look at CCleaner Cloud - gHacks Tech News|url=https://www.ghacks.net/2015/09/25/a-first-look-at-ccleaner-cloud/|access-date=6 October 2017|website=gHacks.net}}
History
The company was founded in 2004.{{Cite web |last=Ltd |first=Piriform Software |title=Piriform Announces 2 Billion CCleaner Downloads Worldwide |url=https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/piriform-announces-2-billion-ccleaner-downloads-worldwide-599793991.html |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=www.prnewswire.co.uk |language=en}}{{Cite news |title=Avast Acquires Piriform, Maker of CCleaner |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170719005604/en/Avast-Acquires-Piriform-Maker-of-CCleaner |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250115102848/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170719005604/en/Avast-Acquires-Piriform-Maker-of-CCleaner |archive-date=2025-01-15 |access-date=2025-05-19 |language=en}}
The name Piriform means "shaped like a pear," possibly referring to the British slang "to go pear-shaped".{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}}
CCleaner was launched in 2004 by founders Guy Saner and Lindsey Whelan. In July 2017, Piriform Ltd was acquired by Avast.{{cite web|author=|date=18 September 2017 |title=Hackers compromised free CCleaner software, Avast's Piriform says|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-security-avast/hackers-compromised-ccleaner-free-software-avasts-piriform-says-idUSKCN1BT0R9 |publisher= |website= Reuters.com| access-date=6 October 2017}}{{Cite news|last=Sawers|first=Paul|date=19 July 2017| title= Avast acquires Piriform, maker of popular system cleaning program CCleaner|work=VentureBeat.com |url= https://venturebeat.com/2017/07/19/avast-acquires-piriform-maker-of-popular-system-cleaning-program-ccleaner/ |access-date=19 July 2017}}
In September 2017, researchers discovered that CCleaner was compromised by hackers who inserted a backdoor into the software, enabling remote access to infected machines.{{cite web |author= |date= September 2017|title=CCleanup: A Vast Number of Machines at Risk| url= http://blog.talosintelligence.com/2017/09/avast-distributes-malware.html|access-date=6 October 2017 |website= blog.TalosIntelligence.com}}{{cite news| url= https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/10/06/ccleaner_megahack_timeline/ |title= Avast urges devs to secure toolchains after hacked build box led to CCleaner disaster| first= John |last= Leyden| work= The Register| date= 6 October 2017| access-date= }} The malware was in version 5.33 of CCleaner, prior to the acquisition by Avast. Avast quickly fixed the vulnerability and required version 5.33 users to update immediately.{{Cite web |date=2021-01-13|title=CCleaner Malware|url=https://www.kaspersky.com/resource-center/threats/ccleaner-malware|access-date=2021-09-29|website= kaspersky.com|language=en}}
CCleaner
{{Main|CCleaner}}
CCleaner is computer cleaning software featuring MacOS and Windows versions. CCleaner has the option to clean computer browser software including Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Firefox as well as a computer system's temporary files. It has a separate tab to clean the registry. (A potential backup of regedit is available.) CCleaner's other tools include editing and uninstalling programs, editing the operating system's startup apps and editing browser plugins. It can analyse hard disks individually to determine which files are taking the most space. It can search for duplicate files to help reduce drive storage space. It allows one to quickly access system restore points, and it can wipe clean the free space on individual drives to completely remove deleted files. In addition, CCleaner can automatically update computer software and drivers.
Piriform also distributes a web browser called CCleaner Browser, included as an optional add-on included within the CCleaner installer. The browser, built on Google's free and open-source project Chromium, includes built-in ad blocking and anti-tracking features. The browser is only available for Microsoft Windows.{{cite web |title=CCleaner Browser |url=https://www.ccleaner.com/ccleaner/browser |website=CCleaner |publisher=Gen Digital Inc. |language=en}}{{cite web |title=What’s the best browser on the market? {{!}} CCleaner |url=https://www.ccleaner.com/ccleaner/best-browser |website=CCleaner |publisher=Gen Digital Inc. |language=en}} The browser is identical to Avast Secure Browser, which is also owned by Piriform's parent company, Gen Digital.{{cite web |title=Piriform launches CCleaner browser, available for download |author=Venkat |url=https://techdows.com/2019/06/piriform-launches-ccleaner-browser-available-for-download.html |website=Techdows |access-date=4 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231004203701/https://techdows.com/2019/06/piriform-launches-ccleaner-browser-available-for-download.html |archive-date=4 October 2023}}
CCleaner also develops a tool called Kamo, which feeds trackers fake information to help stop a 'digital fingerprint' (a unique fingerprint that can be used to identify and track people) from being created. It supposedly makes websites and advertisers less able to show targeted ads, recommendations and price increases.{{Citation needed|date=November 2022}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
{{Piriform Software}}
{{Gen Digital}}
Category:Software companies based in London
Category:Companies based in the London Borough of Camden
Category:2004 establishments in England
Category:2017 mergers and acquisitions
Category:Software companies established in 2004
Category:British companies established in 2004