Avast Offers Freebie Endpoint Protection to Schools

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 01/24/13

To gain traction in the enterprise cyber security market, an endpoint security company has begun granting free licenses for its software to education organizations. In the first seven weeks of the offer, "Free for Education," Avast reported that it has granted over a million licenses for use on student and faculty computers.

Under the arrangement, any public school in the United States may use Avast's Endpoint Protection Suite at no cost. The license includes two central management control options to let IT administrators remotely manage antivirus programs on mobile devices, laptops, desktops, and servers. The free set of security tools doesn't include email, firewall, or anti-spam protection; those components are part of the company's "Plus" offering.

"It's a win-win situation," said CEO Vincent Steckler, "because the school gets something valuable for free and we increase our user base, which helps us to increase our brand visibility and word-of-mouth advertising for our products."

The software is currently being used by individuals or made available on recommended free anti-virus solution lists at Central Michigan University, the State University of New York at Potsdam, and the University of Florida.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • geometric grid of colorful faculty silhouettes using laptops

    Top 3 Faculty Uses of Gen AI

    A new report from Anthropic provides insights into how higher education faculty are using generative AI, both in and out of the classroom.

  • black analog alarm clock sits in front of a digital background featuring a glowing padlock symbol and cybersecurity icons

    The Clock Is Ticking: Higher Education's Big Push Toward CMMC Compliance

    With the United States Department of Defense's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification 2.0 framework entering Phase II on Dec. 16, 2025, institutions must develop a cybersecurity posture that's resilient, defensible, and flexible enough to keep up with an evolving threat landscape.

  • laptop displaying a phishing email icon inside a browser window on the screen

    Phishing Campaign Targets ED Grant Portal

    Threat researchers at cybersecurity company BforeAI have identified a phishing campaign spoofing the U.S. Department of Education's G5 grant management portal.

  • abstract pattern of shapes, arrows and circuit lines

    Internet2 Announces a New President and CEO to Step Up in October

    Internet2, the member-driven nonprofit offering advanced network technology services and cyberinfrastructure to the research and education community has completed its search, which began this past May, for a new president and CEO to take the helm.