ThreatFire AntiVirus Free Edition 4.5

• Quick specs
• Price: Free
• Operating system: Windows 2003, Windows Vista, Windows XP
• Date added: June 16, 2009
• Total Downloads: 1,493,928
• Downloads last week: 23,692
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A newer version of ThreatFire AntiVirus Free Edition is available.

Download the latest version | Learn more about ThreatFire AntiVirus Free Edition 4.7

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CNET editors' review

Reviewed by: Seth Rosenblatt on March 20, 2008

Editors note: This review was modified from the original to reflect changes in the publishers description of the product as a complementary rather than standalone package.

Called CyberHawk under its previous owners, PC Tools' ThreatFire is a useful program but only in limited situations. It offers real-time prevention of virus and malware infections by identifying suspicious behaviors ("zero-day" events) as they happen, before malicious code installs itself on your PC. However, ThreatFire does not offer an on-demand scan for viruses already on your computer, though it will perform an on-demand scan for other malware. The name says "antivirus", but if you're looking for an all-in-one on-demand bug killer we recommend looking for a product that includes both on-demand virus scanning and real-time protection.

ThreatFire does do some things very well. The software real-time protection didn't noticeably slow down our Windows Vista computer, and the customizable advanced settings were excellent. Users can pick and choose their preferred trusted processes and create rules for detection, such as scanning for SCR files created by an email client. You can also avail yourself of the scheduler, and create a system restore point before moving threats into quarantine.

However, once installed, ThreatFire is difficult to remove from your startup routine without uninstalling it. The absence of on-demand virus scanning means that this app is best used in conjunction with a program that offers on-demand virus detection and removal. While ThreatFire offers some compelling features, competing freeware security programs provide a more comprehensive combination of real-time and on-demand virus scanning.

Publisher's description

Traditional antivirus solutions cannot protect you until after they've discovered a new threat and produced a signature to counter it. ThreatFire does not rely on signatures, but instead provides behavior-based protection. It is designed to be used alongside your existing antivirus software and it fills the gap in protection between your antivirus signature updates. ThreatFire protects you against major security threats including viruses, worms, trojans, rootkits and even some spyware. Its advanced ActiveDefense technology intelligently analyzes the behavior of processes and programs on a system and immediately halts any malicious action. It continuously monitors all activities on your PC at a very low system level and uses a proprietary combination of analytics, risk algorithms, program histories and tolerance thresholds to identify and shut down threats so you are always protected, no matter how new the threat. ThreatFire is easy to use, instantly effective, and very light on system resources. Best of all, choose between the advanced Pro version or the Free Edition.

Version 4.5 includes on-demand antivirus scanner, new Threat Detection map, System Activity Monitor for viewing detailed process information.

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