Swedish security firm Lavasoft may be best known for its popular anti-spyware software Ad-Aware, but the company is now venturing into new territory with an antivirus program designed to appeal the growing market of people who want standalone products versus combination tools or security suites.


Based on technology from Avira, the new Lavasoft Anti-Virus Helix is said to deliver comprehensive protection and high performance with low impact on system resources. It offers full system scanning and on-the-fly detection, as well as protection from email viruses and other web threats such as worms, Trojans, rootkits, bots, and more.

The product is too new to have certification from the major independent testing labs, and in-depth reviews have yet to surface online, but the underlying Avira technology is generally well-regarded. Anti-Virus Helix offers a 30-day trial period that provides full updates for the product, with a one-year license going for $23.95. All in all, the new program appears to have good chances of becoming a users’ favorite given the ease of use and extensive protection it offers – then again, free anti-virus suites are aplenty.