Ad-Aware Caters to Gamers and Entertainment Fans with New Security Solution.

Ad-Aware Game Edition provides relevant protection while you play. The world’s most trusted anti-malware has been optimized for online gamers and entertainment enthusiasts to provide security against cyber creeps, without interrupting work and play, or straining system resources.

Gothenburg, Sweden (November 3, 2009) Lavasoft, makers of globally trusted Ad-Aware security software, today announced the release of Ad-Aware Game Edition – a spin-off of its flagship product – aimed specifically to meet the needs of today’s online gamers and entertainment fans with real-time anti-virus and anti-spyware protection, and technology designed to deliver online protection without interruptions or resource strain.

“Gamers and online entertainment fans are in a high risk group in terms of computer security – spending long periods of time connected to the Internet, at risk from opportunistic cyber thieves. At the same time, there’s a struggle to find security solutions that won’t impact online experience. The Game Edition was developed specifically with the needs of this niche market in mind, giving users the ability to protect their privacy and security from cyber crooks as they work and play in full-screen mode,” says Lavasoft CEO Jason King.

What Types of Threats Target Gamers?
The online games industry is booming and, according to the Malware Labs at Lavasoft, cyber thieves are cashing in. In fact, malware authors are capitalizing on the transfer of cash and virtual goods that takes place regularly in online games by developing Trojans aimed specifically at plundering passwords and harvesting log-in details from users of MMORPG's. The scammers are usually after the credit card and billing information for online game accounts, and even the virtual world loot, which they can auction off for real world money.

In the past nine months, the amount of unique signatures added to the Win32.TrojanPWS.Onlinegames family of threats in Ad-Aware's Detection Database of known malware increased by over 600 percent. According to Malware Labs at Lavasoft, the most common types of foul play that online gamers are bound to face include social engineering scams to gain log-in and account details, malware specifically targeting online games, and exploiting vulnerabilities in game servers and browsers, to name a few.

What Sets Ad-Aware Game Edition Apart?
Ad-Aware Game Edition addresses the age-old struggle in online gaming and virtual worlds of how to stay protected, without the interruptions or breaks in protection that other security software programs cause. While competitor products claim to ‘suspend’ protection while in full-screen mode, Ad-Aware Game Edition provides continuous protection, without interrupting the user with threat alerts; Ad-Aware automatically handles the blocking and removal of malware, allowing the user to focus on their virtual world – without worrying about their security.

Price and Availability
The Ad-Aware Game Edition is available immediately at www.shieldpowerup.com. Prices begin at $24.95 and include free technical support and continuous software updates throughout the license period. Trial versions are available as well. Each Game Edition purchase includes a choice of one free game from titles such as Peggle, Bejeweled 2, Ranch Rush, Mean Girls: High School Showdown, and Tradewinds Odyssey.

About Lavasoft
Founded in 1999, Lavasoft is "the original anti-spyware company", with over 400 million downloads worldwide for the flagship Ad-Aware product. A private company headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, Lavasoft provides security solutions for individual consumers and enterprise clients alike, including anti-spyware, anti-virus, registry optimization, firewall, digital shredding, and encryption.

Full product info:

In the past few months, the amount of threats targeted specifically at gamers increased by 600%, according to Lavasoft Malware Labs. Game accounts, log-in details, and passwords are getting stolen, new malware designed to gain unauthorized access to your system is developed at an alarming rate – and as the virtual world grows, cyber thieves will keep cashing in.

But we also know that you would rather take the risk, than to have a slow system bogged down with some clunky anti-malware.

Ad-Aware Game Edition gives you complete malware protection without annoying interruptions or system impact – so that nothing gets in your way as you play.

Key Features

• Complete & Relevant Malware Protection, including anti-virus & anti-spyware
• Do Not Disturb Mode for uninterrupted play & entertainment
• Minimal Impact on System Resources
• Ad-Watch Live! Real-Time Protection, including Process, Registry, and Network protection
• Behavioral heuristics & Genotype Detection Technology
• The Scheduler

Complete Malware Protection
A power-packed combination of our pioneer anti-spyware technology together with traditional anti-virus to provide comprehensive malware protection, including protection against virus, spyware, blended malware, trojans, rootkits, hijackers, keyloggers, and much more.

Do Not Disturb Mode
Stay protected while playing games or watching movies online – without the annoying interruptions or strain on system resources that other security software programs cause.

Do Not Disturb Mode prevents security alerts, system scans and auto-updates while you are gaming, without compromising security.

Minimal Strain on System Resources
Need for speed? Improvements to computer resource usage mean you have protection that won’t slow your computer down.

Ad-Watch Live! Expert
Ad-Watch Live! Expert gives you an additional layer of security by blocking connections to blacklisted IP addresses. It also adds process protection including behavior-based heuristics scanning, registry protection, and real-time network protection – without the strain on system resources.

Genotype Detection Technology
Based on heuristics, genotype allows Ad-Aware to stay one step ahead of today's ever-evolving threats, as well as threats that have not yet been created, to stop malware before it can attack your personal information. For in-depth information on this technology, please click here.

The Scheduler
Automatic Scans set to your personalized schedule to optimize time and resources. If used in combination with Lavasoft SmartSet, all you have to do is set & forget.

For further information, please contact Michael Helander, Vice President, Sales and Marketing at Lavasoft, telephone +46 31 777 77 50 or press @ lavasoft.com

A full trial version can be downloaded here.

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