Security specialist Malwarebytes announced the launch of Anti-Malware Premium, a tool designed to proactively protect home PCs against advanced criminal software that traditional antivirus programs cannot detect.
In development for more than 18 months, Premium is the first completely new version of the company’s flagship security software in six years, and is designed to work alongside traditional antivirus programs to provide additional protection.
Anti-Malware Premium is available from the company’s online store for an annual subscription of $24.95, providing coverage for up to three PCs. Users with existing lifetime licenses for Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Pro will receive a free upgrade to the new product, the company said.
The product does not replace Malwarebytes’ free clean-up tool, which the company has said it is committed to providing for free forever.
“Six years after the launch of the first version, and following 18 months of development and countless research hours, we are thrilled to announce Premium,” said Marcin Kleczynski, founder and CEO of Malwarebytes. “It has been a real labor of love. We are proud of what we have created and believe it builds upon the success of our existing products to give people a strong proactive countermeasure against today’s advanced online threats.”
Premium has added updated malicious URL blocking and enhanced protection from unwanted programs such as aggressive adware and toolbars. A new user interface and ultra-quick threat scan improve the user-friendly quality of the platform.
Anti-Malware Premium also integrates new Anti-Rootkit technology, which rips out and fixes the damage done by malicious software hiding at an extremely deep level in the operating system.
Malwarebytes’ Chameleon is also built-in, allowing Premium to use brute force to start up and scan when malware is crippling traditional security software and other processes.
The new product brings together five technologies in a 16MB download for the first time, the combination of which provides dynamic protection from advanced threats.
At its core is a new heuristics engine, designed to detect and kill malicious software based on behavior, meaning protection is not reliant on slow-moving signatures, and it can provide defense against zero-day attacks.
Earlier this month, the company announced it had updated its free mobile security app to protect people against the growing number of potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) targeting Android users.
Such applications are often offered through legitimate channels, but mislead people with the aim of making money from aggressive advertising and in-app purchases, as well as taking unnecessary amounts of personal data and impacting phone performance.
In addition to adding PUP protection, the updated version of Anti-Malware Mobile allows for scheduling of updates over WiFi and social sharing of the app with friends. It also features French translation and allows users to send feedback and request new features.