Who is Avast?
Avast is a Prague-headquartered cybersecurity software company that develops endpoint security, threat detection, and online privacy technologies for consumer and business customers.
- Consumer antivirus and endpoint protection for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices
- Threat detection and malware analysis supported by a global threat intelligence network
- Security products for small and medium businesses, including managed endpoint protection
- Online privacy tools such as secure browsing, virtual private network (VPN) services, and Wi-Fi protection
- Identity protection and web safety features for individual users
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More About Avast
Avast develops security software that is distributed to individual consumers and to business customers. Its consumer offerings are sold as subscription products that bundle antivirus, web protection, and privacy features. Its business offerings address endpoint protection, centralized management, and security monitoring for small and medium-sized organizations. Enterprise buyers typically deploy these products through a management console that allows administrators to apply policies, review device status, and respond to detected threats across distributed endpoints.
The company's products rely on established security architectures, including signature-based and behavioral malware detection, heuristic analysis, sandboxing of suspicious files, and cloud-based reputation services. Network-level features use encrypted tunnels based on standard VPN protocols, and web protection components inspect traffic to block phishing and malicious domains. Threat intelligence collected from a large installed base of endpoints is used to update detection models and reputation data.
Avast operates in the endpoint security and consumer cybersecurity segments of the information technology sector. Comparable solution categories include endpoint protection platforms, managed detection and response services, and consumer security suites offered by other vendors. Avast's offerings are generally positioned in the consumer and small business tiers of these categories rather than in large enterprise security operations.
Avast was founded in Prague in 1988 and was later part of a larger group of security businesses. In 2022, Avast was combined with NortonLifeLock, which later became Gen Digital, and it now operates as part of that consumer cyber safety portfolio. The company's business significance lies in its large consumer user base, its threat detection data, and its role in protecting personal devices and home networks from malware, phishing, and unauthorized tracking.
In the Information Technology directory category, Avast is classified under Software and Services, with a focus on IT services and internet services and infrastructure. Its active solution areas include consumer and small business security, endpoint protection, privacy and network security tools, and threat intelligence. These areas reflect the company's current product families and service lines.
Our description of Avast. Updated October 2026.
